US - Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary are among a range of high-profile names to receive subpoenas from a congressional committee to testify about deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Republican James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, issued the subpoenas on Tuesday to the Clintons, as well as eight other individuals. The committee is looking for more information about Epstein's history, after President Donald Trump's administration decided against releasing more federal files on the late financier. That decision sparked outrage among Trump's supporters and some liberals, as many believe the files include a "client list" of famous men affiliated with Epstein.
The subpoenas cast a wide net across Justice Department leadership during the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, and the committee also subpoenaed the department itself for records related to Epstein. Merrick Garland, who headed the department under former President Joe Biden, received notice from the committee, according to Comer. Both attorneys general during Trump's first term in office, Jeff Sessions and William Barr, did as well.
Former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller, will also be compelled to testify before the committee. It is not immediately clear if the individuals named by Comer will ultimately appear before the committee and, if they do, whether they will testify publicly. Federal prosecutors charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors and other crimes in 2019, during the first Trump administration. He died by suicide in jail later that year, which led to questions and rumours about his death while in custody.
This summer, current US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the justice department had reviewed its Epstein records and found no evidence of the long-rumoured "client list". She also said evidence supported he died by suicide while in custody and that the federal government would not release any more of its files. The announcements sparked outrage among some in Trump's base who believed his administration was not forthcoming about Epstein-related materials. In a rare break with President Trump, multiple members of the House Republican caucus have called for greater inquiry into the case.
Comer's subpoenas indicate that the House Oversight Committee -- which wields significant investigatory powers -- will continue to press for information from the Trump administration. (BBC)
