Latest news with #USHouseOversightCommittee
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
US House panel subpoenas Bill, Hillary Clinton for testimony in Epstein probe
The US House Oversight Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for testimony on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to letters posted on its website. US lawmakers have subpoenaed former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for testimony on Jeffrey Epstein.(AFP) The Clintons were among multiple former Democratic and Republican government officials -- as well as the Justice Department -- targeted by investigators in a major escalation of the controversy surrounding the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent after the Justice Department angered Trump supporters -- many of whom believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up -- when it confirmed last month that he had died by suicide and that his case was effectively closed. The department also said Epstein had no secret "client list" -- rebuffing conspiracy theories held by Trump's far-right supporters about supposedly high-level Democratic complicity. Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in the Republican-led Congress -- with some support from majority lawmakers -- have also been seeking a floor vote to force their release. "By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003," Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wrote to former president Clinton. "During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a 'massage' from one of Mr. Epstein's victims. The White House has been seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the affair with a series of headline-grabbing announcements including baselsss claims that former president Barack Obama headed a "treasonous conspiracy" against Trump. Epstein was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people -- for years, including Trump -- who was convicted of sex crimes and then imprisoned pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls. His 2019 prison cell death supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many Trump supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets. After Trump returned to power in January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files. Past relationship Several of Trump's most effective promoters over the years -- including new FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino -- made careers of fanning the rumors about Epstein. But when Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 7 that she had nothing to release, Republicans were furious -- and Trump has attempted to control the scandal ever since. Yet it has dominated headlines through the summer, showing just how hard it is for 79-year-old Trump to maintain his usual mastery of driving news agendas -- even within his fervently loyal "MAGA" base. Things got even more complicated for him after a Wall Street Journal report that Trump had written a lewd birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. Trump denies this and has sued the Journal. The Journal then dropped a separate story, saying Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing. The president recently raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after Epstein "stole" female employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Other officials targeted by the panel include former FBI director James Comey, former special counsel Robert Mueller and ex-attorney generals Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Their depositions will take place between mid-August and mid-October. Comer also issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for records related to Epstein -- including its communications with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and his officials. Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his alleged crimes -- although her cooperation is considered unlikely.
STV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- STV News
US House committee issues subpoenas for Epstein files and Clinton depositions
The US House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department on Tuesday for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, part of a congressional probe that politicians believe may show links to President Donald Trump and other former top officials. The Republican-controlled committee also issued subpoenas for depositions with former president Bill Clinton, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials. The committee's actions showed how even with members away from Washington on a monthlong break, interest in the Epstein files is still running high. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. He has repeatedly tried to move past the Justice Department's decision not to release a full accounting of the investigation, but politicians from both major political parties, as well as many in the Republican president's political base, have refused to let it go. Since Epstein's 2019 death in a New York jail cell as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges, conservative conspiracists have stoked theories about what information investigators gathered on Epstein – and who else could have been involved. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee nodded to that line of questioning last month by initiating the subpoenas for the Clintons, both Democrats, as well as demanding all communications between former president Joe Biden's Democratic administration and the Justice Department regarding Epstein. The committee is also demanding interviews under oath from former attorneys general spanning the last three presidential administrations: Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Also subpoenaed were former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. However, it was Democrats who sparked the move to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Epstein. They were joined by some Republicans to initiate successfully the subpoena through a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. 'Democrats are focused on transparency and are pushing back against the corruption of Donald Trump,' Robert Garcia, who is the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters last month. 'What is Donald Trump hiding that he won't release the Epstein files?' The committee had previously issued a subpoena for an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, who had been serving a prison sentence in Florida for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the wealthy financier but was recently transferred to a Texas facility. PA Media US President Donald Trump speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania on Sunday. However, the committee's Republican chairman, James Comer, has indicated he is willing to delay that deposition until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear an appeal to her conviction. She argues she was wrongfully prosecuted. Comer noted in letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and the former officials that the cases of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell 'have received immense public interest and scrutiny.' 'While the department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell's cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell,' Comer said. The subpoenas give the Justice Department until August 19 to hand over the requested records, though such records requests are typically open to negotiation. The committee is also asking the former officials to appear for the depositions throughout August, September and October, concluding with Hillary Clinton on October 9 and Bill Clinton on October 14. While several former presidents, including Trump, have faced congressional subpoenas, none has ever appeared before members under compulsion. Bill Clinton was among a number of luminaries acquainted with Epstein before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them. One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, once gave a newspaper interview in which she described riding in a helicopter with Clinton and flirting with Trump, but she later said in a deposition that those things had not actually happened and were mistakes by the reporter. Clinton has previously said through a spokesperson that while he travelled on Epstein's jet he never visited his homes and had no knowledge of his crimes. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Kuwait Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
US House panel subpoenas Clintons in Epstein probe
WASHINGTON: The US House Oversight Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for testimony on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to letters posted on its website. The Clintons were among multiple former Democratic and Republican government officials - as well as the Justice Department - targeted by investigators in a major escalation of the controversy surrounding the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent after the Justice Department angered Trump supporters - many of whom believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up - when it confirmed last month that he had died by suicide and that his case was effectively closed. The department also said Epstein had no secret 'client list' - rebuffing conspiracy theories held by Trump's far-right supporters about supposedly high-level Democratic complicity. Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in the Republican-led Congress - with some support from majority lawmakers - have also been seeking a floor vote to force their release. 'By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003,' Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wrote to former president Clinton. 'During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a 'massage' from one of Mr. Epstein's victims. The White House has been seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the affair with a series of headline-grabbing announcements including baselsss claims that former president Barack Obama headed a 'treasonous conspiracy' against Trump. Epstein was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people—for years, including Trump—who was convicted of sex crimes and then imprisoned pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls. His 2019 prison cell death supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many Trump supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets. After Trump returned to power in January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files. Several of Trump's most effective promoters over the years—including new FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino—made careers of fanning the rumors about Epstein. But when Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 7 that she had nothing to release, Republicans were furious—and Trump has attempted to control the scandal ever since. Yet it has dominated headlines through the summer, showing just how hard it is for 79-year-old Trump to maintain his usual mastery of driving news agendas—even within his fervently loyal 'MAGA' base. Things got even more complicated for him after a Wall Street Journal report that Trump had written a lewd birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. Trump denies this and has sued the Journal. The Journal then dropped a separate story, saying Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing. The president recently raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after Epstein 'stole' female employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Other officials targeted by the panel include former FBI director James Comey, former special counsel Robert Mueller and ex-attorney generals Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Their depositions will take place between mid-August and mid-October. Comer also issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for records related to Epstein—including its communications with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and his officials. Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his alleged crimes—although her cooperation is considered unlikely. – AFP
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
US House panel subpoenas Clintons over Epstein as pressure builds on Trump administration
The subpoenas come at a time the White House has been encountering rising pressure to be more transparent about the Epstein files— documents known to contain names of high-profile individuals related to the disgraced financier's crimes read more Bill and Hillary Clinton have been subpoenaed in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Reuters The US House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton to record their testimony on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, letters posted on its website on Tuesday (August 5) showed. The former president and former secretary of state are two of the many former Democratic and Republican government officials that were probed by investigators in a major escalation of the controversy surrounding the inquiry into Epstein, who reportedly died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The subpoenas come at a time the White House has been encountering rising pressure to be more transparent about the Epstein files— documents known to contain names of high-profile individuals related to the disgraced financier's crimes. Pivots by the Justice Department department, such as saying that Epstein had no secret client list, and confirming that he had died by suicide and that his case was effectively closed, angered many people, including Trump supporters who believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up. Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in the Republican-led Congress, with some support from majority lawmakers, have also been seeking a floor vote to force their release. 'By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003,' Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wrote to former president Clinton. 'During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a 'massage' from one of Mr. Epstein's victims. The White House has been seeking to redirect public attention from Epstein, who was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people, including Trump. His 2019 prison cell death supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many Trump supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Trump returned to power in January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files. However, a report by Wall Street Journal reported that Pam Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files. This, against the backdrop of sudden reversal of claims about the Epstein files' existence, have solidified discourse around Trump's involvement in sex crimes. With inputs from AFP
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sunday World
Bill and Hillary Clinton ordered to testify in Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking probe
The move is part of a congressional probe that politicians believe may show links to President Donald Trump and other former top officials Former US President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photo:. The US House Oversight Committee subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials for testimony in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The move is part of a congressional probe that politicians believe may show links to President Donald Trump and other former top officials. The committee's actions showed how even with members away from Washington on a monthlong break, interest in the Epstein files is still running high. Mr Trump has repeatedly tried to move past the Justice Department's decision not to release a full accounting of the investigation, but politicians from both major political parties, as well as many in the Republican president's political base, have refused to let it go. US President Donald Trump speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania on Sunday (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) Since Epstein's 2019 death in a New York jail cell as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges, conservative conspiracists have stoked theories about what information investigators gathered on Epstein – and who else could have been involved. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee nodded to that line of questioning last month by initiating the subpoenas for the Clintons, both Democrats, as well as demanding all communications between former president Joe Biden's Democratic administration and the Justice Department regarding Epstein. The committee is also demanding interviews under oath from former attorneys general spanning the last three presidential administrations: Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Also subpoenaed were former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. However, it was Democrats who sparked the move to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Epstein. They were joined by some Republicans to initiate successfully the subpoena through a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. 'Democrats are focused on transparency and are pushing back against the corruption of Donald Trump,' Robert Garcia, who is the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters last month. 'What is Donald Trump hiding that he won't release the Epstein files?' The committee had previously issued a subpoena for an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, who had been serving a prison sentence in Florida for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the wealthy financier but was recently transferred to a Texas facility. However, the committee's Republican chairman, James Comer, has indicated he is willing to delay that deposition until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear an appeal to her conviction. She argues she was wrongfully prosecuted. Former US President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photo:. News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, August 5th
