Clinton Trump Epstein files testimony could set legal precedent for cases

Since there was such a storm throughout Unhealthy Bunny’s halftime present on the Tremendous Bowl, maybe there’s a answer at hand. This compromise would fulfill each pink and blue America. And the exhibit would rock the nation: Let former President Invoice Clinton and President Donald Trump testify concerning the Epstein information at halftime.

Republicans imagine former President Clinton has one thing to cover about Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats really feel the identical manner about President Trump. The Home Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the previous president and Hillary Clinton to testify concerning the Epstein information. After a lot wrangling, the Clintons will seem for a closed-door deposition later this month.

However each Invoice and Hillary Clinton at the moment are calling for open classes. And Democrats imagine that such an look at a public listening to — by a former president — would set a precedent to herald President Trump to reply questions on what he knew about Epstein.

GHISLAINE MAXWELL APPEARS BEFORE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE LAWSUIT FOR DEPOSITION OF EPSTEIN PROBE

Hillary Clinton addresses her aides and supporters concerning the outcomes of the US election as her husband, former US President Invoice Clinton, applauds at a lodge within the Manhattan borough of New York, November 9, 2016. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

An architect of the regulation forcing the discharge of the Epstein information final week applauded the previous First Couple’s calls for to testify at a televised open listening to. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., mentioned the previous president is a crucial witness.

“So lengthy [the hearing is] focusing on Epstein, and it is not a wild goose chase — it is not attempting to attain political factors or embarrass President Clinton or President Trump, it is asking official questions on what they knew was happening and who they knew was taking part in heinous acts,” Khanna mentioned. “That needs to be a official level of investigation.”

After agreeing to a closed-door deposition later this month, Hillary Clinton turned to

Former President Clinton echoed his spouse on X the following day and in addition referred to as for a public listening to. The previous commander-in-chief acknowledged that he is not going to be used “as a prop in a closed-door Kangaroo Court docket.”

A Comer spokeswoman accused the previous first pair of “shifting the goalposts.” Comer was at all times open to a listening to. However after an announcement behind closed doorways.

“Depositions have traditionally been rather more substantive than hearings,” Comer mentioned. “Hearings have sadly change into extra of an leisure factor.”

It is onerous to determine precisely what the Clintons needed.

The Home Oversight Committee voted on a bipartisan foundation final August to subpoena each Invoice and Hillary Clinton for depositions — together with a bunch of different outstanding figures equivalent to former Legal professional Common Invoice Barr. After a lot negotiation, the committee summoned them to seem on dates in October. The Clintons defied that. The committee then assigned their dates simply earlier than Christmas. However neither confirmed up on the time due to a funeral. The committee requested that the Clintons give them dates for appearances in January. They did not. The committee then granted them extra dates for testimony in January. They skipped that one. At that time, Comer threatened to carry the Clintons in contempt of Congress if they didn’t seem in January. The Oversight Committee voted – in a bipartisan method – for contempt. The Home Guidelines Committee final week deliberate to organize a measure to drive all the Home to vote on contempt — and ship prison referrals for the Clintons to the Justice Division for prosecution after they defied subpoenas.

REVEALED: TRUMP CALLS ON POLICE CHIEF TO SUPPORT EPSSTEIN PROBE, AND LAWMATORS NAME 6 MEN PROTECTED FROM EXPOSURE

Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., together with Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., left, speaks to reporters after a closed-door deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell, the previous girlfriend and confidante of intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)

However late this month, the Clintons lastly agreed to statements. And as soon as that was on the calendar, the duo started calling for public hearings.

There’s a methodology behind this insanity. There is no such thing as a loyalty among the many youthful Democrats in Congress towards the Clintons. In actual fact, former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., blasted some Democrats for wanting the Clintons to seem. Youthful Democrats haven’t got the identical reverence for the Clintons as older Democrats do. Hillary Clinton ran for president ten years in the past. She has not been a senator since 2009. She was final Minister of International Affairs at first of 2013. President Clinton left the Oval Workplace over 1 / 4 of a century in the past.

Nevertheless, that is the Democrats’ guess:

If former President Clinton seems concerning the Epstein information, it might be troublesome to argue that President Trump mustn’t seem.

“It definitely units a precedent. President Trump was subpoenaed through the January 6 investigations and didn’t intervene. He cited some type of government privilege. And so we’re sort of forcing the Clintons to come back in with the specter of prison contempt. Then that is a precedent that we’re setting,” mentioned Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va. “In different international locations, equivalent to Nice Britain, the prime minister often seems earlier than parliament. So it’s not the case that that is unprecedented worldwide.”

Granted, that may be a parliamentary system the place the Prime Minister is a member of Parliament in the UK. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer often seems in London each Wednesday at midday for “Prime Minister’s Questions”. MPs sometimes bombard the Prime Minister with questions and mock in a scene that resembles one thing out of Monty Python.

However the American and British programs are basically totally different.

It is uncommon however not remarkable to get a sitting or former president — and even a primary girl — in entrance of Congress.

BONDI FACES GRILLING AT HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE OVER EPSTEIN FILES, GUN ACCUSATIONS

Former President Invoice Clinton was seen in photographs with Jeffrey Epstein as a part of a launch of DOJ Epstein information on Friday, December 19. (Ministry of Justice)

There are three outstanding examples of sitting presidents showing earlier than Congress. President Abraham Lincoln volunteered to testify earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee in 1862. The New York Herald revealed its “State of the Union” message to Congress simply earlier than it was despatched to Capitol Hill. Presidents in these days despatched written “reviews.” They made no speeches earlier than Congress. Lawmakers investigated the leak of the message to Congress. There was hypothesis that Herald reporter Henry Wikoff obtained the message prematurely because of his friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln. The Home Sergeant at Arms briefly detained Wikoff — then launched him after the president spoke to the Judiciary Committee.

President Woodrow Wilson appeared earlier than the Senate International Relations Committee in 1919 to debate a treaty with Germany and the creation of the League of Nations. Wilson’s push for the League of Nations failed. The Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles.

President Gerald Ford had been in workplace for 2 and a half months earlier than he voluntarily appeared earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee within the fall of 1974. Ford instructed lawmakers that his pardon for former President Richard Nixon was not one thing they have been negotiating. Ford instructed the committee that he pardoned Nixon as a result of his bodily and psychological well being was in critical decline.

Former President Harry Truman appeared earlier than the Senate International Relations Committee in 1955 to testify concerning the United Nations Constitution.

Ford returned as former president in 1983 for a Senate listening to on the bicentennial of the Structure.

And there are additionally examples of each sitting and former first women testifying.

Eleanor Roosevelt testified twice as first girl. As soon as on labor points. Then concerning the group of volunteers for civil protection earlier than the Second World Struggle.

Rosalynn Carter testified about psychological well being as first girl.

Hillary Clinton famously testified about her husband’s well being care plan — although it was (typically derisively) referred to as “Hillarycare” within the fall of 1993. She testified a number of occasions as Secretary of State. Notably in early 2013 relating to Benghazi.

And first girl Laura Bush was on her solution to Capitol Hill to testify earlier than a Senate panel about early childhood training on 9/11. The committee canceled the listening to after the assaults in New York and on the Pentagon.

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So many Republicans want to hear from the Clintons concerning the Epstein information. Frankly, some have been extra excited about disparaging them than really gathering something on Epstein. Nevertheless it appears to be like just like the Clintons will no less than make an announcement in a couple of weeks. It’s unclear whether or not there might be a listening to or not. Some Republicans could even push for that. However warning emptor. An open session for the Clintons will solely strengthen Democrats’ — and a few GOP’s — want to listen to from President Trump.

Their testimony could not come through the Tremendous Bowl halftime present. However open testimony from a former president and a sitting president could be a political Tremendous Bowl.