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9 Democrats vote to hold Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress for evading Epstein testimony

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Nine Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted with Republicans Wednesday to recommend holding former President Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to testify as part of the panel’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Three Democrats sided with Republicans in voting for a separate measure to recommend also holding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt.

Their votes underscore the continued pressure Democrats are under to remain consistent in their calls for transparency and accountability in the Epstein case — no matter the person or the party affiliation or the dire consequences.

The contempt reports now head to the House floor. Assuming the measures advance, the administration could choose to prosecute the former first couple, which could lead to potential jail time for one or both.

For Hillary Clinton especially, it could mark the culmination of President Donald Trump’s decadelong hostility towards his 2016 political rival, who he repeatedly called to be put behind bars for using a private email server while leading the State Department.

“No witness – not a former president or a private citizen — may willfully defy a duly issued congressional subpoena without consequence,” said House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.). “But that is what the Clintons did, and that is why we are here today.”

Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Emily Randall of Washington, Lateefah Simon of California, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, alongside Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, joined Republicans in voting in favor of holding Bill Clinton in contempt. Two Democrats — Yassamin Ansari of Washington and Dave Min of California — voted “present.”

Lee, Stansbury and Tlaib voted in favor of holding Hillary Clinton in contempt, with one Democrat, Min, recording himself as “present.”

Comer issued subpoenas to the Clintons as part of his committee’s Epstein probe. Though Bill Clinton has not been implicated in any illegal activity, he had a well-documented relationship with the late disgraced financier and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been eager for information about what he might know.

But Republicans have sought to position Epstein as an alternative bogeyman to Trump, who also has not been accused of coordination in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme but has been at the center of Democrats’ focus in demanding all federal case files related to Epstein be released.

The Clintons have maintained that Comer’s subpoenas are not tied to a legitimate legislative purpose and are therefore invalid. They have also accused Comer of pursuing partisan antics designed to put them in prison.

Like other public figures who received subpoenas from the Oversight panel in the Epstein probe, the Clintons submitted sworn declarations to the panel. In their written statements, the former first couple attested to their lack of knowledge about the criminal activities of both Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Clintons also, through their legal team, negotiated with the panel for months to determine terms for an appearance before lawmakers and staff investigators. Bill Clinton had offered to sit down for an interview with Comer and his staff, but Comer rejected the proposed conditions.

In a statement on social media Wednesday morning before the contempt vote, a Clinton spokesperson said, “We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help. But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES.”

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee’s top Democrat, voted against the contempt resolutions, saying he also wanted Bill Clinton to answer his panel’s questions but arguing Comer was applying different standards to witnesses.

“Where is the pressure to get [Attorney General] Pam Bondi to release the files?” Garcia said. “Instead, you are focusing the committee’s focus on whoever you perceive to be you, your enemies and the enemies of Donald Trump.”

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Congress

Republicans offer early support for Trump’s Minnesota pivot

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Some Republicans on Capitol Hill expressed relief after President Donald Trump announced Monday he would send border czar Tom Homan to handle immigration enforcement in Minnesota after Department of Homeland Security agents shot and killed a second U.S. citizen there.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praised the move Monday, saying “we need a new set of eyes and someone with his experience to help turn around the problems of the moment and the future.”

“Tom is the right man to find a way to de-escalate the situation,” he added.

A growing number of Hill Republicans have been pushing publicly and privately for a lowering of the temperature, including from the federal government, after DHS agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

GOP lawmakers largely view Homan as a more practical enforcer of Trump’s mass deportation plans as some grow increasingly wary of how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino are handling the campaign, according to six GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

“There needed to be a change,” said one of the GOP lawmakers. But other at-risk Republicans have been wary to publicly embrace Homan, who has denied reports that he took a $50,000 bribe from federal agents.

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Trump says Justice Department is investigating Ilhan Omar

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President Donald Trump on Monday said the Justice Department is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, writing: “the DOJ and Congress are looking at ‘Congresswoman’ Illhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars. Time will tell all.”

It is the latest attack the president has levied at Omar, and the most recent instance of the president directing an investigation into his political rivals.

Trump has previously said Omar should be jailed or deported to Somalia, where she was born, though Omar has been a U.S. citizen since 2000. He has also linked Omar to government services fraud investigations in Minnesota, accusing her of being “one of many scammers,” despite no clear evidence linking her to the cases.

Tensions have only grown between the two as immigration officials continue to patrol the city of Minneapolis, which Omar represents.

Omar’s net worth skyrocketed in the last year, and House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) recently told the New York Post that he plans to launch an investigation into what caused the dramatic spike.

According to financial disclosures filed last year, Omar’s net worth principally increased due to her spouse — and not her work with the government. She disclosed her spouse taking in anywhere between $6 million and $30 million in partnership income from a venture capital firm and a winery.

Members of Congress’ and their spouses’ sources of income and assets are traditionally disclosed in broad ranges, not as a specific dollar amount.

Omar has previously denied the allegations of anything untoward and has said Trump has a “creepy” obsession with her.

Trump also announced Monday that he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis. Residents have flooded the streets of the city this month, protesting the shootings of Renee Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jan. 7, and Alex Pretti, who was killed by a Border Patrol agent Saturday.

Neither the DOJ nor Omar’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.

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Capitol agenda: Shutdown odds spike after Minnesota killing

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The killing of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents is hitting hard on Capitol Hill, ratcheting up the odds of a partial government shutdown and spurring Republican lawmakers to make another break with the Trump administration.

Here’s the latest on how the fallout from the Minnesota shooting is playing out in Congress:

— Shutdown looks likely: The Senate is set to take its first vote on the last tranche of government funding bills Thursday, and things aren’t looking good.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is insisting that Republicans work across the aisle to rewrite DHS funding legislation but also signaling that Democrats would be willing to help advance the other five pending appropriations bills in the meantime. Several Democrats who helped end the previous shutdown say they plan to vote against the funding bills unless there are changes to the ICE operation in Minnesota.

At this stage, Senate GOP leadership expects to move forward as planned on the six-bill package including DHS. Republicans and the White House have reached out to Senate Democrats about how to proceed, but one Senate Democratic leadership aide granted anonymity said they haven’t raised “realistic solutions.” A number of rank-and-file Senate Republicans are speaking out against any attempt to “defund” DHS — and leadership would need buy-in from all 100 senators to quickly strip out the DHS bill. President Donald Trump is now pushing Republicans to pass a bill to “END Sanctuary Cities.”

A couple key reminders: The pending funding bills include money for the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services and State, and account for more than 75 percent of federal discretionary spending.

And don’t forget the House is out this week and wouldn’t be around to pass any revamped funding bills before Friday. The Senate won’t hold its first vote of the week until Tuesday afternoon because of the snow storm.

— Trump faces nervous GOP: A growing number of House and Senate Republicans are voicing public concerns about the incident and calling for an investigation, as top administration officials defend the agents involved.

Even close Trump allies are beginning to speak out. Sen. David McCormick (R-Pa.) said on X Sunday night that he supports the Border Patrol and ICE but that he agrees with the NRA about the need for a “full investigation.”

House Homeland Security Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) is calling for DHS officials to testify. House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) suggested to Fox News that Trump would want to “maybe go to another city” as Minnesota officials push back.

Some Republicans have been privately warning administration officials and GOP leaders for months that Trump’s immigration crackdown is not going over well in some pockets of the country.

“Many of us wonder if the administration has any clue as to how much this will hurt us legislatively and electorally this year,” said one House Republican.

Jordain Carney and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

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