The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Republicans, has issued a stark warning to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: participate in the upcoming closed-door depositions or face potential contempt of Congress charges. This threat emerges as part of the committee's probe into the connections between the Clintons and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Subpoenas were served to Bill Clinton for a deposition scheduled on January 13 and to Hillary Clinton for the following day. However, according to a committee spokesperson, neither has confirmed their attendance. "They are obligated under the law to appear and we expect them to do so," the spokesperson stated. Failure to comply could lead the committee to initiate contempt proceedings, a power that has seen varying degrees of enforcement, from symbolic to severe legal consequences.

This enforcement mechanism was notably applied during the Trump administration when Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, both Trump associates, faced jail time for non-compliance with subpoenas from the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attacks. Additionally, in a recent development under the GOP majority, former Attorney General Merrick Garland was held in contempt over withholding specific DOJ materials, although the Biden-era DOJ chose not to prosecute the case.

In response to the subpoenas and the ongoing scrutiny, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton emphasized that the former president had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and had ceased contact with Epstein more than a decade ago. Following the surfacing of photos showing Bill Clinton with Epstein, calls were made for the Trump administration to release all pertinent materials related to the former president.

Legal representatives for the Clintons have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the upcoming depositions and the potential for contempt charges.

As the situation develops, the implications of these legal maneuvers by the House Oversight Committee could set significant precedents for how congressional subpoenas are enforced against high-profile political figures, shaping the landscape of political accountability.