The Clintons are again suggesting that they might not agree to a deposition after previously yielding to the threat of a contempt vote. Hillary Clinton taunted House Oversight Chair James Comer “if you want this fight…let’s have it—in public.” For his part, Bill Clinton seemed more conclusive on X in opposing a deposition: “I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court.” The question is whether the Clintons are again gaming the system after avoiding a bipartisan vote to hold them in contempt.
As with the Hunter Biden deposition (which was also delayed by such tactics), there are various reasons for holding a closed deposition before public hearings.
First, these depositions allow professional staff to conduct questioning in a methodical and professional manner. In a public hearing, questioning is conducted by members who are often ill-equipped for substantive inquiries.
Second, the Clintons must be asked about a range of documents and communications that contain names and privacy-protected information. At a public hearing, the use of such documents would trigger redactions and interruptions.
Third, these depositions allow for in-depth questioning on transactions and communications. In a public hearing, members are confined to a five-minute rule that guarantees questioning cannot achieve much, if any, depth.
Those are all reasons the Clintons want a public hearing in which members, not staff, ask questions under tight time limits. It produces superficial examinations with little ability to pursue substantive conflicts or issues.
None of this really matters legally. All citizens are compelled to appear at such hearings. They may invoke the Fifth Amendment, but they must appear. Even the Clintons.
However, the Clintons have spent a lifetime gaming the system, avoiding accountability for alleged crimes, including (in the case of Bill Clinton) federal perjury.
This is vintage Clinton. After a bipartisan vote in committee to hold them in contempt, they took a 180-degree turn and agreed to the depositions. The final vote was then cancelled.
Once cancelled, Bill Clinton is again suggesting that he will “not sit idly by” for such a deposition. It is not clear what that means. He will sit for this deposition or be held in contempt like any other citizen.
The declaration could mean anything from laying the groundwork for invoking the Fifth Amendment to another act of defiance of the subpoena. He could be planning to refuse to answer certain questions in a combative approach to the deposition. However, that could still result in a contempt sanction.
Notably, the Clintons have long been able to control the conditions of their questioning. Even with the Independent Counsel, Clinton was able to secure concessions on time and questions. He still tripped the wire and committed perjury, according to a federal court.
This is a rare occasion where they will not dictate such conditions. That raises the intriguing possibility that Bill Clinton could set a precedent by invoking the Fifth Amendment. Otherwise, he may not be idle, but he will be present.
The Clintons do not need to sit for Anybody or Anything[.]
You know Why Jonathan,
Because this is not a CONSTITUTIONAL Democracy
Having lived through what the “meaning of ‘is’ is”, and the blue dress that both humiliated and made blatant liars out of both Bill and Hillary, the fact that we can keep torturing them and making them spend their ill-gotten criminal profits on this high-profile defense attorney is the best part of this whole thing.
It’s so very entertaining, but the icing on the cake is that Democrats did it all themselves by demanding the release of the Epstein files, thinking they would take down Trump.
Oopsies, y’all! 😉
What struck me as curious is that the Clintons had quite unequivocally defied closed-door appearances pursuant to the subpoenas for a very. long. time. They’ve taken various alternative positions/stances but still refused Comer’s demand. Notwithstanding the pending House vote on contempt charges, they were still holding out.
Then suddenly:
(1) On Friday, January 30th, we have the largest release yet of cache/trove Epstein files/records/docs/tapes/videos, etc. (some three+million?). Importantly, but nothing new involving the Clintons made any headlines.
(2) After the weekend (Jan. 31-Feb 1st Clinton team review of the new releases?), on Monday morning (Feb 2), the Clintons agree to Comer’s depositions.
Equally important as the pending House vote on Feb. 4, were they waiting as long as they could for the release of the mess of forthcoming files before they agreed?
So, Jonathan and anyone else enjoying pouncing on the Clintons, whom the current occupant of the White House makes look like Teresa of Avila and Francis of Assisi, what legislative purpose underlies these subpoenas? You were once pretty fair on constitutional law before you sold your soul to FoxNews, tell me why these hearings have any relevance to what Congress is assigned under the constitution.
Why never a column of analysis on the Democratic Party itself, rather than just those in it? Whether it’s Clinton, Nadler, or some university professor rage queen, his Democrat party provides Professor Turley with an endless and bountiful supply of grist to feed into his financial mill, as he grinds out one column after another. A normal person, like Alan Dershowitz, by now would have announced “I’m done with you”.
Clearly, opprobrium hounds the Clintons. Except for leaks, I’m not optimistic that we will be privy to the actual process, as Johnathan has described. Maybe news if the Fifth Amendment is taken. Our system is built to handle freeplay in the joints. The rub is time against the 24/7 news cycle. We’re not always as patient as quality governance needs.
Really. The modern left is no longer a political party, and these two and their associates were some of its biggest architects. Consequences, no consequences – there is nothing to redeem there. Vote your little behind off in opposition in November.
Vote Democrat!
@’Anonymous’
That you, Bill?
Of course you do. You want free stuff, don’t see the ultimate disastrous consequences of the Dem policy of stealing from the productive normal citizens and using the proceeds to buy votes from the illiterate, uneducated and privileged.
Oh, and, like all Dems, you are a coward, hiding behind an anonymous screen name.
Always the answer no matter the question, eh Hillary?
Perhaps he wants to avoid answering questions related to this, Flight logs show Bill Clinton flew on sex offender’s jet much more than previously known
“Former President Bill Clinton was a much more frequent flyer on a registered sex offender’s infamous jet than previously reported, with flight logs showing the former president taking at least 26 trips aboard the “Lolita Express” — even apparently ditching his Secret Service detail for at least five of the flights, according to records obtained by FoxNews.com.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/flight-logs-show-bill-clinton-flew-on-sex-offenders-jet-much-more-than-previously-known
Avoid? And maybe not. So what he flew on a jet. More than known? Are you really that f-ing stupid to postulate facts that don’t exist and then source fox?
Are you really that f-ing stupid to postulate facts that don’t exist
Are you really that f-ing stupid that you believe everybody wants to see the same Democrat childrens’ matinee showing of the Democrat Commie Clown Show? Mirrors are your kyrptonite.
Projection:
Channeling one’s actions onto others typically refers to the psychological concept of projection, where a deeply emotionally disturbed individual unconsciously or deliberately attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and anti-social or criminal behaviors onto someone else.
This is an internal defense mechanism which allows mentally ill people to avoid confronting their own behavior and guilt by seeing it instead as as the thoughts and actions of another person who they despise and hate.
“Are you really that f-ing stupid to postulate facts that don’t exist”?
Hillary, you said the same thing about Benghazi and the Steele dossier. Is the 3rd time a charm?
Oh! No! The annony moron is all butt hurt I brought facts to the table, as in official flight logs!! What is the matter annony? Facts hurt?
How marvelous!!! 🙂
Let’s be purely honest; there really are some individuals who are above the law. . . . That is life . . . It is what it is.
The Clintons may skate but what damage will be done, by their nefarious behavior, to the democrat party? It’s all about the mid terms boys and girls.
My opinion, Epstein may have bribed people to facilitate his suicide. Like so many hardcore narcissists, once he was ruined, he probably decided to off himself, but he went one step further–he did it in a way that would leave enemies and ex-friends in chaos for years.
If so, it worked. Now, both sides beat each other over the head with Epstein’s bones. I have to give it to ol’ Epstein, he’s not only the most successful blackmailer in history, but he’s also now the most successful hoaxer. Any proceeding–Democrat or Republican–will have him smiling at the table, like Banquo’s ghost.
At some point, Washington needs to let the courts handle Epstein’s ghost and move on, but that can’t happen until Democrats stop staging show trials in deranged venues like NYC and Fulton County. I doubt that will ever stop. The Clintons could say something about what was perpetrated against Trump, but I know they won’t.
So… what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Sad but Epstein wins again.
Bribed to die? Really?
Seems outrageous to me too, Dad. Why not just go for the obvious: Jeffy had no friends in power and his ‘clients’ would rather see him dead than testify. So Jeffy had no bargaining chips and you know how it goes for pedos in the big house without friends, right?