House Oversight Committee Memos and Deposition Updates in Epstein Probe Focus on Trump and Clintons
On December 16, 2025, Republican staff on the House Oversight Committee issued a memo arguing that Democrats are fabricating a link between former President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein through selective leaks. The memo accuses Democrats of misrepresenting witness testimony, cherry-picking documents, and manipulating emails and images to create a politically motivated hoax against Trump. It also urges Republicans to challenge what it describes as the Legacy Media's role in amplifying these claims without sufficient scrutiny.
The memo highlights that Democrats released only three Epstein Estate emails out of approximately 20,000 pages to the committee and contends that redactions and context were misrepresented, suggesting selective disclosure of material. It also cites the release of a photo in which Democrats allegedly censored adult women’s faces to smear Trump, including an image purportedly showing Trump with adult Hawaiian Tropic models.
Democratic Representative Rob Garcia responded by asserting that the information was released to seek accountability and called for the Department of Justice to release all Epstein files, arguing that Republicans are distorting facts. Background context notes that Trump and Epstein reportedly had a close but strained relationship in the past, with Trump denying involvement in Epstein’s crimes and not being implicated. The story also mentions a December 19 deadline for the Trump administration to release Epstein-related files following congressional votes.
Separately, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer announced the rescheduling of depositions for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Epstein probe. Their depositions are now set for January 13 and January 14, 2026, respectively. Comer stated that failure to appear on these new dates would lead to immediate contempt of Congress proceedings. The committee noted that the Clintons did not propose alternative dates for their testimonies.
To date, only Bill Barr and Alex Acosta have appeared in person for the Epstein probe, while others have testified in writing or deferred. Comer emphasized the Clintons’ personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, distinguishing them from other witnesses. Committee materials show the Clintons and Trump socializing with Epstein, with Clinton’s ties predating Epstein’s 2019 indictment and death.
Comer criticized the Clintons’ lawyer for requesting equal treatment compared to other witnesses, stating that the Clintons are not similarly situated to some others. The deposition dates followed a November 21, 2025 committee letter and came after the committee previously forewent in-person depositions for certain individuals due to lack of information or health issues.
