The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in criminal contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Republicans on the panel argued the Clintons repeatedly refused to appear despite being given multiple opportunities, while the Clintons called the subpoenas legally invalid and said they had shared all relevant information.

The vote, largely along party lines but with some bipartisan support, marks the first contempt referral by the GOP-led committee and will now go to the full House and potentially the Justice Department for prosecution.

Democrats criticized the move as politically motivated and argued the Clintons had cooperated in writing, noting other high-profile figures also ignored subpoenas without facing contempt, NPR has reported.

Committee Chairman James Comer defended the action, emphasizing the panel’s ongoing efforts to pursue testimony and schedule interviews with key Epstein associates.