Travel concessions and member absences have raised questions about the integrity of the House Oversight Committee’s efforts to depose key witnesses in its probe of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Multiple depositions have had limited attendance from lawmakers, with counsel sometimes taking their place.
The committee’s most recent depositions of L Brands founder Les Wexner, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked members to travel outside Washington, D.C. at taxpayer expense to accommodate the witnesses.
The House Oversight Committee told the Daily Caller that agreeing to travel helped expedite the depositions due to the witnesses’ schedules.
“The Committee announced the Clintons’ February 26 and 27 depositions in New York on February 3, giving members ample time to plan attendance. Pursuant to House and Committee rules, Committee depositions are led by counsel yet nearly two dozen members attended the depositions in Chappaqua,” the spokeswoman said. “The Clintons stonewalled their depositions for seven months and the Committee accommodated the Clintons’ schedules to conduct the depositions in the most efficient and effective manner.” (RELATED: Billionaire Businessman Les Wexner Tries To Clarify Relationship With Epstein During Congressional Testimony)
The Republicans on the House Oversight Committee should not have skipped the depo on Epstein of big Republican donor Wexner. (Comer had good excuse – oral surgery scheduled – but there 25 other R’s on the committee.
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) February 27, 2026
Under the committee’s rules, depositions can be conducted by committee counsel in accordance with Rule 15. Rule 6 of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee Rules authorizes committees to “sit and act at such times and places within the United States” as deemed necessary, providing flexibility in where proceedings are held.
No Republican members of the committee attended the Ohio deposition of Les Wexner on Feb. 18, even as several Democrats traveled for the event.
GOP House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated he was unable to attend due to a previously scheduled dental surgery.
The House was also on recess from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20, leading some committee members to prioritize traveling home to their districts, one member’s office told the Caller.
(RELATED: Why Did Republicans Skip The Hearing For Epstein’s Billionaire Bestie Les Wexner?)
Nancy Mace: “Why would Jeffrey Epstein say you like them young?”
Bill Clinton: “It’s just not true, all of it.”pic.twitter.com/K2okJw6ZoV
— Joe Rogan Podcast News (@joeroganhq) March 2, 2026
A spokeswoman for Democratic House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia directed the Caller to Comer in response to a request for comment on the committee’s approach. (RELATED: Nancy Mace And Hillary Clinton Clash Over Howard Lutnick In Fiery Epstein Oversight Deposition)
“These are all great questions for Chairman Comer who is the one who ultimately makes all these decisions as the Republicans have the majority, for now,” the Garcia spokeswoman said.
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