Pentagon plans to give South Korea primary role in deterring North Korea threats under new strategy
The Pentagon said in an unclassified national defense strategy document titled “Restoring peace through strength for a new golden age of America” on Friday, that it plans to shift more of the responsibility of deterring North Korea to South Korea. The U.S. would take a “more limited” role in keeping North Korea in line, the Pentagon said in the document obtained by Fox News Digital. “With its powerful military, supported by high defense spending, a robust defense industry, and mandatory conscription, South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited U.S. support,” the document said. It added, “South Korea also has the will to do so, given that it faces a direct and clear threat from North Korea. This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America’s interest in updating U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula. In this way, we can ensure a stronger and more mutually beneficial alliance relationship that is better aligned with America’s defense priorities, thereby setting conditions for lasting peace.” IRAN ALLEGEDLY AIRS 97 ‘COERCIVE’ CONFESSIONS’ AMID RECORD-BREAKING NORTH KOREA-STYLE INTERNET BLACKOUT The new policy plan on North Korea followed similar strategies for other parts of the world, with the wide-ranging document adding that the department will “no longer be distracted by interventionism, endless wars, regime change, and nation building. Instead, we will put our people’s practical concrete interests first.” The document clarified the policy doesn’t mean “isolationism,” but rather a “strategic approach to the threats our nation faces.” Further down it added, “We will insist our allies and partners do their part and lend them a helping hand when they step up.” NORTH KOREA TEST LAUNCHES HYPERSONIC MISSILE SYSTEM IN FRONT OF KIM, NATION SAYS The document said under a section titled “Increase Burden-Sharing with U.S. Allies and Partners” that it plans to deter China “through strength, not confrontation,” and as the “Department rightly prioritizes Homeland defense and deterring China, other threats will persist, and our allies will be essential to dealing with all of them. Our allies will do so not as a favor to us, but out of their own interests.” On Russia, it said the country “will remain a persistent but manageable threat to NATO’s eastern members for the foreseeable future,” and on Iran, it stated that President Donald Trump has made it clear that Iran won’t be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. This year, South Korea raised its military budget by 7.5% while around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed there in defense of North Korea.
Minnesota ‘on the clock’ as HHS threatens penalties over childcare fraud scandal
Minnesota’s alleged fraud scandal continues with the blue state now “on the clock” to comply with federal officials. “We asked Minnesota for evidence that child care funding goes to legitimate providers,” Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), wrote in an X post video alongside HHS Assistant Secretary Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Alex Adams. “Six weeks later, they still have not sent this information.” FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP FROM CUTTING CHILDCARE FUNDS TO DEMOCRATIC STATES OVER FRAUD CONCERNS The ACF sent a “preliminary notice of non-compliance” to the state, according to O’Neill. “We are no longer asking, we are demanding,” Adams said. “Since Minnesota refused to comply with their federally approved state plan and regulations, ACF has sent a preliminary notice of non-compliance to Minnesota.” O’Neill said the state has 60 days to send the desired documents to federal officials. “We put Minnesota on the clock,” O’Neill said in the video. “If their response is insufficient, we’ll pursue full penalties under the law against the state.” O’Neill said HHS sends approximately $20 billion to the state annually. HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’ AS MORE BLUE STATES FACE SCRUTINY “Every dollar that the state diverts into fraud is stolen from the intended Minnesota recipient. The status quo was to trust the state to stop fraud. That clearly did not work,” O’Neill said. On Dec. 30, O’Neill and Adams announced a childcare payment freeze to the state after an alleged fraud scandal was exposed, involving daycare centers in the state. “Intrepid journalists have made shocking, incredible allegations of extensive fraud in Minnesota’s childcare programs,” O’Neill said in a Dec. 30 video posted on X. “We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake daycares to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decade.” Last month, O’Neill demanded Gov. Tim Walz turn over a comprehensive audit of certain daycare centers, including attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections. MINNESOTA’S WELFARE FRAUD DISASTER EXPOSES A NATIONAL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FAIL A spokesperson for Walz’s office told Fox News in December that they felt the investigation was politically motivated. “Fraud is a serious issue. But this is a transparent attempt to politicize the issue to hurt Minnesotans and defund government programs that help people,” the spokesperson said. Adams said the ACF has a team on the ground in the state conducting an “on-site monitoring visit,” where the department plans to attempt to gather records the state has not provided. “We will continue to pursue every credible lead, and we will restore integrity to programs that serve America’s most vulnerable people,” O’Neill concluded. The ACF and the state Department of Health office of the inspector general did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Anonymous letter to California GOP chapter calls for war on ICE, urges agents be sent ‘home in a body bag’
A letter delivered to a Republican Party chapter in Northern California called for an all-out war against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, including the use of homemade explosives to send them “home in a body bag.” The 12-page letter, titled “A Real American Response to Foreign Terrorist Invasions,” was sent to the Sonoma County Republican Party. The lengthy document mocks ICE agents for “living out their ‘Call of Duty’ fantasy army roles, only with real assault weapons.” No name or return address was listed, and there was no mention of Sonoma County in the document, the local GOP said. NEW JERSEY TWINS CHARGED IN THREATS TO KILL DHS OFFICIAL, ‘SHOOT ICE ON SIGHT’ “NOTE: No official of any party had anything to do with the composing or distributing of this document; it is strictly a private ‘patriotic effort,’ like Donald Trump’s January 6th Washington, D.C., insurgents,” the letter states on page seven. The letter’s opening line mentions the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month. The Department of Homeland Security said Good was trying to ram her vehicle into an ICE agent when he opened fire in self-defense. “It is clear that every private citizen’s life, immigrant or not, is at risk of annihilation by these low-IQ, trigger-happy domestic terrorists, with no restraints from their commanders in the field. NO ONE IS SAFE NOW,” the letter states. The sender also accused ICE of inflicting a “real foreign invasion–style war” on unarmed men, women and children. WHITE HOUSE BLAMES DEMOCRATS FOR ICE VIOLENCE AS MINNEAPOLIS ERUPTS, INSURRECTION ACT THREAT LOOMS “They now need to feel real war, just as any foreign invading army would,” the letter said, condemning Republican congressional lawmakers for backing the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The letter then went on to urge violence against ICE personnel. “Since ICE-DHS make so light of our innocent citizens’ lives, then it is time to show ICE how light and worthless their lives are,” the letter said, calling those who support the agents “fair game.” “ICE agents and their backers need to become the targets,” the letter continued. “IED’d, run over with vehicles, shot at by snipers, sprayed with toxic chemicals.” ANTI-ICE THREAT SPRAY-PAINTED ON VEHICLE BELIEVED TO BE USED BY FEDERAL OFFICERS DURING MINNEAPOLIS UNREST Several Trump administration officials are also mentioned, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who has been sharply critical of ICE and the Trump administration’s crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants. Pages two and three give detailed instructions on how to make a chemical improvised explosive device (IED) in a section of the letter titled, “Carrying the War Back to the ICE Invader Murderers and Protecting Our Personnel.” The anonymous person or group responsible for the letter included several images of ICE agents carrying out their duties. “A shrapnel device guaranteed to shred the legs, genitals, face, eyeballs, and hands of murdering ICE agents and their bosses,” one note said. The Sonoma County GOP reported the letter to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, which has not responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Earlier this month, DHS said ICE is facing a 1,300% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats toward its agents.
Mamdani clarifies NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare enrollees
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani clarified Friday that the city wouldn’t check the immigration status of children enrolling in his administration’s universal pre-K and 3-K programs. “Just to put it very clearly, these are programs for every single New Yorker,” Mamdani, who took office at the beginning of the year, said in a media roundtable discussion. “These are not programs that are going to ask the immigration status of any one of the children. “All of those children are New Yorkers. They should all be enrolled in 3-K and pre-K, no matter where they were born or where they come from. And we are also proud to be a sanctuary city.” He said that means ICE agents are denied access to schools, hospitals and city properties “unless those ICE agents can present a judicial warrant signed by a judge. We know that the vast majority of the time, ICE agents are not presenting that kind of documentation. If they’re presenting any kind of documentation, it tends to be an administrative warrant. And, a lot of times, there isn’t any kind of documentation provided.” MAMDANI TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ HE FAVORS ABOLISHING ICE The mayor said earlier that the program is open to any New Yorkers who have children turning 3 or 4 anytime in 2026, adding the program could save New Yorkers tens of thousands of dollars a year “by providing them with free childcare.” MAMDANI CALLS ICE DETENTION OF NYC EMPLOYEE ‘ASSAULT ON OUR DEMOCRACY’ Mamdani added, “So, we want to make clear the rights of every New Yorker, that they have in this city. This program is being made available to all, and the fact that we are proud of our values, we are proud of our laws. They keep us safe, and they are also part and parcel of who we are.” Mamdani made the statement after a reporter asked what the city would do to keep families safe from ICE agents. The plan to expand free and affordable childcare in New York was unveiled by Mamdani this month in partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
California sues Trump administration over alleged ‘unlawful’ pipeline restart approval years after oil spill
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday the state is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) asserting federal jurisdiction over two state oil pipelines and green lighting their restarts. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has “unlawfully given the company Sable Offshore Corp. the green light to restart pumping oil through to onshore pipelines that originate and terminate within California, starting in Santa Barbara County and ending in Kern County,” Bonta said at a news conference at Dockweiler State Beach. He noted that one of the two Los Flores pipelines ruptured in 2015 due to corroded pipes, causing that Refugio oil spill disaster that “dumped more than 100,000 gallons of heavy crude oil into the environment and at least 21,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.” Bonta claimed PHMSA’S approval of the restart of the pipeline is the “latest example of Trump doing the oil industry’s bidding.” NEWSOM VOWS TO BLOCK TRUMP’S REPORTED ENERGY PLAN IN CALIFORNIA, EXPERTS PUSH BACK Bonta claims because the pipelines are located solely in California without crossing state lines and without going into federal waters, “oversight of the pipelines is controlled by California, not the federal government.” “The Trump administration unlawfully undermined California’s authority, unlawfully federalized the pipelines and usurped state control and unlawfully issued Sable a sham emergency permit to begin pumping oil when there’s absolutely no emergency,” he said. TRUMP ADMIN URGES JUDGE LIMITING ICE IN MINNESOTA WOULD BE ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ OVERREACH “In short, the Trump administration broke the law again, which is why we are suing again.” Bonta said this marks the 55th lawsuit California has brought against the Trump administration. He said the lawsuit isn’t about whether the pipelines should be restarted, but whether California or the Trump administration gets to make the decision. “The answer is clear: The state of California gets to decide,” Bonta said. He explained that Sable asked the Trump administration to declare the pipelines “interstate,” meaning “the pipelines are part of a larger system that extends into federal waters on the outer continental shelf. That is a fantasy. That is not true.” He called it a “pretext to usurp state oversight.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as Cuellar’s brother faces indictment
The Texas border town sheriff and brother of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was pardoned by President Trump earlier this year after the Biden Justice Department indicted him on federal bribery charges, is now facing his own public corruption charges. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar Jr. was indicted after he and his assistant chief, Alejandro Gutierrez, allegedly used public funds, staff and resources to run a for-profit disinfecting business called Disinfect Pro Master during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Disinfect Pro Master entered into service agreements with local businesses, even a school district, but allegedly never had any employees or supplies of its own. The school district contract secured Cuellar and Gutierrez a half million dollars, but the DOJ said they completed the work using county staff and resources. Cuellar is a border town sheriff out of Laredo, Texas, which is also part of his brother’s congressional district. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were recently pardoned by President Trump after they were accused by the Biden administration DOJ of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan government-controlled oil and gas company and a Mexico City-headquartered bank. WATCH: DEM LAWMAKER THANKS TRUMP FOR PARDON, SAYS IT CAME AS A SURPRISE AMID RE-ELECTION BID In a statement released by the sheriff after he appeared in court this week, Cuellar vehemently defended himself and insisted that he would be “fully vindicated.” “Over the course of my career — as a Texas State Trooper, a narcotics Sergeant investigator, Narcotics Lieutenant and now as your Sheriff — I have learned the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and I know what I did and did not do,” the statement says. “While this process moves forward, I ask the public to let the facts — not rumors, not speculation — guide their judgement. My responsibility remains the same as it was yesterday and the day before. … I remain fully engaged in my duties and in communication with the community. Public safety does not pause, and neither does my commitment to this office.” Congressman Cuellar’s office also released a statement echoing his brother’s comments, adding that he has “a deep respect for the law” and would be vindicated in the end. “Under our constitution, he is innocent until proven guilty,” the congressman’s statement said. “My brother Martin has served our community as a peace officer for more than forty years with integrity, professionalism, and a deep respect for the law. He is an honest man.” TRUMP ENDORSES CUELLAR OPPONENT AFTER PARDONING DEM REP If convicted, Sheriff Cuellar could face up to 10 years in federal prison and could incur up to a $250,000 fine. Cuellar was also charged with money laundering, which would carry an additional maximum 10-year sentence and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of money involved in the transactions, according to the DOJ. President Trump previously said he had pardoned Congressman Cuellar because he believed the Biden DOJ had been weaponized against him for speaking out against the former president’s open border policies. Trump also indicated he was influenced by a letter from the congressman’s daughter urging him to grant her father and mother clemency. However, after Cuellar decided a few days later to run for re-election as a Democrat, the president had some choice words for him. “Such a lack of LOYALTY,” Trump subsequently posted on his platform, Truth Social. When reached for comment, the White House referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department. “The Cuellar Crime Family will screw over small businesses and local schools if it means enriching themselves,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Zachary Kraft said. “South Texans deserve leaders focused on serving taxpayers, not those focused on finding new ways to illegally funnel money into their own pockets,” he continued. “Voters are going to send a strong message in November that they’ve had enough of the family who puts their self-interests above South Texas values.”
Chaos in Syria sparks fears of ISIS prison breaks as US rushes detainees to Iraq
Chaos engulfing northeastern Syria has sparked fresh security fears after Syria’s new governing authorities moved against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, forcing the U.S. military to rush ISIS detainees out of Syria and into Iraq. The U.S. military launched an operation Wednesday to relocate ISIS detainees amid fears that instability could trigger mass prison breaks. So far, about 150 detainees have been transferred from a detention center in Hasakah, Syria, with plans to move up to 7,000 of the roughly 9,000 to 10,000 ISIS detainees held in Syria, U.S. officials said. The operation comes as Syria’s new government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, ordered the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — Washington’s longtime partner in the fight against ISIS — to disband following a rapid offensive over the weekend that severely weakened the group. Syrian government forces have since assumed control of several detention facilities previously guarded by the SDF. At least 120 ISIS detainees escaped during a breakout at the al-Shaddadi prison in Hasakah this week, according to Syrian authorities, who say many have been recaptured. U.S. and regional officials caution that some escapees remain at large. The deteriorating security situation also has raised alarms around al-Hol camp, a sprawling detention site housing the families of ISIS fighters and long viewed by Western officials as a breeding ground for radicalization. US, SYRIAN TROOPS COME UNDER FIRE WHILE ON PATROL: REPORT Kurdish forces announced they would withdraw from overseeing the camp, citing what they described as international indifference to the ISIS threat. “Due to the international community’s indifference towards the ISIS issue and its failure to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter, our forces were compelled to withdraw from al-Hol camp and redeploy,” the SDF said in a statement. The camp is currently home to about 24,000 people, mostly women and children linked to ISIS fighters from across the Middle East and Europe. Many residents have no formal charges, according to aid groups, and humanitarian organizations have long warned that extremist networks operate inside the camp. TRUMP VOWS ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’ AGAINST ISIS AFTER DEADLY SYRIA AMBUSH KILLS US SOLDIERS The SDF said guards were redeployed to confront the threat posed by Syrian government forces advancing into Kurdish-held territory. On Tuesday evening, Kurdish forces and Syrian government troops agreed to a four-day ceasefire, though officials warned the truce remains fragile. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials are weighing whether to withdraw the roughly 1,000 American troops still stationed in Syria, raising questions about Washington’s long-term ability to secure ISIS detainees as local alliances shift. Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Syria in December 2025 by a lone ISIS gunman. ISIS lost its last territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019, when U.S. forces and their SDF partners overran the group’s enclave in Baghouz. While the defeat ended the group’s self-declared caliphate, U.S. and allied officials say ISIS has since regrouped as a decentralized insurgency, repeatedly targeting prisons and detention camps in Syria and Iraq. Western governments have cautiously backed al-Sharaa — a former militant once designated as a terrorist — since his forces overthrew longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, framing the support as a pragmatic security calculation rather than an endorsement of his past. U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack urged Kurdish leaders to reach a permanent deal with the new Syrian government, emphasizing Washington’s focus on preventing an ISIS resurgence rather than maintaining an indefinite military presence. “The United States has no interest in a long-term military presence,” Barrack said, adding that U.S. priorities include securing ISIS detention facilities and facilitating talks between the SDF and the Syrian government.
Trump pushes ‘Trump-a-palooza’ midterm convention as GOP braces for tough elections
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is taking a big step toward holding its first-ever midterm convention. The RNC on Friday approved a change to the party’s rules that would allow Chair Joe Gruters to convene a convention during a midterm election year. National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party’s presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years. But with Republicans aiming to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year’s elections, President Donald Trump announced in September that the GOP would hold a convention ahead of the midterms “in order to show the great things we have done” since recapturing the White House. FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES BIG STEP TOWARDS HOLDING MIDTERM CONVENTION As first reported by Fox News Digital, the rule change was adopted Thursday evening by the RNC’s Rules Committee during the party’s winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California. The full RNC membership, meeting Friday during the confab’s general session, approved the rule change in a unanimous vote. RNC CHAIR BETS ON ‘SECRET WEAPON’ TO DEFY MIDTERM HISTORY, PROTECT GOP MAJORITIES A memo obtained by Fox News Digital highlighted “the possibility of an America First midterm convention-style gathering aligned with President Trump’s vision for energizing the party this fall.” And speaking with reporters on Friday, Gruters called the convention a “Trump-a-palooza” where “we can really highlight all the incredible things that this president has done.” But the president’s approval ratings remain well underwater, with many Americans giving him a big thumbs down on the job he’s doing with the economy and the issue of affordability. “Trump has historically low approval ratings because he has put America last, sold out working families to hand out favors to billionaires, and made life unaffordable,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital in a statement. The party in power, in this case the Republicans, normally faces stiff political headwinds in the midterms. And the hope among Trump and top Republicans is that a midterm convention would give the GOP a high-profile platform to showcase the president’s record and their congressional candidates running in the midterms. Gruters, in a statement to Fox News Digital, touted that the RNC’s winter meeting “shows how completely united Republicans are behind President Trump and our efforts to win the midterms. The RNC has been aggressively focused on expanding our war chest, turning out voters and protecting the ballot in this fall’s elections. We’re building the operation needed to protect our majorities and give President Trump a full four-year term with a Republican Congress.” Details on the date and location of the midterm convention will come at a later date and will likely be announced by the president. But a Republican source told Fox News Digital it’s probable the convention would be held at the same time as the RNC’s summer meeting, which typically occurs in August. The DNC may also hold a midterm convention. Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last summer that Martin and other party leaders were quietly pushing the idea of a convention ahead of the midterms. Democrats held a handful of midterm conventions in the 1970s and 1980s.
GOP Rep Gonzales says video of kids exposes Dem ‘grandstanding’ over conditions at Texas ICE facility
Children being held in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Texas have access to computers, physical activities and education, according to a video posted by Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who said Democrats have spun the truth about the agency. The 34-second clip posted by Gonzales on X shows the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in the San Antonio suburb of Dilley, about 72 miles southwest of the city. It is one of the few facilities that houses families. “In the coming days, you’ll see a lot of grandstanding by politicians at the Dilley ICE Center in my district, #TX23,” Gonzales wrote. “It’s all for show. I’ve been there and seen the state-of-the-art facilities and protocols that @ICEgov follows. “Our ICE agents and CBP personnel are doing their jobs, and yet again, Democrats are doing everything they can to spin the truth against law enforcement.” ICE REJECTS ‘FALSE NARRATIVE’ ABOUT FAMILY SEPARATION, ASSERTS MINNESOTA CHURCH RIOTERS WERE NOT PEACEFUL In the video posted by Gonzales, children are using computers in a library, reading at a table and sitting in classrooms, possibly doing schoolwork under what appears to be adult supervision. Another portion of the video shows a child playing at an indoor basketball hoop, a shaded picnic table area and children appearing to play “red light, green light” on an outdoor basketball court. The video runs counter to long-held claims by many Democrats who have accused ICE of placing children in cages and holding them in unsanitary and inhumane conditions. “I want the truth to just be out,” Gonzales told Fox News Digital about the video. “This notion that they’re in cages, that they’re mistreated and all these other things is a flat-out lie. “It’s easy to talk about a problem and then only talk about the parts that are emotional or the ones that you want to use for your political gain.” HOUSE DEMOCRATS ASK JUDGE TO BLOCK NOEM’S REVIVED ICE VISIT RULE, SAY DHS DEFIED COURT ORDER On Tuesday, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he was denied entry into the Dilley center despite giving officials there 24 hours’ notice. “This is astonishing. It tells you that these guys have something to hide,” Murphy said in a video. “If they are not letting members of Congress in with less than seven days’ notice, it tells you how much work they know they need to do to cover up and hide the things they don’t want us to see.” In another video, he said he met with two families who were held in detention for over a month, leaving their children “scared” by the experience. Gonzales said he visits ICE detention centers in his district often and has hosted hundreds of his congressional colleagues on tours of the centers. However, Democratic officials never visited when President Joe Biden was in office, he said. During the Biden administration, facilities in Gonzales’ district were plagued by limited space, he said. “This is the reason why I say the Democrats are grandstanding now,” Gonzales said. “They were nowhere in any of my facilities when Biden was around.”
Reporter’s Notebook: Clinton contempt vote gains steam as Democrats join GOP in Epstein probe standoff
It all started back in the summer. A furor erupted over releasing the Epstein files. The House began its summer vacation a day early. That halted spending bills. Congressional Republican leaders were concerned that bipartisan lawmakers wanted to attach provisions to the measures to compel release of the Epstein files. But there was a weird détente — if you can call it that — on the House Oversight Committee. COMER RIPS ‘PAID DISRUPTER’ AS BRIEFING ON CLINTON CONTEMPT PUSH DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS On what turned out to be the final day for the House before the lengthy “August recess,” which consumed lots of July, all of August and some of September, the Oversight Committee conducted a hearing on international trafficking. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., popped a surprise on the committee. She engineered a plan to subpoena the Epstein files. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., countered Lee’s effort. He concocted an amendment to subpoena former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with other luminaries who may have some information about the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and the sexual abuse of underage girls in 2005. Epstein later secured what critics termed a “sweetheart deal,” by then U.S. Attorney and future Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. Among those Perry wanted to hear from in depositions were former Attorneys General Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Perry also asked to hear from former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. That’s quite a list. Most never came in for interviews. Some simply had communication with the committee that they had no knowledge of Epstein or the original prosecution. HILLARY CLINTON EXPECTED TO DEFY EPSTEIN PROBE SUBPOENA, RISKING CRIMINAL CHARGES But the Clintons were another matter. Particularly former President Bill Clinton. Firstly, he’s a former president. Secondly, he traveled periodically with Epstein and was documented in photographs together. Third, the former president has a lot of baggage after his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The Clintons were supposed to meet with House Oversight Committee investigators in October. But that was moved until mid-December. The couple then begged off because of a funeral. The Oversight Committee assigned the duo separate dates in mid-January. Both failed to materialize. So House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., threatened them with contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena. “It always seems that the Democrat Party has rules for thee, not for me,” said Rep. John McGuire, R-Va. “But we have oversight and we have subpoena power. And we can put a case and give it to the DOJ and let them prosecute. They need to hold them accountable.” Of course, Democrats screeched that former Trump advisors Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro didn’t comply with subpoenas from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The House then voted to hold Bannon and Navarro in contempt of Congress. “What do you suppose ol’ Steve Bannon has to say about contempt of Congress? They either need to show up or go to jail,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. They’re like extra super special people? Hell no they’re not. They’re American citizens. We are a country of laws. They break the law. They go to jail. I don’t care who it is.” CLINTON SPOKESMAN LASHES OUT AT COMER OVER EPSTEIN PROBE AS CONTEMPT VOTE NEARS In 2022, the same Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., along with Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Perry and former Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., for depositions about the riot. All refused to comply with the subpoena because they were members of Congress. The Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause inoculates lawmakers from having to fulfill such demands. Moreover, it was argued that the House could always refer them to the Ethics Committee for not adhering to a congressional mandate. The Constitution stipulates that the House can discipline its members and establish codes of conduct. Those lawmakers argued that the Jan. 6 committee wasn’t valid because former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., vetoed McCarthy’s picks for the panel: Jordan and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who served in the House at the time. So the Oversight Committee voted to hold both the former president and former Secretary of State in contempt of Congress. There were two extraordinary votes. “Subpoenas are not mere suggestions,” said Comer. “He is not above the law.” Nine Democrats voted alongside all Republicans to hold the former Democratic president in contempt. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., was among them. “I’m just focused on survivors,” said Pressley. “We want to hear from anyone who has information. And that should not be limited to party lines.” Lee joined her. “I do believe that our subpoena is legally binding,” said Lee. “I did not feel like I could let one off.” A contempt citation must go before the entire House. If the House approves it, the body makes a criminal referral to the Department of Justice for prosecution. That’s what happened with Bannon and Navarro. But some Democrats predict that potentially prosecuting a former President will backfire. “If we launch criminal contempt proceedings, we will not hear from the Clintons. That is a fact. It’ll be tied up in court,” said Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif. ‘THE VIEW’ HOSTS CALL ON CLINTONS TO COMPLY WITH SUBPOENA, TESTIFY ON EPSTEIN The Clintons may have ducked multiple depositions as part of the Epstein probe. But Comer doesn’t think they can skip out forever. Especially since the House likely has the votes — on a bipartisan basis — to refer them to DOJ for prosecution. “I think the Clintons probably are thinking more about how they can get out of this today than they were for the last five months, because the court of public opinion is not on the Clintons’ side,” said Comer. Of course, there are legal issues about prosecuting a president. And even a former president. But some Democrats believe all the focus on the Clintons is an effort to divert attention