Additional Coverage:
Clintons to Testify in Epstein Probe, Averting Contempt Charges
Washington D.C. – Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in February as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. This development comes after a period of tense negotiations and the threat of contempt of Congress charges from House Republicans.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday that Hillary Clinton is slated to testify on February 26, with Bill Clinton following on February 27. “Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law – and that includes the Clintons,” Comer stated. He added that the Clintons “completely caved” and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month, once it became clear the House was prepared to hold them in contempt.
Comer had previously expressed frustration with the negotiation process, describing it and the Clintons’ attorneys as “dishonest.” He emphasized that the committee had sent standard terms for a congressional deposition, which the Clintons were required to sign.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) had set a noon deadline for the Clintons to agree to the testimony terms, warning that failure to do so would result in Republicans moving forward with criminal contempt charges. The Clintons’ agreement to testify has now negated these potential charges.
However, the path to this agreement was not without contention. According to Committee Ranking Member Rep.
Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the Clintons requested that their respective hearings be public. Unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations also indicated that the committee sought for the Clintons to accept the initial subpoena terms: transcribed, filmed depositions with no time limits.
Bill Clinton reportedly sought to narrow the scope of his testimony to “matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein” and requested a four-hour time limit, preferring a deposition under oath over a transcribed interview. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, sought to provide a secondary sworn declaration instead of appearing in person.
The committee initially issued subpoenas to the Clintons in August. Bill Clinton was a former associate of the late Epstein but has stated he ended their relationship in the early 2000s, prior to Epstein’s criminal activities becoming public. Hillary Clinton has maintained she does not recall ever speaking with Epstein.
Democrats on the committee have accused their Republican counterparts of focusing on the Clintons as part of a broader effort to investigate political rivals of former President Donald Trump and to deflect attention from Epstein’s relationships with notable Republicans, including the sitting president.