Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to provide testimony in the House inquiry concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as of late Monday night.
This agreement comes after they received a summons via a third party’s email, which helps them avoid a potential vote on holding them in criminal contempt. For months, they had been hesitant to answer queries about their personal records, which have now emerged publicly, particularly regarding their ties to financiers involved in child exploitation.
Details about the exact date of their deposition remain uncertain. Notably, this marks the first instance of a former U.S. president testifying before Congress since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
On Monday, Angel Ureña, Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, characterized the couple as victims while confirming their commitment to appear in a post on X.
“They negotiated in good faith,” Ureña noted in a message directed at the House Oversight Committee, saying this was not reciprocated.
He added, “They’ll testify under oath, but it seems that doesn’t matter to you. Regardless, both a former president and a former secretary of state are willing to participate. They hope to establish a precedent that applies to everyone involved.”
Republican legislators spearheading this investigation acknowledged the Clintons’ decision but mentioned that no formal agreement had been cemented yet. They stressed that the defendants lacked the authority to dictate the terms of a valid subpoena.
Rep. James Comer, who leads the House Oversight Committee, indicated he would continue to pursue contempt charges against the Clintons. Their lawyers have alleged that the couple failed to comply with a congressional subpoena by sending an email that they would “appear for depositions on a date mutually agreeable.”
Lawyers asked Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, to refrain from pursuing the contempt action.
Comer, however, expressed no immediate plans to withdraw the charges, which could lead to significant penalties and even prison time, pending successful prosecution by the Justice Department, according to reports.
“There’s nothing formal in writing,” Comer told reporters, stating he was open to the Clintons’ proposal, although “that depends on their testimony.”
Earlier, Comer also transcribed an interview with Bill Clinton and declined the offer from the Clintons’ lawyers for Hillary to submit an affidavit. He insisted that both must appear to meet the committee’s subpoena demands.
Both Clintons have previously provided sworn statements to the committee, claiming they had furnished all the “limited information” they possessed regarding Epstein.
They dismissed the subpoena as merely a tactic to politically undermine them, suggesting it was directed by President Trump.
