Bill and Hillary Clinton Agree to Testify in House Epstein Probe

Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before a Republican-led House investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In doing so, they have, for now, defused an escalating standoff that had pushed Congress toward a vote on holding the former president and former secretary of state in contempt. The decision was announced on Monday, which came only days before the House was expected to consider criminal contempt charges that could have carried severe legal consequences.

The concession followed weeks of sharp exchanges between the Clintons’ legal team and Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee. Comer said on Monday that he would require both Clintons to appear for sworn depositions to satisfy the committee’s subpoenas. As a result, he made clear that alternative forms of testimony would not be accepted.

“They negotiated in good faith. You did not”, Angel Ureña, a spokesman for the Clintons, wrote in a social media post responding to Comer. “They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care. But the former president and former secretary of state will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone”.

Subpoena Dispute and Contempt Threat in Clinton–Epstein Probe

Until recently, the House appeared poised to vote on criminal contempt-of-Congress charges against both Clintons. If approved and later upheld in court, such charges could have exposed them to substantial fines and even possible incarceration. However, Comer insisted that the committee alone sets the terms of compliance.

“The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas”, Comer said, while reiterating his view that congressional oversight powers must be respected. For months, the Clintons had refused to appear before the panel. Their attorneys argued that the subpoenas were legally “invalid” and “unenforceable”. They also claimed that Comer was targeting them as part of what they described as a broader political retaliation campaign, which is linked to Trump.

A committee letter to the Clintons’ lawyers revealed that the couple had previously proposed a compromise. Under that plan, Bill Clinton would participate in a transcribed interview on matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton would submit a sworn written declaration. Republicans rejected that offer and pushed instead for in-person depositions.

Democrats Split as Epstein Files Resurface

Despite Democratic opposition to the subpoenas, divisions emerged within the party. Nine of the committee’s 21 Democrats joined with Republicans in support of contempt charges against Bill Clinton. He argued that full transparency is necessary in any inquiry which involve with Epstein. Meanwhile, three Democrats also backed the charges against Hillary Clinton.

The renewed focus on the Clintons comes after the Republicans intensified efforts to revisit Epstein’s network of powerful associates. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while waiting for trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Like Bill Clinton, several other prominent figures, including Trump, that had maintained a social relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Fallout From New Justice Department Disclosures

Tensions have risen further after the Justice Department’s release on Friday. It releases more than three million files that are related to Epstein. The trove included over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, as well as emails that show a previously undisclosed level of contact between Epstein and the billionaire Elon Musk.

After the disclosure, Democrats accused the Trump administration of orchestrating a “full-blown cover-up”. It happens particularly after officials signaled on Sunday that the federal investigation into Epstein was effectively closed. Several senior Democrats, along with Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, have argued that millions of additional pages remain withheld.

Against this backdrop, the Clintons have continued to criticize Comer. He said that he has politicized the inquiry while failing to hold the Trump administration accountable for delays in producing Epstein-related records. Even so, with their agreement to testify, the long-running confrontation appears to be entering a new and potentially consequential phase.

Web Resources on Clintons Testify over Epstein Probe

1. Politico.com: Bill and Hillary Clinton now agree to testify before Congress
2. WashingtonPost.com: Bill and Hillary Clinton Agree to Testify in House Epstein
3. BBC.com: Clintons agree to testify on Epstein
4. NYTimes.com: Clintons Capitulate on House Epstein Inquiry, Agreeing to Testify
5. AcademicBlock.com: Biography of Bill Clinton