Clintons finalize agreement to testify in House Epstein probe, bowing to threat of contempt vote

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, ending months of resistance and averting a looming contempt of Congress vote.

Hillary Clinton will appear before the committee on February 26, followed by Bill Clinton on February 27, marking the first time in U.S. history that lawmakers have compelled a former president to testify.

The agreement comes after protracted negotiations between House Republicans and the Clintons’ legal team. The former first couple had initially resisted subpoenas from the committee, but faced with advancing criminal contempt charges that could potentially result in substantial fines and prison time, they ultimately conceded.

“We look forward to now questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” said Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed Tuesday that contempt proceedings against the Clintons are “on pause” following the agreement. The closed-door depositions will be both transcribed and recorded on video, according to Comer.

The investigation centers on Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Bill Clinton, like several other prominent figures including former President Donald Trump, maintained a documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Neither Clinton nor Trump has been credibly accused of wrongdoing in their interactions with Epstein.

Both Clintons have consistently maintained they had no knowledge of Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls before charges were brought against him. They had initially offered to submit sworn declarations about their limited knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, arguing the subpoenas were invalid.

The couple has criticized Comer’s handling of the investigation, suggesting he is more focused on bringing them in for testimony than holding the Trump administration accountable for its handling of Epstein-related files.

Political dynamics played a significant role in the Clintons’ decision to testify. When Comer advanced contempt charges out of committee last month, he found unexpected support from some Democrats. Nine Democrats on the Oversight panel voted to advance charges against Bill Clinton, while three supported charges against Hillary Clinton.

This fracture revealed a generational shift within the Democratic Party, with younger, more progressive members showing little allegiance to the Clintons, who dominated Democratic politics for decades. These Democrats appeared more concerned with demonstrating transparency on the Epstein investigation to voters than protecting the former first couple.

House Democratic leaders also signaled they would not expend political capital to rally votes against the contempt resolutions, leaving the Clintons with few options besides compliance.

The unprecedented nature of compelling a former president to testify has prompted some Democrats to suggest this establishes a new precedent. Rep. Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat, remarked on social media: “We look forward to using this same precedent when we take back the majority in November.”

This contrasts with former President Trump’s successful resistance to a congressional subpoena in 2022 from the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump’s legal team cited decades of precedent they claimed protected former presidents from congressional testimony, and the committee ultimately withdrew its subpoena.

When asked about the Clintons’ upcoming depositions, President Biden called the situation “a shame” and expressed personal warmth toward the former first couple, noting that he “always liked” Bill Clinton and praising Hillary Clinton as a “smart woman” with strong debate skills.

As the hearings approach, tensions are expected to intensify as Republicans prepare to question longtime political opponents under oath, while both parties weigh the implications of this historical moment for future congressional oversight.