Washington: In a major development for the ongoing federal probe into the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to sit for congressional testimony later this month.
The Republican head of the House Oversight Committee, Representative James Comer, made the statement on Tuesday. The deal essentially puts a stop to the GOP-led committee's high-stakes attempt to find the pair in contempt of Congress.
Key Dates for Testimony
Under the newly finalized schedule, the Clintons will appear for filmed and transcribed depositions on the following dates:
- February 26: Hillary Clinton
- February 27: Bill Clinton
From Defiance to Deposition
The decision marks an important shift for the Clintons, who had initially resisted summons issued last August. They had earlier called the Republican-led initiatives "invalid and legally unenforceable" in a scathing eight-page statement to the committee. Instead of conducting a proper inquiry, they claimed the committee was utilizing "irrelevant, decades-old photos" to shame people. As Republican leaders pushed a contempt resolution through the House Rules Committee this week, the situation approached a breaking point. The Clintons might have been subject to criminal penalties, such as fines and possible jail time, if the entire House had voted to hold them in contempt.
“Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved,” Chairman Comer said in a statement. He emphasized that the committee is committed to delivering "transparency and accountability" regarding the Epstein trafficking conspiracy.
Negotiation Breakdown and Resolution
The road to this agreement was marked by intense back-and-forth negotiations:
- Rejected Offers: On Monday, Chairman Comer rejected a compromise from the Clintons’ legal team. They had offered to have Bill Clinton sit for a four-hour interview and for Hillary Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.
- Committee Demands: Comer insisted on sworn, filmed depositions, stating that "no one is above the law."
- Bipartisan Pressure: The move to hold the Clintons in contempt saw some level of crossover support. Nine of the 21 Democrats on the committee supported the charges against Bill Clinton, while three supported the charges against Hillary Clinton.
Background on the Investigation
The investigation by the House Oversight Committee is taking place concurrently with the Justice Department's continuous disclosure of "Epstein files." The committee has focused on Bill Clinton's prior relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the Clintons have never been charged with any misconduct related to the sex offender.
The investigation's emphasis has drawn criticism from Democratic officials, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries called the hearings a "charade" and charged that Republicans were pursuing "political retribution" instead of looking into why the government was delaying some case files.
A spokesperson for the Clintons, Angel Urena, maintained that the couple has acted in good faith, stating on Monday, "They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care."
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