Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in a congressional investigation into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just days before lawmakers were set to vote on whether to hold them in criminal contempt of Congress.
The decision follows a months-long standoff with the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which had issued subpoenas after the Clintons initially declined to appear. While the timing of their depositions has not yet been announced, the move would mark the first time a former U.S. president has testified before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983.
The Clintons had previously argued they had already provided sworn statements outlining the “limited information” they possessed about Epstein and criticized the subpoenas as “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed.”
The committee nonetheless advanced contempt proceedings late last month, though those plans were paused after confirmation that the couple would testify. Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, wrote on X: “They negotiated in good faith. You did not. 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.”
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said he would clarify the terms of the Clintons’ testimony before deciding next steps, while House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx said more time was needed “to clarify with the Clintons what they are actually agreeing to.”
Neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s survivors, and both deny any knowledge of his crimes. Hillary Clinton has said she never met or spoke with Epstein, while Bill Clinton has acknowledged past contact but maintains he severed ties years before Epstein’s criminal conduct became public.
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