Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee as part of the panel’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hillary Clinton will sit for a deposition before the committee on Feb. 26, and Bill Clinton is scheduled to do so the next day. Both depositions will be transcribed and filmed but held behind closed doors.
The agreement came as the House was slated to vote on holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress after they refused to sit for closed-door testimony requested by House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., last month.
Comer set a deadline of noon Tuesday for the Clintons to clarify the terms of their testimony, which he argued were too broad, or face contempt proceedings.
Comer, who rejected the terms of the Clintons’ first offer to testify, said the committee is looking “forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and [associate Ghislaine] Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors.”
He added: “Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law — and that includes the Clintons … Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved.”
The panel voted in January to advance the resolution holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt. The House Rules Committee on Monday met to consider procedural steps before Comer announced that the pair had agreed to testify, bringing an end to weeks of back-and-forth between Comer and the Clintons.
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Angel Ureña, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton, wrote on X on Monday. “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.”
Comer said Monday the terms of the Clintons’ testimony “lacked clarity.” He had previously argued that the couple’s failure to appear before the oversight committee for scheduled depositions amounted to an unlawful defiance of congressional authority.
“The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again, and they have provided no dates for their depositions,” Comer said. “The only reason they have said they agree to terms is because the House has moved forward with contempt. I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members.”
