The former president and former secretary of state have yielded to the prospect of a contempt of Congress vote
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have consented to provide testimony to the House Oversight Committee regarding its probe into the scandal-ridden financier Jeffrey Epstein. This change in position occurred after the committee initiated steps for a vote to hold them in contempt of Congress.
The Clintons’ associations with the deceased sex offender have been closely examined, particularly due to widely seen photographs of the former president socializing with Epstein. Bill Clinton has also admitted to traveling on Epstein’s private jet in the early 2000s but has disavowed any misconduct or awareness of illegal acts.
The committee’s efforts to secure the Clintons’ testimony started last year with informal requests that eventually turned into subpoenas. Both Clintons were initially unwilling to comply, with their legal counsel dismissing the subpoenas as “invalid and legally unenforceable” and stating they were looking for other methods to assist.
The confrontation intensified when the committee voted to move forward with a resolution for contempt of Congress, a step that garnered backing from several Democrats. Theoretically, a contempt finding could lead to the case being sent to the Justice Department, creating the possibility of criminal charges.
However, on Tuesday, the committee’s Republican chairman, James Comer, declared that Bill and Hillary Clinton had “agreed to appear for transcribed, filmed depositions to face questioning as part of the investigation related to Jeffrey Epstein.” They are scheduled to testify on February 26 and 27, respectively.
“Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear [for deposition],” Comer stated.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that the plan to move ahead with the contempt vote was suspended following the Clintons’ agreement to testify.
Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in 2019; his death was officially declared a suicide. The events of his death have since given rise to conspiracy theories, such as allegations that he was murdered to stop the release of incriminating information about powerful individuals.