Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, are set to provide testimony in a congressional inquiry involving the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as per a staff member’s statement on Monday. The House’s oversight committee, led by Republicans, suggested last week that the Clintons should face contempt charges for refusing to testify about their association with Epstein, with some Democrats on the panel concurring. While the Clintons had offered to cooperate with the panel, they declined to appear in person, citing the investigation as a politically motivated effort to shield Republican President Donald Trump.
The House of Representatives had initially planned to hold the two prominent Democrats in contempt later this week, potentially resulting in criminal charges. Former Trump administration officials Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro served brief prison terms in 2024 for defying a House committee’s summons related to Trump’s actions during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated to Reuters that the House is currently reviewing the contempt votes against the Clintons.
The recent disclosure by the U.S. Justice Department of millions of internal documents linked to Epstein has unveiled his connections to numerous influential figures in politics, finance, academia, and business. It would be highly unusual for a former president to testify before Congress in such a contentious context, with only Harry Truman and Gerald Ford having testified post-World War II on the United Nations Charter and the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, respectively.
Bill Clinton, like Trump, has been reported to have flown on Epstein’s plane multiple times and has acknowledged regret over their association, disavowing any knowledge of Epstein’s illicit activities. Clinton’s representatives stated that the former president severed ties with Epstein following the initial criminal charges in 2006. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate now incarcerated, attended Clinton’s daughter Chelsea’s wedding in 2010.
Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate, has denied any memory of conversing with Epstein, according to her spokesperson. James Comer, the Republican chair of the oversight committee, mentioned that the Clintons have not confirmed a deposition date, and further steps will be discussed with panel members.
Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Comer’s actions as partisan and aimed at embarrassing the Clintons, emphasizing that the couple had made sincere offers to testify. Jeffries highlighted that pursuing criminal contempt against the Clintons appeared politically motivated rather than aimed at obtaining information. Democrats also raised concerns about the Justice Department not releasing all Epstein-related materials and the Republican leadership’s lack of push on the matter.