Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, days before a potential contempt of Congress vote. The decision follows a protracted dispute with Republican Representative James Comer, chair of the House oversight committee, who had subpoenaed the couple.
Comer stated that the Clintons must sit for a sworn deposition to fulfill the subpoenas. Angel Ureña, a spokesman for the Clintons, accused Comer of not negotiating in good faith, but confirmed they would appear. The House had been moving toward contempt charges, which could have led to fines or imprisonment.
The Clintons had previously refused to appear, calling the subpoenas invalid and accusing Comer of targeting them as part of Donald Trump's retribution campaign. They offered alternatives: a transcribed interview for Bill Clinton and a sworn declaration for Hillary Clinton, which Comer rejected.
Bill Clinton's relationship with Epstein has drawn scrutiny, though he has not been accused of wrongdoing. The Department of Justice recently released over 3 million files related to Epstein, including emails between Elon Musk and Epstein. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of a cover-up, claiming more documents are being withheld.
The Clintons' attorneys had argued the subpoenas lacked a valid legislative purpose and infringed on separation of powers. Nine Democrats on the committee joined Republicans in supporting contempt charges against Bill Clinton, and three against Hillary Clinton.
