David Lindfield
Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, following congressional moves toward holding both in criminal contempt.
The committee said in a post on X that the ex-president and former
Secretary of State were “trying to dodge contempt by requesting special
treatment.”
“The Clintons are not above the law,” the statement added.
Confirmation of their appearance came from the Clintons’ spokesman, Angel Ureña.
Ureña posted on X that both Clintons would comply.
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Ureña wrote.
“But the former president and former Secretary of State will be there
and look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
The House Oversight Committee is examining what the Clintons may have known about Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Committee investigators are also scrutinizing Hillary Clinton’s role
overseeing U.S. efforts to combat international sex trafficking during
her tenure as Secretary of State.
The Clintons’ attorneys sent an email to the committee, confirming
their agreement to testify under the terms outlined by Chairman James
Comer (R-KY).
“Please be advised, and please advise the Chairman, that my clients
accept the terms of your letter and will appear for depositions on
mutually agreeable dates,” the email states.
“As has been the Committee’s practice, please confirm the House will
not move forward with contempt proceedings, as the Chairman stated in
his letter this morning.”
House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said the message constituted full compliance.
“I mean, they sent us and the Republicans affirmation that they’ve
accepted every single term that James Comer has asked for, and that
they’re willing to come in and testify,” Garcia said.
Comer disputed that assessment, arguing the agreement lacked critical details.
In a statement, Comer said:
“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.
“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.”
Following the Clintons’ reversal, House leaders temporarily paused contempt proceedings Monday night.
The House Rules Committee, which serves as the final gatekeeper
before chamber-wide votes, had been preparing to advance contempt
resolutions but abruptly shifted course.
It remains unclear whether or when the effort will resume.
Democrats on the committee have criticized Comer’s approach.
They argue that Comer has not threatened the Department of Justice
(DOJ) for missing a congressionally agreed deadline to produce
Epstein-related documents.
Thus far, the DOJ has yet to release all of the expected material.
However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed that the
delays are caused by the sheer volume of documents that need to be
readacted to protect victims.
Blanche said that, in total, the DOJ has released 6 million pages.
He said the size of the physical documents was equivalent to “two Eiffel towers.”