Agreement comes ahead of contempt vote
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes days before a vote on whether to hold the Clintons in criminal contempt for refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee after a months-long standoff.
Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has denied knowledge of his sex offending and says he cut off contact two decades ago.
First testimony since 1983
It remains unclear when the depositions will take place, but it will mark the first time a former US president has testified before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, approved the measure to hold the Clintons in contempt late last month, with the support of several Democrats.
Statement from Clinton aide
On Monday evening, Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña posted on X confirming that the couple would appear before the panel.
“They negotiated in good faith,” Ureña wrote in a message directed at the committee. “You did not.
“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.”
Both Clintons say they previously provided the committee with sworn statements and had already shared the “limited information” they had regarding Epstein, although they have now agreed to testify in court.
Dispute over subpoenas
The couple had dismissed the legal summonses as “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed”.
Bill Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse and has consistently denied any knowledge of his sex offending.
Epstein’s private jet logs show Clinton took four international flights in 2002 and 2003. Photographs released by the US justice department also show Clinton at Epstein’s estate, including images of him swimming in a pool and reclining in what appears to be a hot tub.
Clinton’s spokesman previously said the photos were decades old and that Clinton had severed ties with Epstein before his crimes became public.
Criticism of investigation handling
The Clintons wrote to James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, last month, criticising his handling of the Epstein investigation.
“The decisions you have made, and the priorities you have set as chairman regarding the Epstein investigation, have prevented progress in discovering the facts about the government’s role,” the letter said.
They added that there was “no plausible explanation” for his actions other than partisan politics.
Comer responded by saying the subpoenas were approved in a bipartisan vote and stressed that “no-one is above the law”.
Source: BBC
Also read: New Epstein emails spotlight Sarah Ferguson and York daughters
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
