Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, are set to give testimony in a congressional inquiry involving the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as confirmed by a congressional staff member. The House’s Republican-led oversight committee had recommended holding the Clintons in contempt for their refusal to testify about their connection with Epstein, a recommendation supported by several Democrats on the panel. The Clintons had expressed willingness to cooperate with the panel but declined to appear in person, citing the investigation as a politically motivated effort to shield Republican President Donald Trump.
The House of Representatives had planned to pursue contempt charges against the prominent Democrats later in the week, a determination that could potentially result in criminal charges. Notably, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, who served in Trump’s initial administration, served brief prison terms in 2024 for failing to appear before a House committee investigating Trump’s actions surrounding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, when asked about the possibility of proceeding with contempt votes against the Clintons, stated that the matter was under current review by legal counsel. Johnson had previously expressed approval of the former president and former secretary of state agreeing to provide testimony.
The recent release of millions of internal documents by the U.S. Justice Department concerning Epstein shed light on his connections with various influential figures in politics, finance, academia, and business both before and after his 2008 guilty plea to prostitution charges. It would be an unprecedented event in modern times for a former president to testify in Congress under such contentious circumstances. Since World War II, only Harry Truman and Gerald Ford have testified in Congress — Truman discussed the United Nations Charter, while Ford addressed the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.
Similar to Trump, Bill Clinton reportedly traveled on Epstein’s plane multiple times. While expressing regret over the association, Clinton has maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s illicit activities. Representatives of Clinton stated that he severed ties with Epstein following the initial criminal charges in 2006. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate currently incarcerated, was present at the wedding of Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, in 2010.
Regarding Hillary Clinton, her spokesperson mentioned that she does not recollect ever conversing with Epstein. Republican James Comer from Kentucky, chair of the oversight committee, disclosed that the Clintons have not yet provided a deposition date, and he intends to consult with panel members on the next course of action. Comer rejected an offer from the Clintons’ attorneys for Bill Clinton to conduct a transcribed interview and for Hillary Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.
Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Comer’s approach, suggesting that the Clintons had made sincere attempts to offer testimony and insinuating that the motives behind Comer’s actions were partisan and intended to shame the couple. Democrats have also pointed out that the Justice Department has not fully disclosed all the relevant information it possesses on Epstein and that the Republican leadership has not pushed for further disclosure.
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