Former US President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before Congress in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, averting a looming contempt vote as Republicans press ahead, insisting accountability applies equally, even to former presidents and top officials
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, have agreed to testify before Congress as part of the investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a move that comes after weeks of legal sparring and political accusations.
Confirmation came from Bill Clinton’s former deputy chief of staff, who wrote on social media: “The former President and former Secretary of State will be there.” The decision follows
mounting pressure from the Republican-led US House of Representatives, which had been preparing to vote on holding both Clintons in criminal contempt for allegedly defying subpoenas.
The development is significant not just politically, but historically. While the exact timing of the depositions remains unclear, it will mark the first time a former US president has testified before a congressional committee since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Republicans, approved contempt measures against the Clintons late last month, with backing from several Democrats. At the time, committee chairman James Comer said “no-one is above the law.” Republicans argue the subpoenas were issued fairly and in a bipartisan manner, and that the Clintons repeatedly delayed compliance.
The
Clintons, however, have pushed back strongly. Their lawyers described the subpoenas as “unenforceable” and said the couple had already provided the “limited information” they possessed about Epstein. The former president and former secretary of state also dismissed the summonses as “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed”.
On Monday evening, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña confirmed on X that the couple would now appear before the panel.
They negotiated in good faith. 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. https://t.co/iO67XjNFsT
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) February 2, 2026
Bill Clinton’s association with Epstein
Bill Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse and has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sex crimes. Both Clintons maintain they do not have information relevant to the investigation and say they previously submitted sworn statements to the committee.
Bill Clinton appears in
photographs with Epstein that were released by the Department of Justice after Congress passed a law mandating the disclosure of materials related to Epstein investigations. One image shows Clinton swimming in a pool, while another shows him reclining in what appears to be a hot tub. Ureña said the photos were decades old and that Clinton had cut ties with Epstein long before his crimes became public.
Last month, the Clintons wrote directly to Comer, sharply criticising his handling of the probe. “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: “There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics.”
Comer, for his part, has rejected those claims. “We communicated with President Clinton’s legal team for months now, giving them opportunity after opportunity to come in, to give us a day, and they continue to delay, delay, delay,” said the Kentucky Republican.
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