Epstein case, Bill and Hillary Clinton ready to testify
Attorneys for the Clintons have indicated that their clients are willing to attend depositions or hearings on dates to be agreed upon, asking in return for the dismissal of contempt proceedings
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton have agreed to cooperate with the House parliamentary enquiry into their dealings with financier Jeffrey Epstein, after months of tense confrontation with the oversight committee. The decision came in the face of the real prospect of a vote to prosecute them for contempt of Congress, as reported by the New York Times, following a political confrontation with the committee's Republican chairman, James Comer.
Confirming the couple's availability was spokesperson Angel Urena, who wrote on X that "the former president and former secretary of state will be present", emphasising the intention to set a valid precedent for all those who are called to account before Congress. The move comes after calls from MPs to clarify Bill Clinton's past contacts with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while being held in custody awaiting trial for sexual offences.
In an email sent to Comer, the Clintons' attorneys indicated that their clients are willing to participate in depositions or hearings on dates to be agreed upon, asking in exchange for dropping the contempt proceedings. The turning point came when a portion of the committee's Democrats voted with the Republicans to proceed: nine votes in favour of contempt against Bill Clinton and three against Hillary Clinton, making the risk of formal passage in the House imminent.
The modalities of cooperation remain differentiated. Bill Clinton said he was available for a hearing or a formal deposition, whereas a written affidavit had initially been proposed for Hillary Clinton, based on the position that she would never meet Epstein. Both solutions were initially rejected by the committee chairman, who called the offer of a hearing limited to four hours in front of the entire body 'unreasonable'.
If confirmed, the appearance would have historical value. No former US president has testified before Congress since 1983, when Gerald Ford spoke at the bicentennial celebration of the Constitution. More recently, Donald Trump had been subpoenaed in 2022 by the commission investigating the storming of the Capitol on 6 January 2021, but had attempted to block the proceedings in court without reaching a deposition.
