Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have reached a final deal with House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer to avoid contempt proceedings in exchange for their testimony as part of the panel’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
News of the deal came just before a noon deadline imposed by Republican leadership.
“After delaying and defying duly issued subpoenas for six months … We look forward to now questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” Comer posted to X Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton will sit for testimony on Feb. 26, Comer said, followed by Bill Clinton on Feb. 27. Both have spent the last few months attempting to avoid testifying before Congress, but Democratic support for Comer’s contempt charges against the couple prompted accelerated negotiations over the weekend.
In an email obtained by The New York Times, Clinton’s lawyer asked for a four-hour transcribed interview limited only to questions pertaining to Epstein. Comer flatly refused, calling it “unreasonable” and accusing them of seeking special treatment.
After the couple skipped their scheduled depositions last month, the Oversight Committee voted to hold both prominent Democrats in contempt of Congress.
The Clintons have long maintained that they had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The panel is months-deep into an investigation into Epstein and his connections with powerful figures in and out of government. Bill Clinton was heavily featured in a collection of Epstein files recently released by the Justice Department, including photographs alongside Epstein in various personal settings.
Republicans across the party celebrated the perceived win on Tuesday.
“Bill and Hillary decided they’d rather talk about Bill’s escapades with Epstein than spend time in prison (which is where they were headed),” Rep. Lauren Boebert, a member of the Oversight Committee, posted on X. “I look forward to participating in the deposition to question the Clintons.”
“Also, I’m not suicidal and don’t plan on disappearing anytime soon,” she added.
“No one is above the law,” Rep. Michael Baumgartner, member of the House Judiciary Committee, posted on X. “Pleased to see that the House Oversight Committee will be bringing in Bill & Hillary Clinton to answer questions on Epstein.”
In a post on X, the House Republican Conference credited Comer with “ENDING the two-tiered system of justice by restoring the principle that every citizen is accountable to the law.”
“For too long, the D.C. elite has operated under a different set of rules,” the post read. “The American people deserve the truth.”
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