Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were facing a year in jail over contempt of Congress charges – and on Monday finally agreed to testify under oath about their long relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Clintons will appear before the House Oversight Committee and testify for the investigation, reversing months of legal fights just hours before the House was set to vote on holding them in criminal contempt of Congress.
The stunning reversal came after Chairman James Comer moved forward with charges that likely would have resulted in prison terms.
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Clinton spokesperson Angel Urena complained. “But the former president and former Secretary of State will be there and look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
The committee issued subpoenas to the Clintons in August along with several former Justice Department officials, including former Attorneys General Merrick Garland, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, William Barr, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales.
The investigation is examining the Clintons long personal relationship Epstein and his sex trafficking partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who was a guest of honor at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding.
The Clintons had skipped depositions scheduled for mid-January, forcing Comer to threaten contempt charges.
“No witness — not a former President or a private citizen — may willfully defy a duly issued congressional subpoena without consequence,” he warned.
Over the weekend, the Clintons’ attorneys proposed a four-hour transcribed interview for Bill Clinton in New York City with questions limited to “matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein.”
They also requested that additional questions for Hillary Clinton be “addressed through a supplemental sworn declaration” rather than in-person testimony.
Comer rejected that offer Monday morning.
“The Clintons are in contempt of Congress. Their attorneys’ latest letter makes clear they still expect special treatment because of their last name. The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas. I have rejected their latest offer,” Comer said.
By Monday evening, the Clintons’ attorneys sent an email confirming that they will both appear under oath.
“Please be advised, and please advise the Chairman, that my clients accept the terms of your letter and will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates. As has been the Committee’s practice, please confirm the House will not move forward with contempt proceedings, as the Chairman stated in his letter this morning.”
Despite the apparent agreement, Comer said he was frustrated that no date was set.
“The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again, and they have provided no dates for their depositions,” Comer said. “The only reason they have said they agree to terms is because the House has moved forward with contempt. I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members.”
The Oversight Committee advanced criminal contempt charges last month with bipartisan support. Nine of the committee’s 21 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting contempt charges against Bill Clinton, while three Democrats supported advancing charges against Hillary Clinton.
Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein has attracted renewed scrutiny as Republicans push for a full accounting of the late financier’s connections to powerful figures.
Clinton flew on Epstein’s notorious private jet dozens of times in the early 2000s, at times leaving behind his U.S. Secret Service detail. The Justice Department released more than 3.5 million pages of Epstein files on Friday, which included numerous pictures of Bill Clinton with Epstein’s victims.
The House has paused the criminal contempt proceedings Monday night following the agreement.