Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This decision comes just days before a scheduled vote on whether to hold the couple in criminal contempt for their past refusals to appear before the House Oversight Committee after a lengthy standoff.
Bill Clinton was known to have connections to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, although he has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein's illicit activities, asserting that he stopped interacting with him two decades ago. This will be the first instance of a former US president testifying before Congress since Gerald Ford in 1983.
The timeline for the depositions remains unscheduled, raising questions about the progression of the inquiry. The House Oversight Committee, predominantly Republican, voted to hold the Clintons in contempt for noncompliance that was supported by a number of Democrats.
On Monday, Clinton's deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, confirmed through social media that the couple would comply with the Committee's request. He accused the Committee of not negotiating in good faith and insisted the Clintons had already provided testimony under oath on related matters.
In the wake of the voting, accusations were made regarding misuse of the investigation for political gain, with the Clintons describing the subpoenas as part of a strategy to embarrass political rivals.
Despite the controversy, it is noteworthy that Bill Clinton has never faced accusations from survivors associated with Epstein's crimes, and he maintains innocence regarding the magnitude of Epstein's offenses.
The inquiry has gathered momentum recently, particularly as Epstein's private flight logs showed Clinton took several flights on the financier's private jet, and records have been released detailing the Clinton's appearances at Epstein's properties, including photos from the DOJ archives.
