Bill and Hillary Clinton will testify before a US House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein, avoiding a contempt vote after initially refusing subpoenas.
WASHINGTON: Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will testify before a House committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Their spokesman, Angel Urena, confirmed the decision on social media platform X, stating they “look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
The agreement heads off a potential House vote to hold the couple in contempt of Congress for initially defying subpoenas.
The Clintons had originally refused to appear in person before lawmakers examining how authorities handled earlier probes into the disgraced financier.
They argued the subpoenas lacked a clear legislative purpose and instead submitted sworn written statements.
In his statement, Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane for Clinton Foundation work but said he never visited his private island.
Hillary Clinton stated she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein and never flew on his plane or visited his island.
The House Rules Committee had advanced resolutions accusing the couple of defying the subpoenas to explain their links to Epstein.
Republicans say the Clintons’ past links to Epstein, including Bill Clinton’s use of his private jet, justify in-person questioning under oath.
Democrats allege the probe is being weaponised to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump, a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify.
Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of investigative files linked to Epstein, who cultivated ties with global elites.
Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein’s activities.
The contempt vote targeting the Clintons had threatened to expose divisions among congressional Democrats.
Some Democrats privately argue no one should be beyond scrutiny in uncovering the full scope of Epstein’s crimes.
Others feared advancing the contempt resolutions would play into a partisan strategy to shift attention from Trump’s Epstein contacts.
The Justice Department released last week what it said would be the final batch of files from the Epstein investigation.
Epstein died in custody in 2019, while his associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
