Bill and Hillary Clinton to testify to Congress over Epstein ties

House lawmakers are set to question former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York near their main residence, on Thursday (26 February) and Friday as part of Congress’s investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The high-profile depositions, organised by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, follow months of negotiations between the Clintons’ legal team and committee leaders.

Lawmakers voted unanimously last July to subpoena their testimony, later moving in January to hold both in contempt of Congress after they declined to appear in person.

The proceedings are notable not only because a former U.S. president is being compelled to testify before Congress, but also because Democrats joined Republicans in backing the subpoenas. Members from both parties say they are seeking accountability for survivors of Epstein’s abuse.

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“The major thing is that we’re looking for truth, for the survivors, and justice and accountability,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, adding that anyone involved in criminal activity should face consequences.

Representative Glenn Ivey, also a Maryland Democrat, said the Clintons’ long-standing prominence and intense political scrutiny made it unlikely that any wrongdoing had gone undetected.

However, he added that “no one should be immune from justice” if new evidence emerges.

The committee chairman, Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, confirmed he will lead the depositions despite recently undergoing oral surgery. He said video recordings and transcripts would be released as soon as the Clintons approve their publication.

The renewed focus on the former president intensified after the release of a first tranche of Epstein-related files, which included photographs of Bill Clinton with the financier, including one aboard a private jet and another by a swimming pool.

Republicans have pointed to the images as raising questions about the nature of their association.

Clintons' rebuttal

The Clintons have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the former president has expressed regret for his ties to Epstein.

In a previous statement, Clinton Deputy Chief of Staff, Angel Ureña, said attempts to link the former president to Epstein’s crimes were politically motivated. He maintained that Clinton cut ties with Epstein before the financier’s criminal conduct became publicly known and had no knowledge of his or associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s illegal activities.

The Clintons argue they have already provided sworn statements and all relevant information to the committee, and have challenged the validity of the subpoenas, saying they lack a proper legislative purpose.

Some Democrats have accused Republicans of turning the investigation into “political theatre”, noting that the Clintons had offered to testify publicly rather than in closed-door depositions.

Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, died in prison later that year while awaiting trial. The congressional investigation continues amid renewed political scrutiny over who in positions of power may have been aware of his crimes.

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