Bill and Hillary Clinton have committed to testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee as part of the ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, congressional and administration officials confirmed Monday. The agreement comes amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and the threat of a criminal contempt of Congress vote.
The Clintons had previously resisted subpoenas issued by the Republican-controlled committee, arguing that earlier interview requests were legally invalid and politically motivated. Their earlier refusal had prompted the committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), to advance measures recommending contempt charges for their noncompliance.
In recent weeks, support for holding the former president and former secretary of state in contempt grew among some lawmakers, setting up an unprecedented confrontation that could have led to fines or even criminal referrals. The agreement to testify has, at least temporarily, halted momentum toward such a vote.
According to aides familiar with the discussions, the Clintons’ legal team informed committee staff that both Bill and Hillary would comply with depositions on mutually agreeable dates. While the Oversight Committee has not yet finalized a schedule or format for the testimony, lawmakers signaled that the decision may avert the contempt vote for the time being.
Bill Clinton’s past association with Epstein — including documented flights on Epstein’s private plane for Clinton Foundation–related humanitarian work in the early 2000s — has drawn intense scrutiny in the investigation, though the former president has maintained he did not know about Epstein’s criminal activities.
Hillary Clinton has stated she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, noting she never flew on his plane nor visited his private island, as part of her response to inquiries tied to the probe.
