Bill, Hillary Clinton to testify in Epstein probe
What's the story
Former United States President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes just days before a planned vote in the House of Representatives to hold them in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee.
Contempt proceedings
Clintons were recommended to be held in contempt
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee had recommended that the Clintons be held in contempt for not testifying about their relationship with Epstein. The couple had initially refused to testify in person, calling the investigation a partisan exercise. However, Angel Urena, deputy chief of staff to both Clintons, confirmed on social media that they would appear before the panel.
Past connections
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's jet several times
Clinton was known to have flown on Epstein's private jet several times in the early 2000s but denied any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. While Epstein died in prison in 2019, Clinton claimed he cut off contact with him two decades ago. The Clintons had previously dismissed subpoenas as "nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals."
Speaker's response
First former president testifies since Gerald Ford's presidency
House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed the news of the Clintons's decision to testify but stopped short of saying if the planned contempt vote would be dropped. He said, "That's a good development," adding that he expects everyone to comply with Congress's subpoenas. The upcoming testimony will mark a historic moment as it will be the first time a former US president testifies before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983, the BBC reported.