WASHINGTON — In a dramatic turn of events on Capitol Hill, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have formally agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, announced late Monday, comes just days before the House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on holding the political power couple in contempt of Congress for their previous refusal to comply with investigative subpoenas.
Clintons Agree to Testify to Avoid Contempt Vote
The breakthrough occurred after weeks of escalating tensions between the Clintons' legal team and House Republicans. In an email sent to the committee on Monday regarding the Bill Clinton Epstein testimony, lawyers for the former president and first lady stated that they "accept the terms" of the committee's request and will appear for depositions on "mutually agreeable dates."
This move is widely seen as a strategic pivot to avert a historic contempt vote. The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), had advanced resolutions recommending contempt charges in January after the Clintons initially dismissed the subpoenas as "legally invalid" and refused to appear for closed-door interviews. The full House was poised to vote on these measures later this week, a move that could have referred the pair to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution.
"As has been the Committee's practice, please confirm the House will not move forward with contempt proceedings, as the Chairman stated in his letter this morning," the Clintons' legal counsel wrote in the correspondence obtained by major news outlets.
House Oversight Committee Reaction: 'Terms Lack Clarity'
Despite the apparent concession, Republican leadership remains skeptical. Chairman Comer issued a statement late Monday responding to the agreement with caution, suggesting that the Clintons might still be attempting to dictate the parameters of the Hillary Clinton House investigation inquiry.
"The Clintons' counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again and they have provided no dates for their depositions," Comer stated. "The only reason they have said they agree to terms is because the House has moved forward with contempt. I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members."
The committee is reportedly insisting on sworn, in-person depositions rather than the transcribed interviews or written declarations the Clintons had previously offered. In a January 31 letter, the Clintons' lawyers had proposed a four-hour interview with the former president in New York City, strictly confined to matters related to the prosecution of Epstein, a condition Comer rejected as insufficient.
Jeffrey Epstein Files 2026: New Documents Fuel Probe
The renewed urgency for testimony coincides with the release of the massive tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files 2026. Following legislation passed late last year, the Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to the Epstein case on January 31, 2026.
These files have provided fresh leads for investigators looking into the federal government's handling of the sex trafficking network. While Bill Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private plane, the "Lolita Express," in the early 2000s for charitable trips, he has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. The former president has not been accused of any crime, but the House Oversight Committee depositions aim to clarify the extent of his interactions with the disgraced financier and whether any political influence was exerted to protect Epstein during previous investigations.
The Scope of the Investigation
The Oversight Committee is probing not just the Clintons, but a wider circle of high-profile figures. Subpoenas were also issued last year to former FBI directors and Attorneys General, including Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, as Congress seeks to understand why federal prosecutors entered into a controversial non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in 2008.
What Happens Next?
House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated he welcomes the development but has not yet confirmed if the Clinton contempt of Congress vote will be officially canceled. "That's a good development," Johnson told reporters. "We expect everyone to comply with Congress's subpoenas."
For now, the political world waits to see if a date will be set. If the depositions proceed, they promise to be among the most high-stakes congressional testimonies in recent history, potentially shedding new light on the Epstein scandal updates that have captivated the public for nearly two decades. If the Clintons stall on scheduling, the contempt vote remains a potent weapon in the GOP's arsenal.
