Newsman: Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to sit for closed-door depositions in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Clintons will sit for depositions later this month in the House Oversight Committee’s inquiry into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to House Oversight Chairman James Comer.
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on Feb. 26, Comer announced. Bill Clinton will sit for deposition the following day, Feb. 27.
“The Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month. We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” Comer, a Republican, wrote in a statement.
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton had agreed on Monday evening to sit for closed-door depositions in the committee’s Epstein investigation before apparently changing their minds on Tuesday when they asked for a public hearing.
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña posted on X on Monday. “They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care. But the former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
However, the Clintons and Comer still do not appear to be on the same page — with a Clinton spokesman contending that the Clintons’ testimony will be public. Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill, in a post on X, wrote: “At the 11th hour, James Comer asked for a camera, that’s fine. He can have 1,000 cameras. The Clintons will do this publicly.”
The Clintons’ realization that a deposition would be recorded on video should not come as a surprise. The subpoenas issued by Congress explicitly called for depositions, and the House’s depositions rules, direct the committee chair to “ensure that the testimony is transcribed and may also require testimony to be electronically recorded, including by video recording.”
A Republican aide maintains that these depositions will be conducted behind closed doors, not public hearings. The aide added that a location for the depositions is still “TBD” as the Clintons push for them to take place in New York City.
Comer had set a noon deadline Tuesday for the Clintons to agree to the GOP’s specific terms for depositions, warning that if they did not then Republicans would reconvene to move contempt resolutions toward a full House vote.
Last month, the House Oversight Committee voted to advance two bipartisan resolutions holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with its subpoenas relating to Epstein.
For months, the Clintons had insisted that the subpoenas were without legal merit. Comer had pushed back, saying the Clintons are not above the law and must comply with a subpoena.
Besides defying the subpoenas to testify before the House committee, neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and both deny having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.
