Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to demands by the House Oversight Committee to sit for a deposition in the committee’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., gave the former first family until noon on Tuesday to clarify the terms after the Clintons agreed to the Republicans’ requirements on Monday evening. The House of Representatives was scheduled to vote in the coming days on a contempt-of-Congress resolution targeting the Clintons, which had passed the oversight committee.
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Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said Tuesday morning that discussions with the Clintons and the oversight committee are continuing. She said both parties will need more time for those discussions but if there is another delay, the Clintons could face a contempt vote again.
“Accordingly, the Committee will postpone further consideration of the contempt,” Foxx said, The Washington Post reports. “However, should there not be substantial compliance and agreement overnight, the Committee will return to continue the hearing on the contempt.”
Hillary Clinton will testify before the oversight committee on Feb. 26, The Associated Press reported. Bill Clinton is scheduled to appear on Feb. 27. The hearings would set a precedent since it would be the first time that lawmakers have required a former president to testify.
The committee is seeking the Clinton’s testimony over former President Clinton’s relationship with Epstein. Clinton was seen in several photos released in the Epstein files and he has previously said he flew on Epstein’s private jet on several occasions.
The Clintons have been negotiating with the Oversight Committee after it issued subpoenas to them and several others. The couple provided the committee with sworn statements regarding their relationship with the late sex offender. However, Comer did not accept the statements, saying they needed to sit for testimony.
In late January, Comer said he would bring a contempt of Congress vote after the Clintons refused to testify. A day after he announced his decision, the committee approved the vote, with nine Democrats voting in favor. The resolution was then sent to the House for consideration by all members. If the House approved the resolution, it would have gone to the Department of Justice, which could choose to prosecute. If the DOJ did opt to prosecute, the Clintons could face fines and up to a year in prison.
What is the Clintons’ relationship to Epstein?
In December, the DOJ released a batch of files about the Epstein investigation that showed images of former President Clinton with Epstein or his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. However, the Clintons denied any friendship with Epstein.
The former president also confirmed he took four international trips on Epstein’s private jet in 2002 and 2003. He said the trips were part of a humanitarian mission to several African nations. The Clintons also denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island.
The couple has also demanded the DOJ release all files related to the Epstein investigation, including files that show the former president.
