CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK — Former President and first woman Invoice and Hillary Clinton are going through lawmakers this week over their ties to convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons are scheduled to take part in closed-door depositions with the Home Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, after months of steady negotiations over their look.
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to look on Thursday, with Invoice Clinton showing the day after. Friday’s deposition would be the first time a former president has appeared in entrance of a congressional panel since former President Gerald Ford in 1983.
The committee first tried to subpoena the Clintons in July of final yr as Republicans demanded extra info on the previous president’s travels on Epstein’s non-public plane and what the committee known as the “household’s previous relationship” with Epstein and his convicted affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell, as a part of their probe into Epstein.
The Clintons had been subpoenaed to look beneath oath in entrance of the committee for a deposition in January, however failed to comply, arguing the subpoenas had been with out authorized benefit. Quite, they proposed a four-hour transcribed interview as a substitute.
David Kendall, the Clintons’ lawyer, argued that the couple has no info related to the committee’s investigation of the federal authorities’s dealing with of investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, and shouldn’t be required to look for in-person testimony. Kendall contends the Clintons needs to be permitted to supply the restricted info they should the committee in writing.
Former Secretary of State Clinton “has no private information of Epstein or Maxwell’s legal actions, by no means flew on his plane, by no means visited his island, and can’t recall ever talking to Epstein. She has no private information of Maxwell’s actions with Epstein,” Kendall wrote in an Oct. 6 letter to the committee. “President Clinton’s contact with Epstein ended 20 years in the past, and given what got here to mild a lot after, he has expressed remorse for even that restricted affiliation.”
Republican Home Oversight Chairman James Comer responded that the committee was “skeptical” of the declare that the Clintons solely had restricted info.
“[T]he Committee believes that it needs to be offered in a deposition setting, the place the Committee can finest assess its breadth and worth,” Comer responded in October.
Comer had lengthy threatened to carry the Clintons in contempt in the event that they failed to look earlier than the committee, so after they did not, a contempt decision was drafted and put to a vote. The Oversight Committee passed the contempt resolution, with 9 Democrats voting in favor of it, teeing it up for a full Home vote.
On the final minute, earlier than the decision was introduced for a full Home vote, the Clintons agreed to take a seat for a deposition, suspending additional consideration of a contempt vote.
This week’s interviews with committee investigators shall be video recorded and transcribed in accordance with the Home’s deposition guidelines.
“We stay up for questioning the Clintons as a part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to ship transparency and accountability for the American folks and for survivors,” Comer stated in a press release when the deposition was agreed upon.
Whereas the Clintons have agreed to talk with the committee behind closed doorways, they’ve nonetheless pushed for public hearings as a part of the committee’s probe into Epstein.
On this Jan. 20, 2025, file photograph, former President Invoice Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive earlier than the sixtieth Presidential Inauguration within the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Melina Mara, The Washington Submit through AP, Pool
“I can’t sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo courtroom by a Republican Celebration operating scared,” Invoice Clinton wrote in a prolonged submit on X. “If they need solutions, let’s cease the video games & do that the best method: in a public listening to, the place the American folks can see for themselves what that is actually about.”
Hillary Clinton has echoed her husband’s sentiments whereas additionally persevering with to name for the complete launch of the Epstein recordsdata, which they’ve accused the Division of Justice of selectively releasing.
“It’s one thing that must be completely clear,” Hillary Clinton stated throughout a panel look on the Munich Safety Convention earlier this month. “I’ve known as for, many, a few years, for all the things to be put on the market so folks can’t solely see what’s in them, but additionally — if applicable — maintain folks accountable. We’ll see what occurs.”
Neither Invoice Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and each deny having any information of Epstein’s crimes. No Epstein survivor or affiliate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct by the previous president or his spouse in connection together with his prior relationship with Epstein.
