Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have officially agreed to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ending weeks of resistance that had set the stage for a potential criminal contempt vote. The decision came days before the House was scheduled to vote on whether to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas issued by the panel’s Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky.
This is not about Right or Left, it’s about Right and Wrong. pic.twitter.com/GMfT2YX2vm
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 13, 2026
For months, the Clintons had resisted the subpoenas, calling them invalid and legally unenforceable, and accusing Comer of pursuing the investigation as part of a broader effort to target them as political adversaries of President Donald Trump. However, after some Democrats on the committee joined Republicans in supporting a contempt referral, the Clintons ultimately agreed to comply, offering to appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates. Their attorneys requested that the House forgo the contempt vote in light of the agreement.
They negotiated in good faith. You did not.
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) February 2, 2026
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. https://t.co/iO67XjNFsT
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” a spokesperson for the Clintons said in a statement, noting that the former president and former secretary of state would provide testimony under oath.
The decision marks an unusual moment in American history. No former president has appeared before Congress in a similar capacity since Gerald Ford testified in 1983.
The agreement concludes a prolonged standoff between the Clintons and Comer, who sought to expand the focus of his investigation beyond Trump’s connections to Epstein to examine ties between Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and prominent Democrats. Comer’s office had rejected prior proposals from the Clintons that would have limited Bill Clinton’s testimony to four hours or restricted the scope of questioning, calling such requests “unreasonable” and insufficient given Clinton’s extensive knowledge of relevant matters.
In addition to appearing for a full deposition, Hillary Clinton had initially requested the option of submitting a sworn declaration, citing her lack of direct interactions with Epstein. She agreed to appear in person if the committee required it, subject to “appropriate adjustments for the paucity of information she has to offer,” according to her attorneys.
Bill Clinton’s past associations with Epstein are documented, including four international trips on Epstein’s private jet in 2002 and 2003, though he has maintained he never visited Epstein’s private island and cut off contact decades ago. The committee has indicated it may question him on a broad range of matters, including personal interactions with Epstein and Maxwell, efforts to leverage influence after his presidency, and attempts to suppress negative media coverage about Epstein.
In letters to Comer, the Clintons accused the committee of pursuing a politically motivated investigation aimed at intimidation and claimed the process could potentially halt Congress itself. Nevertheless, by agreeing to comply with Comer’s full demands, the Clintons removed any time limits on questioning and consented to the committee’s wide-ranging inquiry, while negotiating only that the interviews be conducted in New York, where they live.
The agreement represents a significant victory for Rep. Comer and a milestone in the ongoing congressional scrutiny of Epstein’s network and its connections to political figures across the spectrum. It also underscores the intense partisan dynamics surrounding high-profile investigations, with both procedural strategy and political calculation shaping the approach of lawmakers and their subjects alike.
