By Ryan Patrick Jones and David Morgan
WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will testify later this month in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Republican U.S. Representative James Comer said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton will appear before the House Oversight Committee on February 26 and Bill Clinton will do so on February 27, said Comer, who chairs the committee. Both depositions will be transcribed and filmed.
“We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and (Ghislaine) Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” Comer said.
The Clintons agreed to appear before the committee in person after the Republican-led House of Representatives planned a vote to hold the two prominent Democrats in contempt, which could have led to criminal charges.
The House Oversight Committee recommended last week that the Clintons be held in contempt for refusing to testify about their relationship with Epstein. The Clintons had previously offered to cooperate with the panel but not appear in person, saying the investigation was a partisan exercise aimed at protecting Republican President Donald Trump.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said plans for the contempt vote were being put on hold for the moment.
“Contempt is on pause to ensure that everybody goes through with their obligation,” Johnson said. Asked whether the Clintons would be allowed to testify in public, Johnson said: “I have to talk to Chairman Comer about that. It’s his operation.”
Spokespeople for Bill and Hillary Clinton didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. Justice Department’s recent release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender’s ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business – both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office, while photos released by the Justice Department show him swimming and posing with women whose faces are redacted. He has expressed regret about the relationship and said he knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activity.
Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell was ruled a suicide. Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and Epstein’s former girlfriend, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and other charges.
(Reporting by David Morgan in Washington; Writing by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
Comments