Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify before a U.S. House of Representatives investigation linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a spokesperson for the Clinton camp. Their decision comes just in time to avoid a possible congressional vote that could have held them in contempt for initially declining to appear.
The couple had earlier resisted lawmakers’ demands as the House examined how authorities handled past investigations into Epstein, the disgraced financier who maintained relationships with powerful figures across politics, business, and society before his death in jail in 2019. However, Clinton spokesman Angel Urena confirmed on X that both Bill and Hillary Clinton will now cooperate fully, saying they are prepared to appear and hope their participation sets a standard that applies equally to everyone.
Before this turnaround, the House Rules Committee had moved forward with resolutions accusing the Clintons of ignoring subpoenas that required them to testify in person about any links they may have had with Epstein. The issue is part of a wider and deeply political controversy that continues to ripple through Washington, drawing in high-profile names and reigniting partisan tensions.
Democrats have argued that the investigation is being used as a political weapon against opponents of President Donald Trump. They point out that Trump, who also had a long-standing association with Epstein, has not been summoned to testify. Trump had previously made efforts to prevent the release of certain Epstein-related investigative records, despite Epstein’s long history of mingling with billionaires, politicians, academics, and celebrities.
Importantly, neither the Clintons nor Trump have been formally accused of any criminal involvement in Epstein’s crimes. In their earlier refusal to testify in person, the Clintons had maintained that the subpoenas were flawed because they did not clearly serve a legislative purpose.
Republicans, however, argue that Bill Clinton’s past connections to Epstein — including trips on Epstein’s private jet in the early 2000s — justify questioning the couple under oath. As an alternative, the Clintons had already submitted sworn written statements detailing what they knew about Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s aircraft in connection with humanitarian work linked to the Clinton Foundation but insisted he never visited Epstein’s private island. Hillary Clinton, on her part, said she had no significant interaction with Epstein, never boarded his plane, and never traveled to his island.
Following the couple’s agreement to testify, the House Rules Committee announced on Monday night that it would temporarily halt any move to vote on holding them in contempt. The situation had threatened to expose cracks within the Democratic Party, as some members believe no one should be exempt from scrutiny when uncovering the full extent of Epstein’s crimes, while others feared the move would serve a partisan agenda and distract from Trump’s own past connections to Epstein.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department announced last week that it had released what it described as the final set of files related to the Epstein investigation.