Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton notified House investigators late Monday that they will appear to give testimony in the committee’s probe of Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican committee chair said no binding agreement has been reached.
Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, said he was continuing to pursue criminal contempt of Congress citations against both Clintons after their attorneys emailed committee staff saying the couple “will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates.” The lawyers asked Comer to pause the contempt process; Comer responded that he had no written deal and was not immediately withdrawing the charges, which, if approved by the House and prosecuted by the Justice Department, could lead to fines or jail time.
“We don’t have anything in writing,” Comer told reporters, adding that he might accept the offer depending on its terms. The exchange came as Republican leaders moved a contempt resolution through the House Rules Committee, a necessary step before a potential floor vote — a rare escalation that could mark the first time Congress holds a former president in contempt.
Comer had earlier rejected a proposal from the Clintons’ attorneys for a four-hour transcribed interview with Bill Clinton and for Hillary Clinton to provide a sworn written declaration. He insisted both must sit for sworn depositions to comply with subpoenas. A committee letter said the attorneys suggested those alternative formats “on matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein.”
“The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas,” Comer said.
The Clintons had resisted subpoenas issued in August and challenged their validity in court. As Comer stepped up contempt proceedings, the two began negotiating toward a compromise. The Republican-controlled Oversight Committee had already advanced criminal contempt charges last month; nine of the panel’s 21 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting charges against Bill Clinton, and three Democrats joined in supporting charges against Hillary Clinton, with some members citing a need for transparency in the Epstein review.
Republicans have spotlighted Bill Clinton’s past ties to Epstein, a relationship documented in the late 1990s and early 2000s; Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing related to those interactions. The subpoenas and inquiry are part of broader scrutiny of Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting sex‑trafficking charges.
The Clintons’ camp criticized Comer’s tactics, accusing him of political motives and of not doing enough to press the Trump administration for Justice Department files on Epstein. “They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Clintons spokesperson Angel Urena said, adding that the couple had already told investigators under oath what they knew.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his caucus would discuss the contempt resolutions but was not committing to whip votes. Jeffries called contempt “a hard no,” accusing Comer of seeking political retribution rather than addressing alleged delays in DOJ document production. Democrats have also complained that the Justice Department has not turned over all relevant material. “They don’t want a serious interview, they want a charade,” Jeffries said.
