Clintons agree to testify in congressional investigation into socialite sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid threats of contempt.
Posted on February 3, 2026
Former US President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will testify at a congressional investigation into deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesman for the former president said.
The Clintons' decision announced Monday could prevent a planned vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold high-profile Democratic Party veterans in contempt for refusing to appear before lawmakers, which could lead to criminal charges.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
“The former president and the former secretary of state will be there. They hope to set a precedent that applies to everyone,” the Clintons' deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, said in a social media post.
Ureña posted the ad on top of a House Oversight Committee statement earlier Monday that accused the Clintons of “defying legal subpoenas” and “trying to avoid contempt by requesting special treatment.”
“The Clintons are not above the law,” the Oversight Committee said.
Last week, the Oversight Committee recommended that the couple be held in contempt for refusing to testify about their relationship with Epstein.
The Clintons had offered to cooperate with the committee's investigation into Epstein, but refused to appear in person, saying the probe was a partisan exercise meant to protect President Donald Trump, who was a longtime friend of Epstein.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed the Clintons' news but “did not say whether the House would abandon its planned contempt vote.”
“That's good progress,” he said. “We hope everyone will comply with congressional subpoenas.”
Democrats say the House investigation is being used as a weapon to attack political opponents of Trump (who has not been called to testify despite his long association with Epstein) rather than conducting legitimate oversight.
Trump spent months trying to block the release of investigative files linked to Epstein, but pressure from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base and some Republican lawmakers forced the president to order the release of millions of documents from the case.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office. He expressed regret about the relationship and said he knew nothing about Epstein's criminal activity.
Hillary Clinton said she had no significant interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his private island.
The Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over US, and now UK, politics, entangling prominent figures such as disgraced former Prince Andrew and former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson.
Police in the United Kingdom said Monday they are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct involving Mandelson, whose name appeared more than 5,000 times in the U.S. Justice Department's files on Epstein.
The veteran British politician was fired as ambassador to the United States last year after emails emerged showing he called Epstein “my best friend” and advised him to seek early release from prison.
Mandelson apologized to Epstein's victims and denied any wrongdoing.
