Bill and Hillary Clinton to Testify on Epstein Amid Congressional Contempt Vote

Tue Feb 03 2026 12:07:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following months of refusal, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in the ongoing congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. This development comes just before a vote that could hold them in contempt of Congress.

In a significant turn of events, Bill and Hillary Clinton have stated they will testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding their connections to Jeffrey Epstein, a deceased financier implicated in a sex trafficking scandal. Their announcement comes at a critical juncture as Congress prepares to vote on whether to hold them in contempt for their prior reluctance to appear. This will mark the first time since Gerald Ford that a former U.S. president testifies before Congress. Bill Clinton has faced scrutiny for his past associations with Epstein but has denied any wrongdoing.

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This announcement comes days before a vote regarding whether to hold the Clintons in criminal contempt for failing to appear before the House Oversight Committee after a prolonged standoff.

Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but he has denied any knowledge of the offenses attributed to the financier, asserting he severed ties two decades ago.

The exact timing of the depositions is yet to be confirmed, but this will be the first instance of a former U.S. president testifying before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983.

Last month, the House Oversight Committee, with Republican leadership and support from some Democrats, approved a measure proposing to hold the Clintons in contempt. On Monday evening, Clinton's deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, confirmed through social media that the couple would appear before the committee.

They negotiated in good faith, Ureña wrote. They told you under oath what they know, but you don't care. However, the former President and former Secretary of State will be there to set a precedent that applies to everyone.

Both Clintons allege they had previously provided the committee with sworn statements and asserted they had shared all relevant information regarding Epstein.

Clinton's legal team had dismissed the committee's subpoenas, labeling them a political tactic orchestrated to embarrass rivals under President Trump's direction.

Bill Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing concerning Epstein's victims and has consistently denied knowledge of Epstein's illicit activities.

Epstein's flight logs indicate that Clinton traveled on four of Epstein's international flights between 2002 and 2003, and newly released images show Clinton engaged in leisure activities at Epstein's properties. Clinton's spokesperson emphasized that these images are old and that he ceased his association with Epstein before the latter's crimes were exposed.

The Clintons have also criticized House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer for his handling of the Epstein investigation, accusing him of prioritizing partisan politics over factual clarification. Comer has rebutted these claims, stating the subpoena approvals came from a bipartisan agreement, insisting that no one is above the law.