Former United States President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify before Congress in an investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesperson for the former president has confirmed.
The decision, announced on Monday, could avert a planned vote by the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold the high-profile Democrats in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear. Such a move could have exposed them to possible criminal charges.
“The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone,” the Clintons’ deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said in a social media post.
Urena’s statement came in response to an earlier announcement by the House Oversight Committee, which accused the Clintons of “defying lawful subpoenas” and attempting to “dodge contempt by requesting special treatment”.
“The Clintons are not above the law,” the committee said.
Last week, the committee recommended that the couple be held in contempt for declining to testify in person about their past association with Epstein.
The Clintons had said they were willing to cooperate with the investigation but objected to appearing physically before lawmakers, describing the probe as a partisan effort aimed at shielding President Donald Trump, who was a longtime associate of Epstein.
House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed the Clintons’ decision to testify but did not indicate whether the chamber would withdraw its planned contempt vote.
“That’s a good development,” Johnson said. “We expect everyone to comply with Congress’s subpoenas.”
Democrats have criticised the inquiry, accusing Republicans of weaponising the investigation to target Trump’s political opponents. They note that Trump, despite well-documented past ties to Epstein, has not been summoned to testify.
