The Clintons agreed to testify this month about their relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, confirming their appearances amid Democratic-backed contempt of Congress votes.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Feb. 26, and her husband, ex-President Bill Clinton, will show up the next day.
The dates came as Committee Chair James Comer, Kentucky Republican, gave them a noon Tuesday deadline to clarify the terms they agreed to after changing their minds Monday evening and saying they would testify.
“Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law — and that includes the Clintons,” Mr. Comer said in a statement.
“Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month,” he said.
The Clintons were subpoenaed by the committee last August over their ties to Epstein as part of the ongoing investigation. They didn’t show up for their scheduled depositions last month, leading to the committee voting to hold the two in contempt of Congress.
The panel voted 34-8, including nine Democrats, to hold Mr. Clinton in contempt, and 28-15, including three Democrats, to hold Mrs. Clinton in contempt.
Mr. Comer on Monday said he denied the couple’s last-ditch effort to skirt the contempt of Congress after attorneys for the Clintons made other offers.
Lawyers for the couple proposed in a letter sent over the weekend that Mr. Clinton sit for a four-hour transcribed interview along with an under-oath deposition and for Mrs. Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.
“Had President Clinton initially offered to participate in a transcribed interview upon receiving his subpoena, the Committee might have considered that approach,” Mr. Comer’s letter said. “But given that he has already failed to appear for a deposition and has refused for several months to provide the Committee with in-person testimony, the Committee cannot simply have faith that President Clinton will not refuse to answer questions at a transcribed interview, resulting in the Committee being right back where it is today.”
Mr. Comer also pushed back on the requested four-hour limit because it would give Mr. Clinton incentive to “run out the clock,” something special-counsel lawyers during the 1994 Paula Jones investigation believe Mr. Clinton did when forced to testify in that case.
Mr. Clinton’s relationship with the deceased sex offender is well-documented, but he has said he didn’t know about Epstein’s alleged crimes.
Records show that Epstein visited the White House 17 times during the Clinton administration.
The former president also flew on Epstein’s private jet numerous times, but denies visiting Epstein’s private island, where many of the crimes took place.
Mr. Comer said in August that the Clintons’ testimonies are “critical to understanding Epstein’s sex trafficking network and the ways he sought to curry favor and influence to shield himself from scrutiny.”
The congressman added, “Their testimony may also inform how Congress can strengthen laws to better combat human trafficking.”
