Clintons make a last-minute move to avoid a House contempt vote in the Epstein investigation

Clintons Agree to In-Person Depositions in 11th-Hour Bid to Avoid Contempt Vote in Epstein Probe

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to appear for in-person depositions in Washington, DC, as part of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, making a last-minute effort to avoid a looming contempt of Congress vote.

The development comes after months of standoff between the Clintons’ legal team and the Republican-led committee chaired by Rep. James Comer. Lawmakers from both parties had voted in January to hold the Clintons in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas requiring in-person depositions.

In earlier correspondence obtained by CNN, Comer expressed skepticism about the Clintons’ willingness to cooperate fully. He argued that agreeing to a firm four-hour time limit would give Bill Clinton an incentive to “run out the clock” and questioned why the Clintons insisted on having their own transcriber if an official court reporter would already be present.

Comer also cited Bill Clinton’s previous failure to appear for a scheduled deposition and months-long refusal to provide in-person testimony as reasons the committee could not simply trust that he would answer questions during a transcribed interview.

Despite continued efforts by the Clintons’ attorneys to persuade the committee to drop the subpoenas and contempt resolutions, Comer rejected their proposals as “unreasonable.” The attorneys, Ashley Callen and David E. Kendall, had offered alternatives such as sworn written declarations or voluntary, transcribed interviews limited to the scope of the Epstein investigation.

According to a January 31 letter, the Clintons’ legal team proposed that Bill Clinton sit for a four-hour voluntary interview in New York City, with lawmakers from both parties allowed to ask questions and both sides permitted to have their own transcribers. Comer rejected the offer, insisting on sworn depositions without limitations on scope.

By rejecting the initial proposals, Comer appeared poised to push the House toward a final contempt vote this week. The House Rules Committee had begun setting the parameters for such a vote when the latest offer from the Clintons’ attorneys emerged.

Late Monday evening, however, House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx announced that the panel would temporarily hold off on advancing the contempt resolutions, noting that the committee would reconsider if no further progress was made overnight.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee argued that the Clintons had already accepted every term demanded by Comer. Rep. Robert Garcia welcomed the development, saying lawmakers had wanted Bill Clinton to testify from the beginning.

A spokesperson for the Clintons, Angel Ureña, accused Comer of negotiating in bad faith, stating that the former president and former secretary of state “look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”

Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.