The Clintons are about to testify on Epstein ties. Here’s what to know
WASHINGTON— For the first time in more than 40 years, a former president will appeal directly to Congress to fend off criminal allegations.
Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify before the House Oversight Committee this week as part of the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplices.
The couple agreed to appear after a contentious meeting with committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who accused them of resisting congressional oversight and withholding information about their ties to Epstein and convicting accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in earlier testimony. The two have denied wrongdoing and accused Comer of running a politically motivated “kangaroo court” designed to keep them in the news and deflect from President Trump’s ties to the notorious sex offender.
“They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said in a statement, referring to Comer. “They told you under oath that they know, but you don’t care. But the former President and the former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that will work for everyone.”
Hillary Clinton will take the stage on Thursday, and the former president will arrive the next day. The testimony, held behind closed doors, will be recorded on video for later release.
How did we get here?
Bill Clinton said he had no idea about Epstein’s crimes and only learned of them through media reports. A Clinton spokesman confirmed in 2019 that the former president took four trips on Epstein’s private jet between 2002 and 2003, which included business trips related to the Clinton Foundation.
He is expected to face questions about a series of photographs released by the Department of Justice; One of them appears to show the former president in a hot tub with Epstein and a woman with her face corrected. Congress only recently gained access to records related to the Justice Department’s investigation of Epstein after lawmakers mandated the release of the files without redaction in late December.
“The Clintons’ testimony is critical to understanding Epstein’s sex trafficking network and the ways they sought to gain favors and influence to protect themselves from scrutiny,” Comer said at a committee meeting last week.
Hillary Clinton claims she never met Epstein, but says she encountered Maxwell “many years ago.” He detailed his objections to the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation in a speech. BBC interview last week.
He called the department’s investigation a “cover-up” and said, “They are moving slowly on this, removing the names of people involved, blocking legitimate requests from members of Congress.”
The two argue that Republicans are using the high-profile interview to draw attention to the accusations against the president and the way the Justice Department handled the investigation.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) accused the department on Tuesday of violating both the House Oversight Committee subpoena and the Epstein Files Transparency Act by suppressing files related to accusations that Trump sexually abused a minor. Garcia was granted permission to review unredacted evidentiary records and said the Justice Department “appears to have unlawfully withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes.”
“To be clear, the allegations are false and false, and if they have any credibility they would certainly have been used as a weapon against Trump,” the Justice Department said in a statement in December.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing regarding Epstein.
Results for big players
The interviews come after British police last week arrested former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the most high-profile person captured so far in the unfolding saga.
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland’s accusation of “massive corruption” had serious consequences in Europe. In the United Kingdom, former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was forcibly removed from the House of Lords before his arrest on Monday.
The release of the files triggered a wave of resignations from business leaders over their ties to Epstein and Maxwell, including Hyatt Hotels’ Thomas Pritzker, Goldman Sachs consultant and former Obama staffer Kathy Ruemmler, and DP World Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.
In the US, Democrats are outraged that the Justice Department has withheld key case files (50 percent by some estimates) and delayed investigations into American elites, including some of the president’s close friends.
“More than two dozen people have resigned — CEOs, members of government around the world — but I have not seen any arrests or investigations by this Department of Justice here in the United States,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said on the House floor Tuesday.
What’s next?
Whatever their testimony reveals, the Clintons may still face it. accusations of disrespect From Congress for refusing to comply with previous committee subpoenas.
Comer told a committee meeting last week: “The Clintons must be held accountable for their actions. Democrats must also support these measures or they will be exposed as hypocrites.”
The former first couple hope their appearance will set a precedent for Trump and other key figures in the files to appear before Congress.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a Fremont Democrat and co-author of legislation mandating the release of the Epstein files, remains hopeful that those who participated in Epstein’s sexual abuse will be held accountable for their actions.
In an interview last week, Khanna said the arrest of former Prince Andrew was evidence that this was going to happen. Khanna called it a “game changer”.
“This sets the standard for liability,” he said. “I believe you will see the elite of the Epstein class begin to decline both in the United States and around the world.”
