Clintons agree to testify to House Oversight ahead of expected contempt vote

Washington — Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to attest successful the House Oversight Committee's probe into Jeffrey Epstein, up of expected votes successful the House aboriginal this week connected holding the brace successful contempt of Congress. 

In an email to the committee connected Monday, the Clintons' ineligible squad said the erstwhile president and erstwhile caput of authorities "accept the presumption of your missive and volition look for depositions connected mutually agreeable dates." 

"As has been the Committee's practice, delight corroborate the House volition not determination guardant with contempt proceedings, arsenic the Chairman stated successful his missive this morning," said the email, which was obtained by CBS News.

Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, who chairs the oversight panel, said successful a connection precocious Monday: "The Clintons' counsel has said they hold to terms, but those presumption deficiency clarity yet again and they person provided nary dates for their depositions. The lone crushed they person said they hold to presumption is due to the fact that the House has moved guardant with contempt. I volition clarify the presumption they are agreeing to and past sermon adjacent steps with my committee members."

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Clintons past year, but the brace called the subpoenas legally invalid and refused to appear before the panel, which is probing the Justice Department's investigations into Epstein. The committee then recommended holding the Clintons successful contempt successful January.

Both contempt resolutions precocious retired of the House Oversight Committee with bipartisan support, though much Democrats supported the 1 related to Bill Clinton, who has acknowledged erstwhile interactions with Epstein.

Neither Clinton has been accused of immoderate wrongdoing successful the Epstein case.

In an effort to debar the contempt of Congress votes, lawyers for the Clintons said successful Jan. 31 missive to the committee that the erstwhile president would hold to beryllium for a four-hour transcribed interrogation if it takes spot successful New York City and is "confined to matters related to the investigations and prosecutions" of Epstein. The erstwhile caput of authorities would connection different sworn declaration to reply immoderate questions the committee inactive has, the lawyers said. If the committee inactive requires her in-person testimony, her quality should travel the aforesaid presumption arsenic her husband's testimony, they said. 

The Clintons' ineligible squad asked that the subpoenas and contempt resolutions beryllium withdrawn if the conditions were agreed to. 

Responding successful a missive earlier Monday, Comer said the sheet has "serious concerns" astir the offer.

Comer argued the projected scope of Bill Clinton's grounds was excessively constricted and "would effect successful your lawsuit answering fewer questions." The different demands were "not reasonable" and "insufficient," Comer said. Comer said the presumption projected for Hillary Clinton's sworn declaration oregon quality were besides unacceptable. 

The quality of the Clintons' connection was archetypal delivered by Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia during Monday night's House Rules Committee meeting, which was expected to beforehand the contempt resolutions and tee them up for level votes successful the coming days. 

"I recognize that the Clintons person agreed to look for depositions and person agreed to the presumption that you laid retired successful your astir caller letter," Walkinshaw told Comer arsenic they some appeared earlier the committee. 

Comer said helium was unaware of the news. The Clintons' lawyer had emailed the committee with the connection portion Comer was testifying, according to a committee aide. 

Nikole Killion and Jaala Brown contributed to this report.