Clintons finalize agreement to testify in House Epstein probe, bowing to threat of contempt vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an statement with House Republicans Tuesday to attest successful a House probe into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the menace of a contempt of Congress ballot against them.

Hillary Clinton volition attest earlier the House Oversight Committee connected Feb. 26 and Bill Clinton volition look connected Feb. 27. It volition people the archetypal clip that lawmakers person compelled a erstwhile president to testify.

The statement comes aft months of negotiating betwixt the 2 sides arsenic Republicans sought to marque the Clintons, some Democrats, a focal constituent successful a House committee's probe into Epstein, a convicted enactment offender who killed himself successful a New York jailhouse compartment successful 2019, and Ghislaine Maxwell, his erstwhile girlfriend.

“We look guardant to present questioning the Clintons arsenic portion of our probe into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to present transparency and accountability for the American radical and for survivors,” Rep. James Comer, the seat of the House Oversight Committee, said successful a statement.

The dialog with the Clintons

For months, the Clintons resisted subpoenas from the committee, but House Republicans — with enactment from a fewer Democrats — had precocious transgression contempt of Congress charges to a imaginable ballot this week. It threatened the Clintons with the imaginable for important fines and adjacent situation clip if they had been convicted.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that immoderate effort to clasp them successful contempt of Congress were "on pause.”

Even arsenic the Clintons bowed to the pressure, the negotiating betwixt GOP lawmakers and attorneys for the Clintons was marked by distrust arsenic they wrangled implicit the details of the deposition. They agreed to person the closed-door depositions transcribed and recorded connected video, Comer said.

The belligerence is apt to lone turn arsenic Republicans relish the accidental to grill longtime governmental foes nether oath.

Comer told The Associated Press that Republicans, successful their enquiry with the Clintons, were “trying to fig retired however Jeffrey Epstein was capable to situation himself with each these affluent and almighty people.”

Comer, a Kentucky Republican, besides said that the Clintons had expressed a tendency to marque the proceedings public, but that helium would importune connected closed-door grounds with a aboriginal merchandise of a transcript of the interviews. He added that helium was unfastened to holding a aboriginal nationalist proceeding if the Clintons wanted it.

How Clinton knew Epstein

Clinton, similar a fig of different high-powered men including President Donald Trump, had a well-documented narration with Epstein successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s. Neither Trump nor Clinton has been credibly accused of wrongdoing successful their interactions with the precocious financier.

Both Clintons person said they had nary cognition that Epstein was sexually abusing underage girls earlier prosecutors brought charges against him.

The Clintons argued the subpoenas for their grounds were invalid and offered to taxable sworn declarations connected their constricted cognition of Epstein's crimes. But arsenic Comer threatened to proceed with contempt of Congress charges, they began looking for an off-ramp.

Both Clintons person remained highly captious of however Comer has handled the Epstein probe and reason that helium is much focused connected bringing them successful for grounds alternatively than holding the Trump medication accountable for however it has handled the merchandise of its files connected Epstein.

However, arsenic Comer precocious the contempt charges retired of the House Oversight Committee past month, helium recovered a fig of Democrats consenting to help. A younger procreation of much progressive Democrats showed they had fewer connections with the Clintons, who led the Democratic Party for decades, and were much anxious to amusement voters that they would basal for transparency successful the Epstein investigation.

Nine Democrats retired of 21 connected the Oversight sheet voted to beforehand charges against Bill Clinton, and 3 Democrats joined with Republicans to enactment the charges against Hillary Clinton. As the ballot loomed this week, House Democratic leaders besides made it wide they would not expend overmuch governmental superior to rally votes against the contempt resolutions.

That near the Clintons with small prime but to hold to attest oregon look 1 of the astir terrible punishments Congress tin give.

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