Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This decision comes just days before a vote is scheduled that could hold the couple in criminal contempt for their previous refusal to comply with subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee.
Bill Clinton had a known association with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has insisted he was unaware of Epstein's sex offenses and claimed to have severed ties two decades ago.
Details regarding the exact timing of the testimonies remain unclear, but this would mark the first instance since Gerald Ford in 1983 that a former US president testifies before Congress.
The House Oversight Committee, currently led by Republicans, had initially approved the contempt measures in a bipartisan vote last month, a decision that garnered support from several Democrats.
Angel Ureña, a deputy chief of staff for Bill Clinton, confirmed via social media that the couple will comply with the committee's request, but criticized the committee's handling of the situation. He argued that the Clintons had already provided sworn statements and relevant information earlier.
The Clintons had previously dismissed the subpoenas as politically motivated, suggesting they seemed aimed at embarrassing political adversaries as part of a wider agenda orchestrated by former President Trump.
Bill Clinton has faced no accusations from Epstein's abuse survivors, asserting his lack of knowledge about his criminal activities.
It has been reported that flight logs show Clinton traveled on Epstein's private plane multiple times in the early 2000s. Additionally, recently released images from the Justice Department's documents highlight Clinton's previous visits to Epstein's estate, sparking further scrutiny of their past associations.
