Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to sit for depositions before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein, ending their months-long resistance to subpoenas issued by Chairman James Comer.
The decision came after the committee, with some Democratic support, recommended that the House move forward with holding the former president and former secretary of state in criminal contempt of Congress. That step could have referred the issue to the Justice Department, according to reporting by The New York Times.
In an email sent Monday night, the Clintons’ attorneys said the couple would appear for depositions on dates to be determined and asked that contempt proceedings be withdrawn. The House Rules Committee had already begun considering resolutions to hold them in criminal contempt, USA Today reported. In a statement, their spokespeople said Comer had refused to negotiate in good faith but confirmed that the Clintons “will be there.”
The development follows a prolonged dispute in which the Clintons argued the subpoenas were politically motivated and legally flawed, while seeking to limit the length and scope of any questioning.
Their attorneys had previously proposed a four-hour transcribed interview for Bill Clinton and either a sworn written statement from Hillary Clinton or an in-person interview if necessary. Comer rejected the proposal and declined to limit questioning strictly to Epstein-related topics. On Monday, the Clintons withdrew those conditions, agreeing to open-ended questioning with no time limit. The depositions are expected to take place in New York.
Comer has said their testimony is important to understanding how Epstein sought relationships with influential figures in an effort to avoid legal consequences, according to USA Today.