Former President Bill Clinton is intensifying his demand for a public hearing in the ongoing congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking a dramatic standoff between the former first couple and House Republicans. The battle over transparency has escalated after both Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to closed-door depositions following months of resistance to congressional subpoenas.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, secured commitments from both Clintons to appear for filmed, transcribed depositions later this month. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on February 26, with Bill Clinton following the next day on February 27. The agreement came just hours before the House was set to vote on holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress, a rare escalation that could have resulted in significant legal consequences.
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Despite agreeing to the deposition terms, both Clintons have launched a coordinated public campaign calling for open hearings instead of behind-closed-doors sessions. Bill Clinton took to social media Friday, stating he has provided a sworn statement about what he knows regarding Epstein’s crimes and called for full transparency.
“I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court by a Republican Party running scared,” the former president wrote. “If they want answers, let’s stop the games and do this the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves what this is really about.”
Hillary Clinton echoed this sentiment earlier in the week, directly challenging Chairman Comer on social media. “For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath. They ignored all of it,” she wrote. “So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight, let’s have it in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on.”
The Six-Month Battle Over Testimony
The path to these scheduled depositions has been anything but smooth. The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to both Clintons in August 2025, following a bipartisan vote by the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee. The subpoenas called for testimony related to the horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving time in federal prison for sex trafficking.
The Clintons initially resisted, with their legal team arguing the subpoenas lacked legal merit and that they were being unfairly singled out compared to other individuals in the probe who were permitted to provide written testimony. Bill Clinton’s deposition was first scheduled for October 14, 2025, then moved to December 17, which he declined citing funeral attendance. After the committee offered to accommodate alternative dates in January, the Clintons declined to propose new dates.
The committee issued follow-up subpoenas setting deposition dates for January 13 and 14, 2026, but both Clintons failed to appear. This led to the Oversight Committee voting on January 21 to recommend the full House hold them in contempt of Congress, with nine Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the contempt resolution against Bill Clinton.
Republican Response to Public Hearing Demands
Chairman Comer has remained firm that depositions must come first, as stipulated in the original subpoenas. However, he has left the door open for public hearings to follow. “Depositions are always the preferred means of getting information from a witness,” Comer told reporters. “We’re going to do the depositions. That’s what the subpoena is for. And after the depositions, if the Clintons want more, they’re more than welcome to come to the House Oversight Committee.”
The committee has defended its approach, noting that all witnesses in the Epstein investigation have been treated consistently, with filmed and transcribed interviews. Former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, both Republican witnesses, underwent similar recorded depositions.
A spokesperson for the Oversight Committee responded to the Clintons’ public campaign, stating: “The Clintons were issued bipartisan subpoenas for depositions, not a hearing. In the wake of facing contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons’ attorney finally agreed to filmed, transcribed depositions on February 26 and 27. These depositions are in accordance with House and Committee rules.”
The Epstein Files and Bill Clinton’s Documented Connection
The renewed congressional probe comes amid fresh releases of Justice Department documents related to Epstein’s crimes. Over three million documents were released recently, following an earlier batch in December that included never-before-seen photographs of Bill Clinton with Epstein, as well as an image of a shirtless Clinton in a hot tub with someone a DOJ official described as a victim of Epstein’s sexual abuse.
The latest document release includes frequent communications between Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton staffers between 2001 and 2004. During this period, analysis shows Bill Clinton traveled on Epstein’s private plane at least 16 times, often with his staff.
A spokesperson for Clinton has repeatedly stated that the former president cut ties with Epstein before the financier was first charged with soliciting prostitution in 2006 and had no knowledge of his crimes. Court documents show that Epstein himself stated Clinton had not visited his private island where he trafficked underage girls. Maxwell provided the same information to the Department of Justice.
Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. No survivor or associate of Epstein has ever made a public allegation of inappropriate behavior by either Clinton.
Political Dynamics and Democratic Divide
The Epstein investigation has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party. While some Democrats have supported the Clintons’ resistance to the subpoenas, arguing that Chairman Comer is playing politics, nine Democrats on the oversight panel voted to support contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton. Three Democrats also voted to advance contempt charges against Hillary Clinton.
Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the panel, supported the Clintons appearing but pushed for their preferred format. “We have said from day one we want to hear from President Clinton,” Garcia told reporters.
The issue has even drawn commentary from President Donald Trump, who told reporters he thought it was “a shame” that the Clintons were being called to testify. “I always liked him,” Trump said of Bill Clinton, adding that Hillary Clinton is “a very capable woman” and “smart.”
What the Clintons Are Arguing
In their public statements, both Clintons have framed the deposition format as partisan theater rather than a genuine fact-finding mission. Bill Clinton argued that closed-door depositions serve “only partisan interests” rather than helping Epstein’s victims or informing the public.
“Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice. Not the public, who deserve the truth,” he wrote. “This is not fact-finding, it’s pure politics.”
A letter from the Clintons’ attorney to Chairman Comer argued that open hearings would “best suit our concerns about fairness,” noting that the interviews would be videotaped regardless. The letter stated: “Though you have notably never asked the Clintons to appear in an open hearing, we now believe that will best suit our concerns about fairness. Their answers, and your questions, can be seen by all to be judged accordingly.”
However, the committee maintains that the recorded depositions will be available for public viewing, with Comer writing on social media that “depositions are on video for all to see.”
Historical Context of Presidential Testimony
The potential testimony would mark a historically rare occurrence. It is incredibly uncommon for former presidents to testify before Congress. The last former president to do so was Gerald Ford in 1983, when he testified before a Senate subcommittee about planning for the bicentennial of the Constitution.
The format dispute also carries echoes of Bill Clinton’s 1998 testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, where prosecutors believed he ran out the clock through evasive answers. To prevent similar tactics, the Oversight Committee has refused to impose a four-hour time limit that the Clintons’ legal team requested.
What Happens Next
As the February deposition dates approach, the public battle over format continues. Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña stated Friday that Comer “has finally stopped hiding and accepted the offer of a public hearing,” though the committee has only indicated such hearings might occur after depositions are completed.
The depositions will be transcribed, filmed, and conducted without time limits. Chairman Comer has indicated that if meaningful information emerges during these sessions, Republicans would be open to hosting the Clintons for subsequent public hearings.
The Department of Justice is also scheduled to allow lawmakers access to unredacted Epstein files starting Monday, potentially providing additional context for the investigation.
The standoff represents a test of congressional oversight power versus the influence and legal maneuvering of former high-ranking officials. With bipartisan support for the subpoenas and some Democrats breaking ranks to support contempt proceedings, the political dynamics surrounding this probe remain fluid.
Will the truth about Epstein’s connections finally come to light? The coming weeks will tell the story.
