据众议院监督委员会主席詹姆斯·卡莫称，前总统比尔·克林顿和前国务卿希拉里·克林顿将于本月晚些时候在众议院监督委员会对已故性犯罪者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的调查中出庭作证。
卡莫宣布，希拉里·克林顿定于2月26日作证。比尔·克林顿将在第二天，2月27日出庭作证。
“克林顿夫妇完全屈服了，将于本月出庭接受转录和拍摄的证词。共和党人卡莫在一份声明中写道:“我们期待着对克林顿夫妇进行质询，作为我们对爱泼斯坦和麦克斯韦尔可怕罪行调查的一部分，为美国人民和幸存者提供透明度和问责制。”。
但克林顿夫妇和科莫似乎仍未达成一致——克林顿的发言人声称克林顿夫妇的证词将会公开。克林顿的发言人尼克·梅里尔(Nick Merrill)在X上的一篇帖子中写道:“在最后时刻，詹姆斯·卡莫(James Comer)想要一台相机，这很好。他可以有1000个摄像头。克林顿夫妇会公开这么做。”
克林顿夫妇意识到证词会被录像，这并不奇怪。国会发出的传票明确要求宣誓作证豪斯的取证规则，指示委员会主席“确保证词被转录，并可能要求证词被电子记录，包括通过视频记录。”
一名共和党助手坚持认为，这些证词将闭门进行，而不是公开听证会。这位助手补充说，作证的地点仍然是“TBD ”,因为克林顿夫妇要求在纽约市进行。
卡莫为克林顿夫妇设定了周二中午的最后期限，要求他们同意共和党的具体证词条款，并警告说，如果他们不同意，共和党人将重新召集会议，将藐视法庭的决议提交众议院全院表决。
比尔·克林顿和希拉里·克林顿曾在周一晚上同意在委员会的爱泼斯坦调查中闭门作证，但在周二要求举行公开听证会时，他们显然改变了主意。
“他们真诚地进行了谈判。你没有，”克林顿的发言人安吉尔·乌雷亚说发布于X星期一。“他们发誓告诉你他们知道什么，但你不在乎。但是前总统和前国务卿将会出席。他们期待开创一个适用于所有人的先例。”
上个月，众议院监督委员会投票推动两项两党决议认为克林顿藐视国会未能遵守其传票关于爱泼斯坦的。
几个月来，克林顿夫妇一直坚称传票没有法律依据。卡莫反驳说，克林顿夫妇不能凌驾于法律之上，必须服从传票。
除了藐视在众议院委员会作证的传票，比尔·克林顿和希拉里·克林顿都没有被指控有不法行为，都否认对爱泼斯坦的罪行有任何了解。没有一个爱泼斯坦的幸存者或合伙人曾公开指控前总统或其妻子在他与爱泼斯坦之前的关系中有不当行为或不当行为。
Clintons to sit for depositions in House panel's Epstein inquiry later this month, Comer says
"The Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month. We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,"Comer, a Republican, wrote in a statement.
But the Clintons and Comer still do not appear to be on the same page --with a Clinton spokesman contending that the Clintons' testimony will be public.Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill, in a post on X, wrote: "At the 11th hour, James Comer asked for a camera, that’s fine. He can have 1,000 cameras. The Clintons will do this publicly."
The Clintons' realization that a deposition would be recorded on video should not come as a surprise. The subpoenas issued by Congress explicitly called fordepositions, and theHouse’s depositions rules, direct the committee chair to "ensure that the testimony is transcribed and may also require testimony to be electronically recorded, including by video recording."
A Republican aide maintains that these depositions will be conducted behind closed doors, not public hearings. The aide added that a location for the depositions is still "TBD" as the Clintons push for them to take place in New York City.
Comer had set a noon deadline Tuesday for the Clintons to agree to the GOP's specific terms for depositions, warning that if they did not then Republicans would reconvene to move contempt resolutions toward a full House vote.
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton had agreed on Monday evening to sit for closed-door depositions in the committee's Epstein investigationbefore apparently changing their minds on Tuesday when they asked for a public hearing.
"They negotiated in good faith. You did not," Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureñaposted on Xon Monday. "They told you under oath what they know, but you don't care. But the former President and formerSecretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone."
Last month, the House Oversight Committeevoted to advance two bipartisanresolutionsholding the Clintons in contempt of Congress forfailing to comply with itssubpoenasrelating to Epstein.
Formonths, the Clintons had insisted that the subpoenas were without legal merit. Comer had pushed back, saying the Clintons are not above the law and must comply with a subpoena.
Besides defying the subpoenas to testify before the House committee, neitherBill Clinton norHillary Clintonhas been accused of wrongdoing and both deny having any knowledge of Epstein'scrimes.No Epstein survivororassociate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing orinappropriate behaviorbythe formerpresident orhis wifeinconnection with his priorrelationship with Epstein.
