Former US President Bill Clinton and the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before a congressional panel investigating the dead financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a congressional staffer said on Monday.
Their decision could block a vote planned to take place in the Republican-led House of Representatives against them, a move that could potentially lead to criminal charges for them.
The development comes after the recent release by the US Justice Department of millions of internal documents relating to Epstein.
The files describe the extent of Epstein’s connections with prominent figures in politics, finance, academia and business both before and after he was found guilty of prostitution-related charges in 2008.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that lawmakers are looking into the legal situation surrounding the Clintons’ agreement to testify. He previously welcomed the announcement.
The House Oversight Committee had recommended holding the Clintons in contempt when they declined to appear in person, although they offered to cooperate with the investigation.
The former President and former Secretary of State had contended that the probe had been motivated by politics and was aimed at shielding Republican President Donald Trump.
In a statement on the social media site, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, stated that the Clintons have already testified under oath about what they knew, adding that they hoped to establish a precedent that applies equally to everyone.
Bill Clinton had previously admitted flying on Epstein’s private plane several times in the early 2000s after he left office but has expressed regret of the association and denied knowing anything about Epstein’s criminal activities.
Representative James Comer, who chairs the Oversight Committee, said the Clintons have yet to give dates for their depositions and that talks on what to do are in progress.
Also read: US DOJ documents expose Modi’s links with Epstein days before oath-taking as PM
