By Ismail Shakil
Former US president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision could head off a planned vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold the two prominent Democrats in contempt, which could lead to criminal charges.
The House Oversight Committee recommended last week that they be held in contempt for refusing to testify about their relationship with Epstein.
The Clintons had offered to co-operate with the panel but had refused to appear in person, saying the investigation was a partisan exercise aimed at protecting President Donald Trump.
“They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care. But the former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone,” the Clintons’ deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said on X.
House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed the news but did not say whether the chamber would drop its planned contempt vote.
“That’s a good development,” he said.
“We expect everyone to comply with Congress’s subpoenas.”
Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein has re-emerged as a focal point for Republicans amid the push for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges.
Clinton, like a bevy of other high-powered men, had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He has not been accused of wrongdoing in his interactions with the late financier but has expressed regret about the relationship and said he knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activity.
with AP
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