Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to sit for interviews with congressional investigators, easing a standoff that had been building on Capitol Hill over their cooperation in a probe tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The announcement, made Monday, came just days before the U.S. House of Representatives was preparing to vote on whether to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress. Lawmakers had been weighing that step after the couple declined earlier requests to participate in closed-door, transcribed depositions sought by the House Oversight Committee.
Momentum toward a contempt vote slowed after the House Rules Committee convened Monday evening to finalize procedures for bringing the matter to the floor. During that meeting, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer announced that the Clintons had reversed course and agreed to cooperate with the panel’s inquiry. As a result, leadership delayed further action while arrangements for the interviews move forward.
The Oversight Committee’s investigation centers on the handling of information related to Epstein, whose criminal conduct and network of powerful associates have continued to draw scrutiny years after his conviction and subsequent death. Committee leaders have said their goal is to examine institutional responses, accountability gaps, and any failures that allowed abuse to persist.
By agreeing to speak with investigators, the Clintons remove an immediate flashpoint in what had become a politically charged confrontation. Committee officials said the forthcoming sessions are expected to be conducted under oath and recorded, though details on timing and format have not yet been released.
The decision to cooperate also shifts the focus back to the substance of the investigation rather than procedural disputes. Lawmakers from both parties have emphasized that the inquiry’s next phase will test whether congressional oversight can shed new light on one of the most troubling scandals to involve elite circles in recent memory.
