Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This decision comes ahead of a vote that could have led to the couple being held in criminal contempt for evading questions from the House Oversight Committee during a months-long standoff.
Bill Clinton has previously maintained that he is unaware of Epstein's illicit activities, claiming to have severed ties with the financier over two decades ago.
The depositions are scheduled to take place on February 26 and 27, where both Clintons will be questioned. This instance will be historic, marking the first time a former US president has given testimony before Congress since Gerald Ford in 1983.
The House Oversight Committee intends to record and transcribe the depositions without a time limit. According to Committee Chairman James Comer, bipartisan agreement emphasizes that no individual is above the law, including the Clintons.
Initially resistant to the committee's inquiries, the Clintons had stated they had already provided sworn statements regarding the limited knowledge they possessed about Epstein. They had also criticized the committee's actions as politically motivated.
Following the confirmation of their testimony, it was determined that further deliberation regarding contempt resolutions against them would be postponed to allow clarification on the terms of their agreement to testify.
Although neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has been implicated in Epstein's criminal activities, the scrutiny over their association with him has persisted, especially in light of the newly released Epstein files detailing his connections with various public figures.
