Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have called for their congressional testimony on ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to be held in public, arguing that closed-door proceedings could allow Republicans to politicise the issue.
The former first couple has been ordered to appear for private depositions before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating Epstein’s connections to powerful individuals and how authorities handled information related to his crimes.
According to the committee, Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on February 26, while Bill Clinton is expected to appear on February 27.
Democrats have criticised the probe, alleging it is being weaponised to target political opponents of President Donald Trump rather than serve the purpose of legitimate congressional oversight. They note that Trump—himself a longtime associate of Epstein—has not been called to testify.
House Republicans had earlier threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they failed to comply with the subpoenas, a move that prompted the couple to agree to testify. However, Bill Clinton warned that conducting the proceedings behind closed doors would amount to a “kangaroo court.”
“Let’s stop the games and do this the right way: in a public hearing,” the former president wrote on X on Friday.
Hillary Clinton echoed that sentiment, saying the couple had already shared all relevant information with the Republican-led committee.
“If you want this fight, let’s have it in public,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
The call for open hearings comes amid renewed attention on the Epstein case following the Justice Department’s release last week of a massive cache of so-called Epstein files. The materials—more than three million documents, photos, and videos—relate to investigations into Epstein, who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019.
Bill Clinton’s name appears repeatedly in the files, but no evidence has emerged implicating either him or Hillary Clinton in any criminal conduct.
The former president has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private jet in the early 2000s for humanitarian work connected to the Clinton Foundation but has consistently denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island.
Hillary Clinton, who ran unsuccessfully against Trump in the 2016 presidential election, has said she had no meaningful relationship with Epstein, never flew on his plane, and never visited his island.
