Bill and Hillary Clinton agree to testify on Epstein links ahead of contempt vote in Congress - What this means
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Bill and Hillary Clinton Photograph: (AFP)
Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before a US House panel over their past links to Jeffrey Epstein after earlier refusing subpoenas. The move follows the DOJ’s release of millions of Epstein-related files, though no criminal allegations have been made against them.
Former US President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary, who served as United States Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in a US House investigation over their links to convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. They had previously refused to appear before lawmakers despite the House Rules Committee had accused the Clintons of defying subpoenas to appear in person to explain their links to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019. However, a new statement by Clinton spokesman Angel Urena said, "The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone," said on X.
Democrats say the probe is being weaponised to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump, who has denied being “friendly” with Epstein despite his known associations. Notably, Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein's activities. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee who had voted to advance criminal contempt of Congress resolutions against the Clintons, suspended consideration of the contempt resolutions. The resolutions stem from their initial refusal to comply with subpoenas for depositions.
Why Clintons refused to appear previously?
In letters where they initially refused to appear in Washington, the Clintons had argued that the subpoenas were invalid because they lacked a clear legislative purpose. Instead, the couple submitted sworn written statements describing their knowledge of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein's plane for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work, but said he never visited his private island. Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island.
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In the latest files released by DOJ, Clinton has been referenced hundreds of times but he has not been accused of any illegal activity by victims. The files contain Clinton with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and celebrities like Michael Jackson. One notable image shows a shirtless Clinton in a hot tub with an individual whose face was redacted by the DOJ.
What are Epstein Files and what we know about the latest release
The fresh cache of three million Epstein documents released by Department of Justice (DOJ) on January 30, contains name of former Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Howard Lutnick, Elon Musk, Mira Nair, among others. Nearly 2.5 million pages remain unreleased. The term “Epstein files” refers to a collection of legal documents, court records, and investigative materials connected to Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier convicted of operating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. It also includes transcripts of interviews with victims and witnesses and details of his flight logs. In November, US President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Bill after Congress' approval, and made it a federal law that mandates the DOJ to release all unclassified Epstein documents.
