type: timeline_event
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to appear for transcribed, filmed depositions as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, with Bill Clinton scheduled for February 27 and Hillary Clinton for February 26. The agreement came at the eleventh hour as the House was preparing to vote to hold both Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying congressional subpoenas, which could have resulted in significant legal consequences.
The subpoenas were originally issued on August 5, 2025, following a bipartisan July 23, 2025 vote by the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee. Former President Clinton failed to appear for his January 13, 2026 deposition date, and former Secretary Clinton failed to appear January 14, 2026. On January 21, 2026, Oversight Committee Republicans and Democrats voted to recommend the House find both Clintons in contempt. The acceptance came via email from the Clintons' legal team agreeing to terms for closed-door depositions that would be videotaped, transcribed, and have no time limit, marking a stark reversal after the Clintons had argued the subpoenas were "invalid and legally unenforceable."
Hillary Clinton subsequently challenged Republicans to take testimony publicly rather than in closed session, but Chairman James Comer stated the Clintons would not be "treated differently than everyone else" and that subpoenas called for depositions, not public hearings. Democrats warned Republicans had established a precedent for Congress's ability to subpoena past presidents under threat of criminal charges, with California Rep. Ted Lieu stating, "We are absolutely going to have Donald Trump testify under oath" when Democrats regain power. The Justice Department's latest Epstein file release offered fresh insights into how Clinton's staff communicated with Epstein and Maxwell, including never-before-seen photos of Bill Clinton and Epstein together, though Clinton has denied wrongdoing and no evidence has emerged of involvement in Epstein's crimes.