Hillary and Bill Clinton to Testify on Epstein Scandal before US Congress
Hillary Clinton will attend a panel of the US House of Representatives which is investigating the crimes of the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, on Thursday (February 26th) local time. The former Democratic Party’s Secretary of State and presidential candidate recently agreed, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to testify before the House Oversight Committee.
This move marks a drastic change of attitude after the couple had previously staunchly refused the summons.
The decision to testify was made amid serious threats. If they continued to refuse, the Clinton family would face criminal charges of “contempt of Congress”. Interestingly, this pressure did not only come from the Republican camp, but was also supported by several members of the committee from the Democratic Party.
Although willing to attend, the Clintons continued to launch sharp criticism at James Comer, the Chairman of the Committee from the Republican Party. They called the summons a “partisan political move” and accused him of “simply a tactic to try to embarrass political rivals, as ordered by President Trump.”
A spokesman for Bill Clinton stated that his client remains cooperative for the sake of the law, while adding that “they hope to set a precedent that applies to everyone.”
Bill Clinton’s name resurfaced after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a series of photos and documents found during the federal investigation into Epstein. The documents revealed the perpetrator’s extensive network with global elite figures, including Donald Trump.
However, it should be noted that the mention of a person’s name in the documents does not necessarily indicate involvement in criminal acts. Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and claimed to have cut ties two decades ago. Meanwhile, Hillary stated that she does not even remember ever interacting with the man who died in prison in 2019.
The deposition process will take place in Chappaqua, New York, near their private residence. Unlike standard procedures which are usually closed, the Clinton family reportedly requested that their testimony be made public in order to avoid selective or biased information leaks to the media.
Bill Clinton’s appearance next Friday will mark a historic moment. This is the first time a former US President has testified before a congressional panel in over 40 years, since Gerald Ford did so in 1983. (BBC/P-4)