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 days before a vote on whether to hold the couple in criminal contempt for refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee after a months-long standoff.
Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has denied knowledge of his sex offending and says he cut off contact two decades ago.
Former President Clinton will appear for a deposition on February 27, and former Secretary Clinton will appear on February 26.
This will mark the first time a former US president has testified to a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983.
The House Oversight Committee is seeking to have the depositions filmed and transcribed without a time limit.
On Tuesday, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer stated that both Clintons agreed to comply. 'Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law - and that includes the Clintons,' he said.
The Clintons had long resisted demands to appear before the committee, stating that they had already provided sworn statements representing the limited information they possessed on Epstein.
After a threat of contempt, on Monday evening, Bill Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff Angel Ureña confirmed that the couple would appear before the panel, stating: 'They negotiated in good faith.'
Lawmakers' consideration of the contempt resolutions against the Clintons would now be postponed as the Oversight Committee needs more time to clarify the details of their appearance.
Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein's abuse, and they have consistently denied any knowledge of his operations.
The testimony is significant given the intense scrutiny over the Epstein scandal, which has implicated numerous high-profile individuals.
