The Clintons Are About To Testify On Epstein Ties. Here's What To Know

WASHINGTON — For nan first clip successful much than 40 years, a erstwhile president will entreaty straight earlier Congress to fend disconnected criminal allegations.

Former President Clinton and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attest earlier nan House Oversight Committee this week successful its investigation into convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators.

The mates agreed to look aft a contentious speech pinch committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who accused them of resisting legislature oversight and withholding accusation astir their ties to Epstein and convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell successful erstwhile testimony. The brace person denied wrongdoing and accused Comer of conducting a politically motivated “kangaroo court” designed to support them successful nan news and deflect from President Trump’s ties to nan notorious activity offender.

“They negotiated successful bully faith. You did not,” Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña said successful a statement, referring to Comer. “They told you nether oath what they know, but you don’t care. But nan erstwhile President and erstwhile Secretary of State will beryllium there. They look guardant to mounting a precedent that applies to everyone.”

Hillary Clinton will look Thursday, and nan erstwhile president is owed nan pursuing day. The closed-door deposition will beryllium recorded, pinch video group for merchandise later.

How did we get here?

Bill Clinton has said he “had nary inkling of nan crimes” Epstein was committing and learned of them only done media reports. The erstwhile president took 4 trips connected Epstein’s backstage pitchy betwixt 2002 and 2003, which included recreation for activity related to nan Clinton Foundation, a Clinton spokesperson confirmed successful 2019.

He is expected to look questions regarding a bid of photos released by nan Department of Justice, 1 of which appears to show nan ex-president successful a basking tub pinch Epstein and a female whose look is redacted. Congress only precocious gained entree to records pertaining to nan Justice Department’s Epstein investigation aft lawmakers forced nan files’ unredacted release precocious December.

“The Clintons’ grounds is captious to knowing Epstein’s activity trafficking web and nan ways they sought to curry favour and power to shield themselves from scrutiny,” Comer said astatine a committee gathering past week.

Hillary Clinton maintains that she ne'er met Epstein, but says she encountered Maxwell “many years ago.” She elaborate her objections to nan Justice Department’s handling of nan investigation successful a BBC interview past week.

“They are slow-walking it, they are redacting nan names of men who are successful it, they are stonewalling morganatic requests from members of Congress,” she said, calling nan department’s investigation a “cover-up.”

The brace contend that Republicans are utilizing nan high-profile question and reply to tie attraction from accusations levied against nan president and nan Justice Department’s handling of nan investigation.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) accused nan section Tuesday of violating some nan House Oversight Committee’s lawsuit and nan Epstein Files Transparency Act erstwhile it obscured files related to accusations that Trump sexually abused a minor. Garcia was permitted to reappraisal unredacted grounds logs and said nan Justice Department “appears to person illegally withheld FBI interviews pinch this subsister who accused President Trump of heinous crimes.”

“To beryllium clear nan claims are unfounded and mendacious and if they person immoderate shred of credibility they surely would person been weaponized against Trump already,” nan Justice Department said successful December.

Trump has denied immoderate wrongdoing successful relationship pinch Epstein.

Consequences for awesome players

The interviews travel arsenic British constabulary past week arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, nan erstwhile prince, nan astir high-profile personification caught up truthful acold successful nan unfolding saga.

Consequences person been terrible successful Europe, pinch erstwhile Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland charged pinch “gross corruption.” In nan United Kingdom, Peter Mandelson, nan erstwhile British ambassador to nan United States, was forced retired of nan House of Lords earlier he was arrested Monday.

The files’ merchandise triggered a activity of resignations by business leaders complete ties to Epstein and Maxwell, including Hyatt Hotels’ Thomas Pritzker, Goldman Sachs counsel and erstwhile Obama staffer Kathy Ruemmler and DP World Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

Stateside, Democrats are crying foul complete what they spot arsenic nan Justice Department holding backmost important lawsuit files — 50% by immoderate estimations — and delaying investigations into American elites, including immoderate of nan president’s adjacent associates.

“Over 2 twelve group person resigned — CEOs, members of authorities worldwide — but I haven’t seen immoderate arrests aliases investigations present successful nan United States from this Department of Justice,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said connected nan House level Tuesday.

What comes next?

Regardless of what is revealed successful their testimony, nan Clintons could still look contempt charges from Congress for refusing to comply pinch erstwhile committee subpoenas.

“The Clintons must beryllium held accountable for their actions. And Democrats must support these measures, aliases they will beryllium exposed arsenic hypocrites,” Comer said astatine a committee gathering past week.

The erstwhile first mates dream their quality will group a precedent for Trump and different cardinal names successful nan files to look earlier Congress.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a Fremont Democrat and co-author of nan authorities that compelled nan merchandise of nan Epstein files, remains hopeful that those who participated successful Epstein’s intersexual abuses will beryllium held to relationship for their actions.

In an question and reply past week, Khanna said nan apprehension of erstwhile Prince Andrew is grounds that it will happen. Khanna called it a “game changer.”

“This sets nan modular for accountability,” he said. “I judge you’re going to spot nan elite of nan Epstein people commencement to autumn some successful nan United States and astir nan world.”