WASHINGTON D.C, US — Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to testify behind closed doors on Thursday before a congressional committee investigating late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to appear the following day before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to answer questions about his past interactions with Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting a federal sex trafficking trial.
The Clintons had initially rejected subpoenas compelling their testimony. However, they agreed to appear after House Republicans threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress.
Democratic lawmakers argue the investigation is being weaponized to target political opponents of President Donald Trump. Trump, who was previously associated with Epstein but has not been called to testify, has denied wrongdoing and said he cut ties with the financier before Epstein’s 2008 Florida conviction for sex offences.
Bill Clinton has similarly stated that he ended contact with Epstein before that conviction. Both men appear in recently released government documents related to the case. Legal experts caution that inclusion in the files does not in itself establish criminal conduct.
The Clintons requested that their depositions be made public. The committee declined, opting for closed-door proceedings. Bill Clinton described the format as resembling a “kangaroo court.”
In an interview with the BBC last week, Hillary Clinton said she and her husband “have nothing to hide.” She acknowledged meeting Maxwell “on a few occasions” but denied any meaningful relationship with Epstein.
The depositions are taking place in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons reside. Security has been heightened around the venue, with Secret Service erecting metal barricades as journalists gathered to cover the rare testimony of a former president and former secretary of state in a congressional probe.
Sex trafficking convictions
Epstein cultivated relationships with powerful figures across politics, business, academia, and entertainment. He died in custody in 2019 in what authorities ruled a suicide, a conclusion that continues to fuel public scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking and related offences. She appeared via video link before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month but invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Her attorney, David Markus, has said Maxwell would be willing to testify publicly if granted clemency by Trump — a proposal that has sparked legal and political debate.
The broader fallout from the Epstein case has crossed international borders. In the United Kingdom, public figures have faced investigations and reputational damage over past associations with Epstein. However, Maxwell remains the only individual convicted in connection with his trafficking network.
The closed-door depositions mark a significant moment in Congress’s long-running scrutiny of the Epstein case. Whether the hearings produce new evidence or deepen partisan divides remains to be seen.
