Former US president Bill Clinton, who is pictured in the Epstein files scoffing cake on an airplane, claims he cut off contact with the paedo tycoon 20 years ago
Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to be grilled by US Congress over their ties to Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after the power couple were threatened with a possible prison sentence.
The former US Democrat president, who is pictured in the Epstein files scoffing cake on an airplane, claims he cut off contact with the paedo tycoon 20 years ago.
The Clintons faced being held in contempt of Congress after initially refusing a subpoena to give evidence before the Republican-led House oversight committee. They had insisted they had no intention of appearing, claiming they were being targeted by senior Republicans.
But after attempting to make a string of compromises that were refused, they eventually gave way.
The development comes as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson face growing pressure to give evidence on their links with Epstein.
Mr Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Staff Angel Ureña said: “They negotiated in good faith. You did not.
“They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care. But the former president and former secretary of state will be there.
“They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
Meanwhile Representative James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, earlier rejected an offer from lawyers to have Mr Clinton do a transcribed interview and his wife submit a sworn declaration. He insisted the couple would sit for sworn depositions before the committee, adding: “The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas.”
The Clintons have not been accused of any wrongdoing in their dealings with the late financier.
The Republican-controlled Oversight panel advanced criminal contempt of Congress charges last month.
Nine of the committee’s 21 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the charges against Mr Clinton as they argued for full transparency in the Epstein investigation. Three Democrats also supported advancing the charges against Hillary Clinton.
Mr Clinton’s relationship with Epstein has re-emerged as a focal point for Republicans amid the push for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges. The former American leader, like a bevy of other high-powered men, had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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