Clintons to testify in Epstein investigation, averting possible house contempt vote
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, will testify in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a staffer said on Monday.
The decision could head off a planned vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold the two prominent Democrats in contempt, which could lead to criminal charges.
The U.S. Justice Department’s recent release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender’s ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business – both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges.
Asked if the House would hold up its contempt votes against the Clintons, House Speaker Mike Johnson told Reuters: “They’re working on that right now. The lawyers are looking into the details.”
Johnson earlier welcomed the news of the former president and the former secretary of state agreeing to testify.
The House Oversight Committee recommended last week that the Clintons be held in contempt for refusing to testify about their relationship with Epstein. The Clintons had offered to cooperate with the panel but had refused to appear in person, saying the investigation was a partisan exercise aimed at protecting Republican President Donald Trump.
Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to politicians, business titans and other figures
Here are some of the prominent people whose ties to Epstein are revealed in the material released by the Justice Department.
DONALD TRUMP
Trump socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, and is quoted in a magazine profile during that period as saying that Epstein likes women “on the younger side.” Documents released by the Justice Department include photos of Trump with several women whose faces are redacted and a suggestive note to Epstein, framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to bear Trump’s signature. Evidence and testimony submitted in the 2021 trial of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell indicate Trump traveled on Epstein’s plane multiple times. Epstein wrote in one email that Trump “knew about the girls,” though it is not clear what he meant.
Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and says he broke off ties in the early 2000s, before Epstein’s plea deal. He denies ever flying on Epstein’s plane and says the suggestive note was faked.
BILL CLINTON
The former U.S. president socialized with Epstein and flew on his plane several times in the early 2000s, after Clinton left office. Photos released by the Justice Department show him swimming and posing with women whose faces are redacted. Clinton has denied wrongdoing and says he regrets his past association with Epstein.
ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR
The former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, maintained a social relationship with Epstein and has been stripped of his royal title due to the association. The Justice Department sought his cooperation in multiple criminal investigations but was rebuffed. He also settled a lawsuit brought by one of Epstein’s victims in 2022, making an undisclosed payment without admitting wrongdoing. The Justice Department files include several photos of him with women, including one where he is kneeling over a woman and another showing him lying across the laps of several women.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has expressed regret for his friendship with Epstein. He has said he never saw any sex crimes.
HOWARD LUTNICK
Trump’s Commerce Secretary apparently visited Epstein’s private island for lunch in 2012 and invited him to a fundraiser in 2015 for Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential election, emails show. That would contradict Lutnick’s claim that he vowed never to “be in a room” with Epstein following a 2005 incident in which the financier showed Lutnick a massage table at his townhouse and made a sexually suggestive comment. The former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO lived next door to Epstein in New York at the time. A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick had limited interactions with Epstein and has never been accused of wrongdoing.
ELON MUSK
The billionaire Tesla TSLA.O CEO asked Epstein if he had any parties planned on his island in 2012 but apparently decided not to visit. Epstein responded that “the ratio on my island” might make Musk’s female companion uncomfortable, without elaborating further. Musk invited Epstein to visit him for drinks on another island a few days later, but it is unclear whether they met up. Musk said on Saturday he had few interactions with Epstein and turned down repeated invitations to visit the island or fly on Epstein’s plane.
LARRY SUMMERS
The former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard University president flew on Epstein’s jet several times as far back as 1998 and met with him to discuss economic and business matters while he served as president of Harvard. The two maintained a relationship as late as 2019, when email communications show Summers soliciting advice about a romantic interest. No evidence of wrongdoing has surfaced, but Summers stepped down from positions at Harvard, OpenAI and other prominent institutions in November following the release of those documents.
Summers said in November he was “deeply ashamed” of his actions and said he would step back from public commitments to “repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
KEVIN WARSH
Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve appeared in an email from a publicist to Epstein listing 43 people, including celebrities such as Martha Stewart, headed to a Christmas gathering in 2010. It was not clear whether Warsh knew Epstein or why Epstein was sent the note, and Warsh has not yet responded to a request for comment.
MELANIA TRUMP
The files include a 2002 email from Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, to Maxwell about a magazine piece on Epstein. “You look great,” the email says.
BILL GATES
The documents indicate Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein’s prison term to discuss expanding the Microsoft MSFT.O founder’s philanthropic efforts. They also include pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted. Gates has said the relationship was confined to philanthropy-related discussions and has said it was a mistake to meet with him.
JES STALEY
The former JPMorgan and Barclays BARC.L executive is listed as a participant in Epstein-hosted gatherings. He exchanged around 1,200 emails with Epstein between 2008 and 2012, some of which contained discussions about Disney characters and photographs of young women, according to court documents. Staley has denied knowing about Epstein’s criminal activities. He was banned from the UK financial industry and has been sued by JPMorgan, which claims he concealed information about Epstein’s misconduct.
PETER MANDELSON
UK police said Monday they are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct involving the veteran British politician, whose name surfaced more than 5,000 times in the Justice Department files. He was fired as ambassador to the U.S. last year after emails came to light that showed him calling Epstein “my best pal” and advising him on seeking early jail release. Mandelson has apologized to Epstein’s victims. He has denied wrongdoing.
PETER ATTIA
The wellness influencer’s name appears more than 1,700 times in the latest trove of documents released by the Justice Department. He said on social media he met with Epstein seven or eight times at his New York City home between 2014 and 2019, but never witnessed illegal activity or saw Epstein accompanied by anyone who appeared to be underage.
“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,” the Clintons’ deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said on social media.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office. He has expressed regret about the relationship and said he knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activity.
Republican U.S. Representative James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said on Monday the Clintons have not given a date for their depositions and that he will discuss next steps with panel members.
“The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again and they have provided no dates for their depositions,” Comer said.
“I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members.”