Bill and Hillary Clinton in a standoff with Residence Republicans over Epstein testimony

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WASHINGTON — Damaged-down President Bill Clinton and vulnerable Secretary of Notify Hillary Clinton are in a standoff with Residence Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., over testimony the panel is calling for in its investigation into the leisurely convicted sex culprit Jeffrey Epstein.

The dispute is over the structure of the Clintons’ testimony to lawmakers. The Clintons’ merely group wrote a letter to Comer on Tuesday offering their public testimony sooner than the committee at two hearings this month, fixed with aspects of the letter shared with NBC Files.

The vulnerable secretary of advise supplied to testify sooner than the panel on Feb. 26, and the vulnerable president supplied to testify on Feb. 27, fixed with the letter. A Clinton spokesman and Residence Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., confirmed the dates. Whereas the letter mentioned they’d be within the market for depositions on those dates, it made it certain that they’d make a selection to testify in an originate listening to.

“Though you’ve particularly never requested the Clintons to appear in an originate listening to, we now imagine that can most titillating swimsuit our considerations about equity,” the letter said. “Their answers, and your questions, could seemingly even be seen by all to be judged accordingly.”

After the Clintons told Comer they would testify publicly, however, he announced in a statement Tuesday that the two had agreed to appear for transcribed, recorded depositions this month. Depositions are conducted behind closed doors.

“We look for ahead to questioning the Clintons as section of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to notify transparency and accountability for the American other folks and for survivors,” Comer mentioned Tuesday. “Maxwell” is Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Straight after the announcement, Hillary Clinton spokesman Crop Merrill posted on X, “At the 11th hour, James Comer asked for a camera, that’s fine. He can have 1,000 cameras. The Clintons will do this publicly.” Angel Ureña, the vulnerable president’s spokesman, reposted Merrill’s disclose with a series of down arrows pointing to it.

Comer suggested reporters outside the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon that the Clintons had agreed to “the rules of a standard deposition, so they’re not going to be treated any differently than anyone else.” He mentioned that “if there’s one thing major” that arises all by means of the deposition — which he again eminent would be recorded — then Republicans could seemingly perhaps perhaps host the Clintons for a public listening to.

Requested regarding the deliberate deposition for the Clintons, Trump mentioned, “I mediate it be a shame, to be factual.”

“I repeatedly cherished him. Her, yeah, why not. She’s a extraordinarily capable girl,” the president suggested reporters within the Oval Site of enterprise.

Trump, who has over and over derided his 2016 presidential election opponent over the years, called Hillary Clinton “better in debating than some of the other people,” at the side of she is a “neat girl.”

The vulnerable first couple were attempting to achieve an settlement with the Oversight Committee to steer clear of a Republican-led Residence vote to retain them both in contempt of Congress.

The committee had given the Clintons till noon ET Tuesday to follow its subpoena to appear for testimony as section of the Epstein probe. Residence Majority Chief Steve Scalise, R-La., warned Tuesday morning that the Residence would proceed with a floor vote to retain the Clintons in contempt of Congress within the event that they failed to cooperate. The Oversight panel voted closing month to counsel conserving them in contempt.

It’s extremely rare for both sitting or vulnerable presidents to testify sooner than Congress. Gerald R. Ford used to be the closing vulnerable president to achieve so in 1983, when he testified sooner than a Senate subcommittee about planning for the bicentennial of the Structure.

On Monday evening, Ureña answered on X to a letter from Comer, announcing the couple had agreed to testify within the Residence Epstein investigation.

“They negotiated in factual faith. You failed to,” he wrote. “They suggested you below oath what they know, nonetheless you don’t care. However the vulnerable President and vulnerable Secretary of Notify will doubtless be there. They look for ahead to setting a precedent that applies to all and sundry.”

Bill Clinton has mentioned that he used to be blind to Epstein’s crimes. He has denied any wrongdoing, and there has been no evidence that he used to be alive to by Epstein’s crimes. Clinton has mentioned he slash abet ties with Epstein sooner than Epstein used to be charged in 2006 with having sex with a minor. Undated photos of the vulnerable president get regarded in one of the main Epstein recordsdata launched by the Justice Division.

Within the meantime, Merrill mentioned in December, “Since this started, we’ve been asking what the hell Hillary Clinton has to achieve with this, and he hasn’t been ready to come abet up with a solution.”