WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans have summoned Bill and Hillary Clinton to appear for depositions next month in front of a panel investigating Jeffrey Epstein.

The former president and secretary of state were called to answer questions from the GOP-controlled House Oversight Committee on Dec. 17 and 18, respectively.

Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican and the chair of the committee, said Nov. 21 that any attempt by the Clintons, longtime political rivals of President Donald Trump, to avoid the depositions would be in defiance of congressional subpoenas.

"The committee looks forward to confirming their appearance and remains committed to delivering transparency and accountability for the survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and for the American people,” Comer said in a statement.

The panel's efforts come after the Epstein controversy, which has divided the GOP for months, reached a crescendo in Washington this past week. President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, compelling the U.S. Department of Justice to release as much information as legally possible in the next month about federal probes into Epstein. The White House's abrupt about-face followed rare criticism from Republican lawmakers about Trump's initial opposition to the measure.

Both former President Clinton and President Trump were friendly decades ago with Epstein, the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker. Both have repeatedly denied any knowledge of his alleged criminal conduct, though recent email dumps first made public by congressional Democrats may indicate closer ties between Trump and Epstein than previously understood.

The men have said they distanced themselves from Epstein years before his death by suicide in a jail cell in 2019.

David Kendall, an attorney for the Clintons, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He wrote in a letter to Congress on Nov. 3 that while the public's demand for transparency about Epstein is "understandable and warranted," a deposition of his clients would be unnecessary.

"Former President Clinton and former Secretary Clinton welcome legitimate oversight in this matter that is grounded in fact," he wrote. "In that regard, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton have little to contribute to that legitimate goal, all of which can be readily submitted on paper."

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clintons called for questioning in GOP-led Epstein probe

Reporting by Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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