Bill Clinton spent six months dodging a bipartisan congressional subpoena – skipping scheduled depositions, claiming he had to attend funerals, and sending lawyers to argue the whole thing was illegal.
James Comer ran out of patience.
Now, for the first time since Gerald Ford sat before a Senate subcommittee in 1983, a former American president will testify to Congress under oath – and the topic is a convicted child sex trafficker whose private plane Clinton rode at least 16 times.
How Clinton Dodged His Epstein Subpoena for Six Months Before Comer Forced the Deposition
The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to both Clintons in August 2025 as part of its bipartisan investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking network.
Bill Clinton said he was busy.
The committee rescheduled his deposition from October to December.
Clinton said he had a funeral.
The committee offered to accommodate any date he chose in January.
Clinton said no.
The committee issued a new subpoena for January 13, 2026.
Clinton didn't show up.
Republicans and Democrats voted on January 21 to hold both Clintons in contempt of Congress – a move that could have resulted in up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine each.
The moment the House Rules Committee began setting parameters for a full contempt floor vote, Clinton's lawyers sent an email mid-hearing trying to negotiate new terms.
Comer rejected every attempt to water down the subpoenas.
On February 3, facing a noon deadline from both Comer and House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Clintons finally caved – accepting every condition Comer had required from the start: transcribed, filmed depositions with no time limit.
Comer's statement left nothing to interpretation: "After delaying and defying duly issued subpoenas for six months, the House Oversight Committee moved swiftly to initiate contempt proceedings. Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved."
What the Epstein Files Revealed About Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell
The depositions – now set for February 26 and 27 at the Clintons' home in Chappaqua, New York – follow a DOJ document release in December that put images in front of the country that Clinton's team cannot explain away.
One photo showed Clinton shirtless in a hot tub, the face of the person beside him redacted by DOJ officials specifically to protect an Epstein victim.
Another showed Clinton in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell – now serving 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors – alongside a second woman whose face was also redacted.
A CNN analysis confirmed Clinton flew on Epstein's private plane at least 16 times between 2001 and 2003, the same period Maxwell and Epstein were actively running their trafficking operation.
Newly released files also showed Clinton's staff exchanging frequent communications with Maxwell during those same years.
The Clintons' response was to demand public hearings instead of depositions and accuse Comer of acting on Trump's behalf – without answering a single question about those photos.
What Survivors Deserve and Democrats Blocked
Six months of delay had a real cost: accountability for the survivors of Epstein and Maxwell's crimes.
Comer was direct about what the testimony is for: "Their testimony may also inform how Congress can strengthen laws to better combat human trafficking."
Nine Democrats on the oversight panel voted with Republicans on the contempt resolutions – but senior Democrats worked to protect the Clintons, accusing Comer of playing politics while the Clintons ran out the clock.
The same party that spent years insisting "no one is above the law" spent six months helping two people defy bipartisan congressional subpoenas.
The depositions in Chappaqua this week exist because James Comer refused every off-ramp the Clintons tried to build.
On February 26, Hillary Clinton sits down under oath.
Bill Clinton follows on February 27.
The cameras will be rolling.
Sources:
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Chairman Comer Announces the Clintons Caved, Will Appear for Depositions," February 3, 2026.
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Oversight Committee Republicans and Democrats Hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in Contempt," January 21, 2026.
- Elizabeth Elkind, "Bill, Hillary Clinton to be Deposed in New York for House Oversight Epstein Probe," Fox News, February 20, 2026.
- Alexandra Koch, "New Epstein Documents Include Photos of Bill Clinton Shirtless in Hot Tub," Fox News, December 20, 2025.
