OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:58 PM – Thursday, February 5, 2026
Hillary Clinton is now pressing GOP House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to conduct her upcoming testimony in the committee’s investigation into pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as a public hearing rather than a private deposition.
“For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath. They ignored all of it. They moved the goalposts and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction,” she posted on X on Thursday.
“So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight, @RepJamesComer, let’s have it—in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”
The House Oversight Committee’s probe centers on the crimes of Epstein, the convicted sex offender who allegedly died by suicide in 2019, and his close associate, the since-convicted “madam” Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of British media mogul Robert Maxwell. A madam is a woman who manages or operates an illicit prostitution or sex trafficking ring.
According to the findings of a 2021 federal trial and extensive testimony from survivors, Maxwell groomed young girls for sexual abuse. In December 2021, Maxwell was convicted on five federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, for her role in recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein between 1994 and 2004. In June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Clinton, the former secretary of state, along with her husband, former Democrat President Bill Clinton, agreed earlier this week to appear for transcribed and filmed depositions before the committee. Hillary is scheduled to testify on February 26th, while Bill is set to appear the following day on February 27th.
The agreement came after months of resistance to subpoenas issued in August 2025, which had prompted threats of a contempt of Congress vote that could have led to serious legal consequences.
Hillary’s recent pivot toward a public hearing marks a sharp departure from her previous resistance to the probe. This reversal follows the committee’s eleventh-hour decision to mandate video recording for the depositions — a move her legal team decried as a “last-minute” change of terms.
Analysts also suggest that by pushing for a public hearing, Hillary is challenging the committee to air her testimony in its entirety, rather than letting them selectively release clips that could portray her in a negative light.
Clinton’s spokesperson has argued that a public format would better ensure fairness and allow full public scrutiny of the proceedings, especially given the high-profile nature of the Epstein case and longstanding public interest in any connections to prominent figures.
Comer had announced the Clintons’ agreement to testify earlier this week, describing it as a capitulation after prolonged defiance.
“Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law—and that includes the Clintons. After delaying and defying duly issued subpoenas for six months, the House Oversight Committee moved swiftly to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings in response to their non-compliance. Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month. We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” said Comer on Tuesday.
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