Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton are demanding that their upcoming congressional testimony regarding their past interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein be held in public, arguing that private depositions would allow Republicans to manipulate the process.

The couple had been instructed to appear for closed-door interviews before the House Oversight Committee, which is examining Epstein’s relationships with influential figures and the government’s handling of information tied to his crimes. Democrats have accused the panel’s Republican leadership of using the investigation to pursue partisan aims rather than legitimate oversight.

Clintons push back against closed-door deposition

House Republicans had signalled they might pursue a contempt vote if the Clintons did not agree to testify. The pair have since agreed to appear, but Bill Clinton said holding the session out of public view would amount to a “kangaroo court.”

In a post on X on Friday, he wrote: “I have called for the full release of the Epstein files. I have provided a sworn statement of what I know. And just this week, I’ve agreed to appear in person before the committee. But it’s still not enough for Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.”

“Now, Chairman [James] Comer says he wants cameras, but only behind closed doors. Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice. Not the public, who deserve the truth. It serves only partisan interests. This is not fact-finding, it’s pure politics,” he said.

He added: "I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court by a Republican Party running scared. If they want answers, let’s stop the games & do this the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves what this is really about."

Hillary Clinton echoed the call for transparency, saying the couple had already informed the committee of everything they know. "If you want this fight...let's have it in public," she wrote on X on Thursday.

Fresh tranche of Epstein files fuels scrutiny

The Justice Department last week released another vast set of Epstein-related material – more than three million documents, images and videos spanning years of investigative work. Bill Clinton’s name appears frequently throughout the newly released files, although no evidence has emerged implicating either Clinton in criminal wrongdoing.

The former president has previously said he travelled on Epstein’s private jet in the early 2000s as part of humanitarian efforts linked to the Clinton Foundation, and maintains he never visited Epstein’s island. Hillary Clinton has stated she had no meaningful involvement with Epstein, never used his aircraft and never travelled to his island.

Both Democrats and Republicans had pushed for the Clintons to sit for interviews as part of the committee’s probe. Yet officials from both parties have repeatedly emphasised that appearing in the files is not in itself indicative of misconduct, and neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of a crime related to Epstein.

Hillary Clinton, criticising the panel’s approach, wrote: “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.”

Trump distances himself from GOP investigation

President Donald Trump, who also had past social ties with Epstein, said this week that the Republican investigation into Clinton’s association with the disgraced financier “bothers” him. Despite years of political rivalry between the presidents, Trump insisted he still “likes” Bill Clinton – remarks that prompted widespread commentary among political analysts.

The newly disclosed files shed additional light on the nature of communications between Epstein, his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and former members of Clinton’s staff between 2001 and 2004. Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, exchanged numerous emails with Clinton aides, some of which contained suggestive content.

The documents also include an internal Justice Department compilation of unverified allegations submitted last year, involving sexual misconduct claims against multiple public figures – including both Trump and Bill Clinton. Both men have denied any wrongdoing linked to Epstein. The White House, when asked specifically about allegations concerning Trump, pointed to a Justice Department statement cautioning that the latest document release “may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos.”

Long-running battle over Epstein records

A spokesperson for Bill Clinton has consistently said that he severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s 2006 prostitution-related charges and was unaware of his criminal activities. The Justice Department’s publication of the Epstein files follows a law passed last year requiring their release after Trump’s own administration had resisted making them public.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a federal detention centre while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

(With inputs from AFP)