On Friday morning, Bill Clinton will walk into a private room and face questions from Congress about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
No cameras.
No live broadcast.
Just lawmakers — and difficult questions.
The testimony, scheduled for 11 a.m. ET, could turn tense. Republicans leading the House Oversight Committee say they want answers. Democrats argue the investigation has political motives.
And at the center of it all is a relationship that has shadowed Clinton for years.
A day earlier, Hillary Clinton testified before the same panel.
She said she does not remember ever meeting Epstein.
She said she had nothing to share about his crimes.
But Bill Clinton’s connection is different.
After leaving office in the early 2000s, he flew on Epstein’s private jet several times. Recently released Justice Department files include photos of him standing beside women whose faces were blacked out in the documents.
Clinton has denied any wrongdoing.
Still, he has publicly expressed regret for ever associating with Epstein.
Republican Congressman James Comer, who chairs the panel, says the Clintons are not accused of crimes.
But he insists they must answer questions about whether Epstein had any involvement with their charitable foundation.
The former president and first lady agreed to testify near their home in Chappaqua, New York — after the House threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate. Some Democrats even supported requiring them to appear.
Yet the Clintons say the investigation is partisan.
They argue Republicans are targeting them while shielding former President Donald Trump from deeper scrutiny. They point out that some other figures in the inquiry were allowed to submit written statements instead of testifying in person.
Why, they ask, are the rules different for them?
Democrats have countered by calling for Trump himself to be subpoenaed.
Trump’s name appears repeatedly in Epstein-related documents. The two socialized frequently in the 1990s and early 2000s, before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
There are also renewed accusations that the Justice Department may be withholding records involving a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse when she was underage.
The Justice Department says it is reviewing the material and will release it if appropriate. Officials have also cautioned that some released documents contain unverified allegations and sensational claims.
Authorities have not charged Trump with any crimes related to Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
But the questions did not die with him.
They continue to ripple outward — touching powerful names, political rivals, and former presidents.
Now, behind closed doors, Bill Clinton will answer his.
And once again, the Epstein case proves that even years later, its shadow still lingers.
