The Clintons are facing their Epstein deposition—these five topics could reveal more than they bargained for.

Bill and Hillary Clinton are finally sitting down for depositions in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein after months of intense legal wrangling. This is a stunning reversal for the Clintons, who initially fought hard against testifying, calling it a Republican attack. They only agreed to comply when the House was on the verge of a bipartisan vote to hold them in criminal contempt of Congress.

These depositions are happening in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons live, which was a negotiated point to avoid the spectacle of summoning a former president to Capitol Hill. Per CNN, Hillary Clinton will provide her testimony on Thursday, with Bill Clinton following on Friday. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has been very clear about the committee’s intentions. He stated, “No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have a lot of questions.” The Clintons have been preparing diligently, refreshing their memories about the Epstein years and planning their defense against what they expect to be some pretty tough questioning.

I feel like they have been too focused on only the Clintons, but it is a start

For context, Bill Clinton reportedly traveled on Epstein’s private plane at least 16 times, and the files released by the US Department of Justice include a few pictures of him in a jacuzzi and pool. A spokesperson has consistently said Bill Clinton cut ties with Epstein before his 2019 arrest and was unaware of any crimes, and he has never been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement. Hillary Clinton maintains that she never met Epstein.

The committee and the Clintons have agreed on five specific topic areas for these depositions: 

• The alleged mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation into Epstein and Maxwell
• The circumstances and subsequent investigations surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death.
• How the federal government can effectively combat sex-trafficking rings
• How Epstein and Maxwell tried to curry favor to protect their illegal activities
• Potential violations of ethics rules by elected officials.

Epstein survivors and their legal representatives believe it’s incredibly important for the Clintons, especially Bill, to testify. They stress that simply appearing in the Epstein files or cooperating with Congress doesn’t mean someone is guilty of wrongdoing. Jennifer Plotkin, a lawyer representing many survivors, explained that victims really want to understand Bill Clinton’s link to Epstein better. 

Based on Lex Wexner’s deposition, Bill Clinton’s legal team is bracing for a potentially long day of questioning on Friday, which will be videotaped and released a few days after the interviews. The depositions themselves have created a lot of mixed feelings. Some, like Representative Robert Garcia, believe that Bill Clinton might be able to indicate if Epstein had ties to foreign intelligence or governments. Others see it as political theatre.

Allies of Trump are concerned that a future Democratic-controlled Congress could more easily subpoena President Trump or his family. Survivors, however, are happy that the Clintons are cooperating, which keeps their initial refusal to cooperate from becoming the norm.