On Thursday, January 5, 2026, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called out James Comer, the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, insisting that her forthcoming testimony in the committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation be held in a public setting with cameras, instead of privately.

This latest clash is another peak in the ongoing feud between the Clintons and House Republicans over the testimonies concerning the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigation. The Clintons, both Hillary and former President Bill Clinton, agreed to testify before the committee, facing a potential contempt of Congress vote after their initial refusal.

In a social media post, Hillary Clinton accused Republicans of neglecting their sworn statements and changing their expectations. “For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath,” she stated. “They ignored all of it. They moved the goalposts and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.”

She proceeded to dare Comer to arrange a public hearing with cameras. “So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight, Rep. James Comer, let’s have it—in public,” Hillary Clinton stated. “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”

Comer, a Republican representative from Kentucky, has been advocating for closed-door depositions instead of public hearings. He assured that the depositions would be recorded and transcribed, with Hillary Clinton due to testify on February 26 and Bill Clinton on February 27.

According to Comer, depositions are the preferred method of acquiring information from witnesses. He added that a public hearing would be welcome after the depositions, stating that the Clintons are more than welcome to testify before the committee in a public setting following their closed-door sessions.

Comer had earlier announced that the Clintons entirely succumbed once they realized they could face potential contempt charges. The House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed both Clintons in August 2025 as part of its investigation into Epstein and Maxwell.

After the Clintons initially refused to testify, the committee threatened a contempt of Congress vote. The standoff heightened when nine Democrats voted to advance the contempt resolution, signaling bipartisan support for compelling the Clintons’ testimony. The contempt vote was avoided only after the couple agreed to appear for depositions at the end of the month.

The Clintons had provided sworn statements to the committee on January 13, but Republicans deemed those insufficient. In their initial refusal to testify, the Clintons denounced the subpoenas as invalid and legally unenforceable. They had engaged with Republicans in good faith for six months, according to statements from their legal team.

The Clintons’ lawyers insisted that an open hearing would best address their fairness concerns. The lawyers highlighted that the couple had already informed the committee what they know under oath through their written statements.

The GOP committee countered that the Clintons would try to distort the facts, justifying their preference for depositions over public hearings. The committee is investigating Epstein and Maxwell as part of a broader review into the convicted sex offender’s crimes and connections.

Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the investigation. Both Clintons deny having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. No Epstein survivor has made a public allegation against either of the Clintons.

Bill Clinton claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and severed ties with the financier before 2006. However, undated photos of Bill Clinton appeared in Epstein files that have been released, drawing scrutiny to his past association with the convicted sex offender.

The Justice Department released three million pages of Epstein files as part of ongoing transparency efforts related to the case. The voluminous document release has revived public interest in Epstein’s ties to powerful figures in politics, business, and entertainment.

President Donald Trump commented on the controversy, stating it is unfortunate that the Clintons are testifying. Trump added that he likes Bill Clinton, expressing what appeared to be sympathy for the former president’s situation despite their political differences.

The disagreement over the testimony format mirrors deeper divisions about transparency and accountability in congressional investigations. Public hearings typically attract significant media attention, allowing the public to directly observe witness testimony, while private depositions can sometimes yield more candid responses from witnesses.

The recording and transcription of the depositions offer a kind of middle ground, ensuring that a record exists that can be made public while preserving the private setting that Comer argues is more conducive to substantive questioning. However, Hillary Clinton’s public challenge indicates the couple believes they have nothing to hide and would benefit from the transparency of a live, public hearing.

The upcoming depositions will mark a rare occurrence of a former president and former secretary of state testifying before Congress on such a sensitive issue. These appearances come as House Republicans have made oversight of the previous administration and investigations into historical controversies a priority.

The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Epstein is one of several ongoing congressional probes examining the late financier’s crimes and his network of associates. The committee’s work continues as new information emerges from the Justice Department’s document releases.

The standoff between Hillary Clinton and Comer over the format of testimony underscores the increasingly contentious nature of congressional oversight in the current political environment. Both sides seem to believe they will benefit from their preferred approach, with Republicans favoring the controlled environment of depositions and the Clintons advocating for the full transparency of public hearings. Whether the closed-door format will satisfy public interest or whether the Clintons will ultimately get their wish for a public hearing remains to be seen.

As the dates of February 26 and 27 draw nearer, the dispute over whether additional public hearings will follow the depositions may continue to play out in public statements and media appearances by both sides. For now, the scheduled depositions appear set to proceed as planned, with cameras rolling and transcripts being prepared for eventual public release.