Analysis: Tribute acts perform here next month, but Clintons’ testimony is the real deal
By James Matthews, US correspondent in Chappaqua
In the United States, history happens quickly. If it’s Thursday, it must be the Clintons.
In the snowy well-to-do hamlet of Chappaqua, north of New York City, the Performing Arts Center has staged some spectacles in its time – there’s a Fleetwood Mac tribute act here next month.
Not before it stages a political royalty show starring an original cast – you might call it Bill and Hillary, the Epstein Years. Over the next two days, they’ll give depositions to the House Oversight Committee.
It’s historic because of who he is. No president, sitting or former, has appeared before a congressional committee since Gerald Ford.
Ford was a willing participant, whereas the Clintons have been dragged kicking and screaming.
Bringing them to this took the threat of prosecution for contempt of congress. They rejected the subpoena to appear until they could reject it no more, claiming it was politically motivated.
The Republican chair of the committee, James Comer, has described their appearance as critical to the understanding of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network. The Clintons claim it’s politically motivated. Hillary Clinton has called it a tactic to divert attention from Donald Trump.
The former secretary of state and presidential candidate says she has no recollection of ever speaking to Epstein, although she did know Ghislaine Maxwell, his co-accused.
Maxwell was a guest at the wedding of her daughter, Chelsea, in 2010. This was after Epstein had been convicted of sex crimes and it followed a civil lawsuit by victim Virginia Giuffre, which named Maxwell.
Comer has spoken of Clinton’s employment of a nephew of Maxwell. He worked for he during her 2008 presidential and then at the US state department. Clinton’s lawyers insist she never knew the employee was related to Maxwell.
Her husband, Bill, could have more pointed questions to answer. He did have an association with Epstein and flew in his private jet on several occasions, following his time in office. The former president features in a number of images and text messages in the Epstein files.
He has said he ended all contact with Epstein more than 20 years ago and regrets the association.
