Doug Band, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, is scheduled to testify voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday. His testimony is part of a bipartisan panel's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Band's name appeared dozens of times in files released by the Justice Department related to the probe.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., invited Band to discuss his connections with Epstein and Maxwell during his time serving Clinton in the early years of his post-presidency. According to Justice Department files, Band attended a 2003 dinner at Epstein's Manhattan home and had correspondence with Maxwell between 2002 and 2006.
Files indicate that in a 2006 email, Band asked Maxwell to use her plane to attend the NCAA men's basketball finals. In other communications, he referred to Maxwell as his "lover" and "social matchmaker." Band and Maxwell were photographed together at a Valentine's Day event in New York City in 2007.
Band has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and his interactions with Epstein and Maxwell appear to have largely predated Epstein's 2008 conviction. The questioning is expected to focus on Band's role and any knowledge he may have of former President Clinton's connections to Epstein.
Band was instrumental in establishing the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. He later had a public falling out with the Clintons in the early 2010s. In a 2020 interview, Band stated that he advised then-President Clinton to end his relationship with Epstein after a 2002 trip to Africa. Band also claimed that in 2003, Clinton traveled to Epstein's private island in the Caribbean, a trip that Clinton has denied, stating his travel logs do not show such a visit.
Band also mentioned seeking to prevent Maxwell from attending Clinton-related events during his estrangement from the Clinton family. Maxwell had maintained a close relationship with Chelsea Clinton and was invited to her wedding.
Band's closed-door testimony is expected to result in a publicly released transcript. This appearance follows the March depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, who testified to congressional investigators regarding their interactions with Epstein under threat of contempt charges.
Other high-profile individuals interviewed by the committee as part of the probe include former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Upcoming interviews are scheduled with former Goldman Sachs attorney Kathryn Ruemmler, Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, and former JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley. None of these individuals have been charged with wrongdoing.