House Oversight Wants Alan Dershowitz to Testify on Epstein — He Says He's Willing and Wants It All On Camera

Since the House Oversight Committee opened its Epstein investigation, it has worked through a parade of witnesses — Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates on Wednesday, and Epstein's longtime assistant Lesley Groff on Tuesday. As of Thursday, June 11, 2026, the probe is still expanding.

What Happened

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced Wednesday that he intends to ask Alan Dershowitz — Epstein's former attorney — to appear before the panel. According to Comer, the decision was driven by two things: Lesley Groff's closed-door testimony on Tuesday and follow-up conversations Comer had with several Epstein survivors.

Groff, Epstein's longtime personal assistant, told the committee in her opening statement that she had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes while working for him and described him as a "master manipulator and deceiver." The full transcript of her testimony has NOT yet been publicly released, according to The Guardian.

What exactly Groff said that pointed toward Dershowitz remains unclear.

Dershowitz Seeks Public Testimony

Dershowitz is not resisting the invitation. "I have nothing to hide. I'm very proud of my role in representing Epstein," Dershowitz told NewsNation, according to Just The News. "I offered to testify, volunteered for the past few months."

His conditions: "Videotaped, under oath and open to the public. I want complete transparency."

Dershowitz also said he has not yet received a formal letter from the committee as of Wednesday — meaning the invitation is still informal at this stage.

He told The Guardian he can provide a "much more nuanced and calibrated description of the complexity of these things" than what's being reported.

The Accusation Record

Dershowitz was a member of the legal team that negotiated Epstein's 2008 plea deal — the one that critics have long argued was inexplicably lenient. That is documented fact.

Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre alleged in 2014 that Dershowitz sexually assaulted her as a teenager as part of Epstein's trafficking operation. Dershowitz has denied those claims consistently and has never been charged with any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit against Dershowitz in 2019. She dropped it in 2022 and stated she "may have made a mistake" in accusing him. Giuffre died in April 2025.

The committee has not alleged wrongdoing by Dershowitz — Comer said only that "questions arose" from Groff's testimony and survivor conversations.

How the Coverage Differs

The Guardian's reporting is solid on the basic mechanics of what Comer announced and includes Dershowitz's direct response.

But leading with a photo caption identifying Dershowitz as someone who "negotiated Epstein's now-controversial 2008 plea deal" — without mentioning that Dershowitz is voluntarily seeking to testify publicly — creates a framing issue. A man demanding an open, on-camera, sworn hearing is being covered as though he's being dragged before the committee.

Just The News, by contrast, leads with Dershowitz's own stated desire for transparency, which is the most newsworthy element of Wednesday's developments.

The Strategic Question

Critics of Dershowitz — including some Epstein survivors and their advocates — would argue that his public willingness to testify is a calculated legal move, not genuine openness. They'd say that a skilled defense attorney knows exactly how to use a public forum to his advantage, and that demanding cameras actually insulates him from uncomfortable follow-up. That's a legitimate concern about process.

But concerns about legal strategy are different from evidence of wrongdoing. The committee has not alleged Dershowitz committed crimes. Groff's testimony hasn't been released. The specific "questions that arose" haven't been specified publicly. Until that transcript is out, characterizing this as anything more than a witness invitation to a congressional investigation goes beyond what the evidence currently shows.

What Comer Also Wants

Comer has also said he wants Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to testify as part of the probe, according to Just The News. That's a significant escalation — pulling a senior official from the Justice Department into a congressional investigation over how the Epstein case was handled legally.

What Happens Next

The Epstein investigation is not wrapping up — it's widening. The committee has now touched Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Lesley Groff, and is moving toward Dershowitz and the Deputy AG.

Dershowitz testifying publicly, on camera, under oath, is either going to clear him or produce evidence from Groff's testimony that hasn't been revealed yet. The transcript of Groff's session is the missing piece right now.