CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — Former President Bill Clinton told House investigators Friday that he saw nothing that gave him pause during his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein as he sat for a closed-door deposition in the congressional inquiry. Clinton said he did nothing wrong in their past interactions, according to prepared testimony released ahead of the session.
The deposition, held near Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, marked the first time a current or former president has been compelled to testify before Congress, a milestone noted by both Reuters and AP reporting distributed by PBS NewsHour. House Oversight Chairman James Comer subpoenaed both Clintons after negotiations over voluntary statements broke down.
What Clinton told lawmakers
In his opening remarks, Clinton said he had no idea of Epstein’s crimes and would have reported him if he had known, an assertion detailed in CNBC’s account of the prepared statement. He said the scrutiny is only happening because Epstein concealed his wrongdoing for years.
Clinton acknowledged that he flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times in the early 2000s and socialized with the financier but has not been accused of wrongdoing. Forbes reported that lawmakers described him as cooperative and that transcripts of the deposition are expected to be released later.
GOP investigation and Democratic pushback
Democrats on the committee argue the inquiry should also examine President Donald Trump’s ties to Epstein, while Comer has said a Trump subpoena is not planned, a dispute outlined by Reuters.
Hillary Clinton testified the day before and told lawmakers she did not recall meeting Epstein and had no knowledge of his crimes, according to AP reporting via PBS NewsHour. Her deposition lasted more than six hours, underscoring the scope of the committee’s effort.
Where the inquiry goes next
The panel is also weighing whether to call additional witnesses, with Comer signaling other former associates could be subpoenaed, while Democrats accuse the Justice Department of withholding documents related to Epstein, as Reuters reported.
Clinton’s testimony was conducted behind closed doors, but lawmakers said a video and transcript are expected to be released publicly in the coming days, according to Forbes.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide. The broader political fallout continues to reverberate as lawmakers scrutinize the powerful figures who once moved in his orbit, a point highlighted in the Guardian’s live coverage.
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Image Attribution ▾
Image credit: Sharon Farmer, White House Photograph Office (Clinton Administration), via Wikimedia Commons
Image title: “Portrait of President William J. Clinton” (Aug. 5, 1994)
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_President_William_J._Clinton.jpg
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Modifications: Cropped and resized to 1920×1080.