Former President Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee on Friday regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress under oath about the late financier. Clinton told lawmakers he “saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong” in his interactions with Epstein, according to his opening statement shared on social media. The testimony took place in Chappaqua, New York, where Clinton resides, and came one day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the same committee.
The Bill Clinton Epstein testimony was conducted behind closed doors as part of the committee’s broader investigation into Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking activities. Lawmakers described the former president as a cooperative witness who provided “long, deliberate” responses and did not refuse to answer questions. However, the full transcript and video of the deposition have not yet been released to the public, though they are expected to be made available in the coming days.
Clinton Denies Knowledge of Epstein’s Crimes
In his opening statement, Clinton maintained he “had no idea of the crimes [Epstein] was committing” and stated that if he had any “inkling” of Epstein’s wrongdoing, he would have turned him in himself. The former president emphasized he “saw nothing that ever gave me pause” during his interactions with the financier. Additionally, Clinton argued that Epstein “hid [his crimes] from everyone so well for so long” and noted he had “long stopped associating” with Epstein before the crimes came to light.
Clinton has been linked to Epstein through multiple flights on the financier’s private plane in the early 2000s, but has never been accused of wrongdoing. According to the former president, he cut ties with Epstein in 2005, three years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution. Clinton acknowledged he may not recall many events lawmakers planned to ask about, noting his association with Epstein occurred “a long time ago.”
Testimony Raises Questions About Trump Connection
Meanwhile, lawmakers suggested Friday that the Bill Clinton Epstein testimony offered new insights into conversations between Clinton and President Donald Trump regarding the late financier. Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, told reporters that Clinton said Trump “has never said anything to me to make me think he was involved” with Epstein’s alleged crimes. However, Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, disputed this characterization as incomplete.
Garcia indicated that Clinton’s testimony “brought up some additional information about some discussions with President Trump” and raised “new questions about comments that President Trump has actually said in the past” about Epstein. Rep. Maxwell Frost suggested the comments relate to Trump’s falling out with Epstein in the 2000s. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and claimed they had a dispute over the financier taking women who worked at Mar-a-Lago.
Background on Clinton’s Epstein Relationship
According to reports, Clinton associated with Epstein in the early 2000s for work related to the Clinton Foundation. The former president flew multiple times on Epstein’s private jet in 2002 and 2003 and publicly praised the financier in 2002, calling him “both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist.” However, Clinton has consistently maintained he never visited Epstein’s private island, though Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre previously testified she was on the island with Clinton, adding that the former president committed no wrongdoing.
Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell testified under oath that Clinton “never, absolutely never went” to the island, and Epstein himself denied in 2015 emails that Clinton was ever there. Maxwell indicated she was the link between Epstein and Clinton, stating “President Clinton was my friend, not Epstein’s friend.” The Clintons appeared to continue associating with Maxwell even after breaking ties with Epstein in 2005.
Political Context and Congressional Investigation
The congressional testimony comes after months of legal wrangling over subpoenas issued to both Bill and Hillary Clinton. The couple initially fought their subpoenas and failed to appear for scheduled depositions in October, December, and January, arguing they were being unfairly targeted compared to other witnesses who were allowed to submit written statements. The House Oversight Committee voted to hold both Clintons in contempt after they missed their January deposition dates.
In contrast to their initial resistance, the Clintons ultimately agreed to testify before the contempt votes reached the full House. Democratic lawmakers have accused Republicans of conducting “political theater” by focusing on the Clintons while not subpoenaing individuals with more robust ties to Epstein, including President Trump. Hillary Clinton told reporters after her Thursday deposition that she faced “repetitive” questioning and had to repeatedly state she did not know Jeffrey Epstein.
The video and transcript of Clinton’s deposition are expected to be released to the public within 24 to 48 hours, pending review by the Clintons’ attorneys for errors. Democratic lawmakers have called for the release to occur no more than 24 hours after the depositions conclude, though the exact timeline remains uncertain.
