Former United States President, Bill Clinton, on Friday denied any wrongdoing in connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a deposition before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.
Speaking for about six hours in a closed-door session, Clinton insisted, “I saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong,” while criticizing the panel for calling his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to testify.
Clinton’s testimony came a day after Hillary Clinton answered questions for a similar duration regarding what she knew about Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing—I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes,” Clinton said in his opening statement, which he shared on X, referring to Epstein.
Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., described the deposition as “very productive,” noting that Clinton “answered every question” or “attempted to answer every question.”
Comer added, “We learned some things” but “we were hoping to get more,” and described Clinton as “charming,” saying, “He’s got Southern people skills.”
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., observed that Clinton “answered questions even when his attorneys told him to shut up.” Unlike his wife, Clinton did not speak to reporters after the session.
While acknowledging he knew and traveled with Epstein, Clinton emphasized that Hillary Clinton had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein” and “no memory of even meeting him.” He criticized her deposition, saying, “Whether you subpoena 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right.”
His statement concluded: “Since I am under oath, I will not falsely state that I am looking forward to your questions. But I am ready to answer them to the best of my abilities, consistent with the facts as I know them: the legitimate, the logical and even the outlandish.”
Clinton is the first sitting or former U.S. president to testify before Congress in more than 40 years.
Released files related to the Epstein investigation include multiple photos of Clinton with Epstein and Maxwell, some showing Clinton in a hot tub or swimming with Maxwell. The photos are undated, locations are unclear, and none suggests any wrongdoing.
During his deposition, Clinton told lawmakers he did not recognize a woman pictured with him in a jacuzzi in the Justice Department files. “I did not have sex with the woman,” he stated. He also repeatedly said he never visited Epstein’s island.
Last month, both Clintons declared under oath that they had “no personal knowledge” of any “criminal activities” by Epstein or Maxwell.
“It’s a historical day for the United States Congress,” Comer said prior to Clinton’s testimony. “No one is accusing anyone of any wrongdoing, but I think the American people have a lot of questions and our House Oversight Committee is committed to getting answers.”
Comer indicated that video and transcript of Hillary Clinton’s deposition would be released Friday or Saturday, with Bill Clinton’s materials following “quickly.” Clinton posted a video on X reiterating his opening statement and adding, “When the video of my testimony today is released, I hope it will motivate everyone to go in front of Congress to say what they know. I hope it will motivate the Justice Department to finally release all the files, and to ensure that this never happens again. The survivors deserve that.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the committee’s top Democrat, acknowledged that Clinton provided new information regarding discussions with former President Donald Trump. Garcia said, “A full record brings up some very important new questions about comments that President Trump has actually said in the past.”
During the deposition, Clinton reportedly shared that Trump told him his falling out with Epstein stemmed from a “land dispute.” Clinton confirmed that he flew on Epstein’s plane in 2002 and 2003 for Clinton Foundation-related travel but reiterated that he never visited Epstein’s island.
Trump has repeatedly alleged that Clinton took dozens of trips to the island, but Clinton denied ever going there. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair last year, “He [Trump] was wrong about that.”
Clinton also stated that Epstein “may well have attended any of the many hundreds of White House events or receptions during my eight years in office,” but he did not recall specific interactions.
The Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Clintons and several former Justice Department officials in August regarding Epstein.
After months of negotiation, the Clintons agreed to testify as the House moved toward potential contempt resolutions.
Hillary Clinton, in her opening statement, said the committee’s focus on her family was meant “to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.”
She added, “If this committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.”
Trump, who claims a falling-out with Epstein occurred before 2006, has denied wrongdoing. On Friday, he told reporters, “I don’t like seeing him deposed. But they certainly went after me more than that.”
It is rare for sitting or former presidents to testify before Congress. Gerald R. Ford last did so in 1983, discussing the Constitution’s bicentennial. Ford also testified as president in 1974 regarding his pardon of Richard Nixon.
