Former President Bill Clinton testified under oath before the House Oversight Committee, stating that he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and "did nothing wrong." It marks the first time in American history that a former president has been compelled to appear before Congress under subpoena.
"I didn't see anything, and I did nothing wrong," Clinton said in his opening statement. He cautioned lawmakers that he would likely respond to many questions with "I don't remember"—his contacts with Epstein date back more than two decades. "No matter how many pictures you show me, I have two arguments that ultimately carry more weight than your interpretation of those twenty-year-old photographs. I know what I saw and, more importantly, what I did not see. I know what I did and, more importantly, what I did not do," he said.
The closed-door, video-recorded deposition took place in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons maintain a home. The day before, on Thursday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her own testimony at the same location—according to committee chairman James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, her deposition lasted approximately seven hours. Comer anticipated that the former president's session would run even longer. Hillary Clinton, he said, had deflected a number of questions directly concerning Epstein to her husband, and described the deposition itself as a "cover" to protect Trump. Bill Clinton, for his part, called the subpoenaing of his wife "unfair," arguing that she had "nothing to do" with Epstein.
Republicans had been pressing for the deposition of the former Democratic president for several years. Comer described the occasion as "a historic day" and declared that the committee intends to "continue pursuing the truth, examining how the government failed the victims, and holding as many of those responsible accountable as possible." The committee's ranking Democrat, Representative Robert Garcia of California, immediately demanded that the precedent be applied to the sitting president—Donald Trump—as well.
Bill Clinton's ties to Epstein are documented across a wide body of evidence. His name appears in millions of files released by the Department of Justice, and among the declassified materials are photographs showing the former president in a hot tub, in a pool alongside Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and seated at a table with a woman on his lap. In the early 2000s, before Epstein had been charged with any sex crimes, Clinton flew on his private jet as part of Clinton Foundation travel. Epstein himself visited the White House on multiple occasions during the Clinton presidency. Last November, Trump directed the Department of Justice to examine Epstein's connections to Bill Clinton and a number of other individuals.
The Clintons have denied any wrongdoing and expressed support for full transparency in the Epstein case. Comer, for his part, acknowledged that "nobody is accusing the Clintons of any illegal activity," adding that they "will be afforded due process." The path to the current testimony took several months of negotiations: after the Clintons failed to appear for a deposition in January, the committee voted to hold them in contempt of Congress by a bipartisan majority. The maximum penalty for such a violation carries up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. It was only when the full House was prepared to pass the relevant resolution that the Clintons agreed to testify. They had insisted on public hearings, but Comer explained that committee practice calls for closed, transcribed interviews first—with open sessions to follow.