Clinton emphasized that he severed ties years before Epstein’s crimes became public, following the financier’s 2006 plea deal.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton testified under oath on Friday before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, emphatically denying any awareness of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities during their association in the early 2000s.
The closed-door deposition, held at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center near the Clintons’ home, marks the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to appear before Congress in over four decades.
In his prepared opening statement, released publicly via social media, Clinton stated: “I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
He described their connection as a “brief acquaintance” tied to post-presidency humanitarian efforts through the Clinton Foundation, primarily involving travel on Epstein’s private jet for trips to Africa and other locations.
Clinton emphasized that he severed ties years before Epstein’s crimes became public, following the financier’s 2006 plea deal.
The former president addressed the committee’s decision to subpoena his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who testified the previous day for over six hours.
“You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” Clinton said, adding that she has “no memory of even meeting him.”
He framed his own appearance as compliance with congressional authority, noting that “no person is above the law, even Presidents, especially Presidents,” while warning he would frequently respond “I don’t recall” to events from over 20 years ago, refusing to speculate.
Questioning alternated between Republican and Democratic members in one-hour rounds, focusing on flight logs showing Clinton aboard Epstein’s plane at least 16 times between 2002 and 2003, photographs from Epstein files, including images with Ghislaine Maxwell and any recollections of suspicious behaviour.
No evidence in released Epstein documents or victim accounts has implicated Clinton in wrongdoing, and he reiterated that he would have reported Epstein immediately had he suspected abuse, citing his own upbringing in a home affected by domestic violence.
The session drew partisan crossfire. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) described Clinton as cooperative, noting he punted on whether President Donald Trump should testify, saying “that’s for you to decide” and stating he had no knowledge of Trump’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Democrats, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), pushed back, accusing Comer of mischaracterizing exchanges and demanding full, unedited videos and transcripts of both Clintons’ depositions be released promptly.
They highlighted the precedent set by subpoenaing a former president and called for Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, to appear next.
Republicans plan to release video of Hillary Clinton’s testimony later Friday or Saturday, with Bill Clinton’s potentially following.
Committee members described the atmosphere as respectful, with Clinton answering questions thoughtfully, though some acknowledged gaps in recall due to the passage of time.
The probe stems from the Justice Department’s phased release of Epstein files, which detail his elite network but contain no substantiated allegations against Clinton.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges; Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving 20 years.