Frank Rondel
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified on Thursday that she has no new information regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities, during a deposition before the House Oversight Committee, reports customreceipt.com via Axios. Clinton emphasized that she does not recall ever meeting Epstein and stated she only met Ghislaine Maxwell a few times. She described learning about Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes as horrifying and said her “heart breaks for the survivors.”
Clinton and former President Bill Clinton’s testimonies mark the first time a former presidential couple has appeared under subpoena before a congressional panel. The sessions followed months of negotiations between the Clintons and House Republicans, which at one point nearly resulted in the Clintons being held in contempt of Congress.
“You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers,” Hillary Clinton said in her opening statement. The Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), stated that the American public has many questions regarding the Clintons’ connections to Epstein and Maxwell. Comer clarified that the committee is not accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing and that they will receive due process.
The closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons maintain a residence, is expected to last several hours and will be videotaped. The committee plans to depose former President Bill Clinton on Friday, marking the first time a former president has testified before a congressional panel in over four decades.
Republicans indicated they intend to question Hillary Clinton about Epstein’s potential connections to foreign countries, the origins of his wealth, and funds he raised for the Clinton Foundation. Democrats described the deposition as politically motivated but expressed interest in any information related to Epstein. “There is no indication, zero, zilch, nada, that Secretary Clinton had any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes,” Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) said, noting she submitted a sworn statement confirming she never met Epstein.
The depositions are the culmination of a long negotiation. Subpoenas for the Clintons were issued in August, with hearings initially scheduled for October, delayed to December, and later rescheduled by Comer for January. The Oversight Committee voted on a bipartisan basis to hold the Clintons in contempt after they did not appear in January, a measure that could carry up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The Clintons eventually agreed to testify behind closed doors rather than publicly.
President Trump had directed the Justice Department to examine Epstein’s connections to Bill Clinton and others. Bill Clinton’s name appears frequently in the released Epstein files, which include multiple photographs and document his travel aboard Epstein’s plane during Clinton Foundation trips in the early 2000s, prior to Epstein’s criminal charges. The Oversight Committee aims to release the deposition transcript and video to the public as soon as possible.
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