For more than six hours Thursday, Hillary Clinton sat behind closed doors answering questions from congressional investigators about Jeffrey Epstein. Her answer, repeated throughout the day, was essentially the same: she had nothing to tell them.
The former secretary of state, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, and First Lady delivered a closed-door deposition to the House Oversight Committee at a lawyer’s office in Chappaqua, New York — the first of two consecutive days of testimony from the Clinton family. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is scheduled to appear Friday.
“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices,” Clinton said in a statement released as she entered the deposition.
Speaking to reporters afterward, she described a marathon session of repetitive questioning that took an unusual turn.
“I repeatedly was asked the same questions throughout the day,” she said. “Late into the procedures, it got quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories”.
The reference was to the false 2016 conspiracy theory that a Washington, D.C. pizzeria was a front for a child sex ring run by Clinton and that New York City police had discovered a pedophilia ring linked to Democrats.
Clinton’s Counterattack
In her prepared testimony, Clinton went on offense, accusing the Republican-led panel of trying to shift focus away from Trump’s ties to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
She noted that the Trump administration has “gutted” a State Department office focused on international sex trafficking — an agency created during her tenure as secretary of state.
Clinton also challenged lawmakers to subpoena President Trump himself, arguing that his extensive social relationship with Epstein warrants scrutiny.
Comer’s Response
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, the Kentucky Republican leading the investigation, dismissed the idea of calling Trump to testify.
“President Trump has answered hundreds if not thousands of questions from you all about Epstein and I think he’s been very transparent in releasing the documents,” Comer told reporters after Clinton’s deposition.
Before the hearing, Comer denied that the probe was a partisan effort, noting that several Democrats had pushed for the Clintons to testify. “No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing at this moment, but we do have a lot of questions,” he said.
The committee sought information about any interactions Clinton might have had with Epstein, his involvement with the Clintons’ charitable work, and any relationship with jailed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Comer said transcripts and video of both Clinton interviews will eventually be made public.
The Democratic Response
Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, used Clinton’s appearance to renew demands for testimony from Trump administration officials.
He called for Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — who has admitted to visiting Epstein’s private island years after he says he broke off ties — to testify under oath.
Comer said it was “possible” the committee might subpoena Lutnick.
Garcia also seized on the ongoing controversy over missing Epstein files, accusing Trump’s Justice Department of selectively withholding material from the 3 million documents it released to shield the president from scrutiny.
“Where are these files? Who removed them? These questions have to be answered,” Garcia said.
He pointed specifically to records of a woman who accused Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor — allegations the Justice Department has called “untrue and sensationalist” and says were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.
The Justice Department said it is reviewing whether any documents were improperly withheld and would publish them if appropriate.
What About Bill?
Friday’s scheduled testimony from Bill Clinton carries its own weight. The former president flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office. He has denied wrongdoing and expressed regret for his association.
According to Comer, Epstein visited the White House 17 times while Clinton was in office — a statistic the committee is likely to explore.
Hillary Clinton previewed her husband’s testimony Thursday, telling reporters he will tell the committee that the “vast majority” of people who had contact with Epstein before his 2008 criminal plea “did not know” about his sex trafficking.
“That is exactly what my husband will testify to tomorrow,” she said.
The Bigger Picture
The Clintons’ testimony comes amid a broader firestorm over Epstein-related disclosures. The Justice Department’s document dump has revealed ties between the late financier and a long list of business and political leaders, including Lutnick and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Overseas, the files have prompted criminal investigations of Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and other prominent figures.
Comer said evidence gathered by the panel does not implicate Trump. But Garcia and other Democrats argue that the full picture cannot be known until all relevant documents are released — and all relevant witnesses, including the president, testify under oath.
For now, Hillary Clinton has answered her questions. Bill Clinton’s turn comes Friday. The transcripts will eventually be public. And the investigation, whatever its partisan origins, continues.
