By Paul Joseph
Former President Bill Clinton told lawmakers during a lengthy, private deposition in New York that he “saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong” concerning the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The session, held by the House Oversight Committee, centered on Clinton’s mention in newly released Justice Department documents related to Epstein, which included a photo of Clinton lounging in a hot tub next to an unidentified person whose face was blurred.
Clinton’s testimony followed that of his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had appeared before the same committee and stated she was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities.
The fact that Clinton’s name appears in the documents does not imply any wrongdoing, and neither he nor his wife has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s survivors who have come forward publicly.
In a statement released before his testimony, Clinton expressed that had he known about Epstein’s crimes, he would have cut ties and never flown on Epstein’s plane, asserting, “I would have turned him in myself.” After the deposition, Clinton shared a video reaffirming his claims of ignorance regarding Epstein’s actions, regardless of the photos presented.
He expressed hope that the release of his testimony would encourage others to come forward to Congress and prompt the Justice Department to disclose all related files to prevent future occurrences, emphasizing that survivors deserve this.
Both Clintons had initially resisted subpoenas from the committee, labeling them as politically motivated, but eventually agreed to testify as the threat of contempt-of-Congress proceedings loomed.
A source familiar with the deposition reported that Clinton did not recognize the woman in the hot tub photo and denied having any sexual relations with her when asked directly.
Unlike his wife, Clinton did not speak to reporters after his testimony. Committee Chairman James Comer described the deposition as “very productive,” noting that Clinton answered or attempted to answer all questions. Comer indicated that a full transcript and video recording would be available soon and referred to the Clintons’ depositions as “historic,” highlighting that they are the highest-ranking officials ever to be deposed by Congress, comparing it to former President Gerald Ford’s voluntary testimony in 1974 regarding his pardon of Richard Nixon.
“This is a serious investigation,” Comer stated, emphasizing the committee’s commitment to uncovering the truth for the American public and delivering justice to the victims.
During Clinton’s testimony, lawmakers also inquired about President Donald Trump and his past connections with Epstein.
Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the committee, mentioned that Clinton provided “additional information” about discussions involving Trump, leading to renewed calls from Democrats for the current president to testify.
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