Former President Bill Clinton told congressional investigators he ‘did nothing wrong’ in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and said he saw no signs of sexual abuse, after more than six hours of closed-door questioning in Chappaqua, New York.
In an opening statement he later posted on social media, Clinton said, ‘I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.’ The deposition — the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress — lasted over six hours. Lawmakers said he answered every question asked of him.
Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee declined to make immediate accusations after the session and said they will review the testimony; they also indicated their attention is shifting to others tied to Epstein. Committee Chair Rep. James Comer said investigators are seeking information about anyone who maintained ties with Epstein after his 2008 guilty plea in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, asking in a statement why people continued relationships once they knew Epstein was a sex offender.
Clinton told lawmakers he had largely stopped associating with Epstein by the time of the 2008 plea. He acknowledged difficulty remembering details from more than two decades ago but maintained he had not seen signs of abuse. Republican Rep. John McGuire accused him of ‘selective memory’ during questioning, while other GOP members praised his openness. Rep. Nick Langworthy said Clinton was ‘quite candid, perhaps more candid than his attorneys were comfortable.’
Republicans pressed for Clinton to be questioned for years, especially after Epstein’s 2019 death in a New York jail while awaiting sex-trafficking charges and after the Justice Department released photos from the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell files. Those images included a photo of Clinton on a plane with a woman whose face was redacted and another showing Clinton and Maxwell in a pool with a redacted person. Comer said the committee has evidence Epstein visited the White House 17 times and that Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane 27 times; Clinton disputes having ongoing ties after 2008.
Democrats also questioned Clinton closely. In his opening remarks he said much of the scrutiny existed because relationships with Epstein were hidden for so long and reiterated that he had ceased associating with Epstein by 2008. He criticized Comer for calling his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to testify, calling that decision ‘simply not right.’
The depositions of both Clintons were conducted on consecutive days; Hillary Clinton met with lawmakers the day before. Comer said the committee plans to quickly release transcripts and video of the sessions.
Democrats argued that compelling a former president to testify could set a precedent that extends to President Donald Trump, who also had ties to Epstein. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Trump should appear before the committee, while Comer noted that Trump has responded to questions in the press and said the committee has found no evidence he did anything wrong. Trump said he felt sympathy for Clinton.
Lawmakers also focused on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a longtime neighbor of Epstein. Lutnick has faced scrutiny after saying he severed ties following a disturbing 2005 tour of Epstein’s home; court records later showed he attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home and that his family had lunch with Epstein on his private island in 2012. Democrats are calling for Lutnick to be removed from office or to appear before the committee, and some members said they expect to have votes to subpoena him.
Republicans said they plan to broaden their review of people linked to Epstein rather than immediately pursuing further allegations against the Clintons.