Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent more than six hours behind closed doors Thursday answering questions from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into financier Jeffrey Epstein. The committee also subpoenaed her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to testify on Friday.
After the session at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New York, Clinton told reporters she wished the committee had held a public hearing and said she and her lawyers have asked that transcripts and video be released as soon as possible. “It was disappointing that they refused to hold a public hearing so I wouldn’t have to be out here characterizing it for you,” she said. “You could have seen it for yourself. We had asked for that. We think it would have been better for the committee and its efforts to gather whatever information they are seeking.”
Clinton described much of the questioning as repetitive and said she would not appear before the committee again even if the deposition were made public. She repeatedly denied knowing Epstein: “I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island, I never went to his home, I never went to his offices.” She acknowledged that Bill Clinton had been friendly with Epstein at one point; photographs of Epstein appear in his files, but Bill Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Clinton said some lawmakers asked off-topic questions, including about UFOs and the debunked “pizzagate” conspiracy theory. She expressed confidence that her husband knew nothing of Epstein’s criminal conduct and said their association with Epstein ended “several years before anything about Epstein’s criminal history came to light.” She also noted Epstein’s 2008 plea deal in Florida, which many have criticized as lenient after his conviction for soliciting sex from underage girls.
Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said he hoped the deposition video would be released within 24 hours and that a transcript would follow after Clinton’s attorneys complete their review under standard deposition rules. The proceedings were briefly paused after a conservative influencer posted a photo from inside the room on X, but questioning resumed with lawmakers from both parties participating.
Comer and other Republicans called the session productive, saying Clinton answered most questions but that it was unfortunate the Clintons waited months to agree to testify. Comer said there were multiple moments when Clinton deferred to her husband — replying, “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask my husband” — and indicated he plans to press Bill Clinton on those points during Friday’s deposition. “We have a lot of questions for her husband tomorrow, and I’m confident that deposition will last even longer than this one,” Comer said.