Former President Bill Clinton testified before a congressional panel, stating he “saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong” in connection to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The closed-door hearing in New York involved questioning the former president regarding his presence in recently released documents related to Epstein, including a photograph depicting him with an unidentified individual in a hot tub.
His testimony follows that of his wife, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who told the committee the previous day that she also “had no idea” of Epstein’s crimes.
It is important to note that appearing in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, and neither Clinton has been accused of misconduct by Epstein survivors who have come forward.
Clinton asserted that he would have severed ties with Epstein and never flown on his plane had he “had any inkling of what he was doing.”
“I would have turned him in myself,” Clinton stated in his opening remarks, which were released to the public prior to his testimony.
Both Clintons initially resisted a subpoena from the panel, characterizing it as politically motivated, before agreeing to testify before the House Oversight Committee as potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings loomed.
Regarding the photograph showing the former president in a hot tub with an individual, whose face was obscured to protect their identity, Bill Clinton told lawmakers that he did not recognize her. When questioned about whether he had sexual contact with the woman, he denied it, according to a source cited by the BBC.
Unlike his wife, Clinton did not address reporters following the conclusion of his deposition.
James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, described the hours-long interview as “a very productive deposition.”
“President Clinton answered every question, or attempted to answer every question,” he stated, adding that a video of his testimony and a full transcript would be released in the coming days.
He also characterized the Clintons’ depositions as “historic,” noting that they are the two highest-ranking officials to ever be deposed by Congress.
President Gerald Ford voluntarily appeared before a congressional committee in 1974 to explain his pardon of former President Richard Nixon.
“This is a serious investigation,” Comer said. “We will continue to try and get the truth to the American people and justice to the victims.”
Among the subjects raised during Bill Clinton’s testimony was President Donald Trump’s relationship with Epstein.
House Democrats indicated that his testimony provided “additional information” about Trump, prompting renewed calls for the current president to be questioned.
Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, stated that Clinton offered “additional information about some discussions with President Trump.”
Garcia, along with other Democrats, reiterated his demand for Trump to testify before the committee.
“We now have a new precedent in this country that presidents and former presidents can testify before this committee,” Garcia added.
According to congressional records, six sitting and former presidents had previously testified before congressional committees. Clinton marks the seventh.
Comer told reporters that during the deposition, Clinton was asked whether Trump should be called to testify before the committee.
Comer quoted Clinton as responding: “That’s for you to decide.”
He added that the former president stated he had no knowledge of Trump’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Comer also asserted that any new information provided by Clinton did not alter his belief that Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing.
“He’s been exonerated for a long time,” he said.
Trump addressed Clinton’s deposition on Friday, telling reporters: “I don’t like seeing him deposed.”
During a break in the deposition, lawmakers from both parties informed reporters that Clinton was cooperative, answering questions, and being transparent.
Clinton has maintained that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and severed ties with him two decades ago.
He has stated that their contact stemmed from his charity work after leaving the presidency in 2001 and has expressed regret for his association with the financier, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The Clintons’ names appear numerous times in the Epstein files. It is important to reiterate that appearing in these documents does not imply any wrongdoing.
Bill Clinton is featured in documents and photographs that have been released in stages by the Department of Justice as part of its disclosure of materials uncovered during federal investigations into Epstein’s crimes.
The files more broadly reveal the scope of Epstein’s connections with numerous high-profile individuals, including after his initial conviction for a sex crime in 2008.
Congressional depositions typically occur behind closed doors, though the Clintons had advocated for their testimony to be public to prevent selective portions of their answers from being leaked to the media without context.
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