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Former President Bill Clinton on Friday denied any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee, marking the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to testify to Congress.
“I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing,” Clinton said in a prepared opening statement delivered at the start of the deposition in Chappaqua, New York. “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Clinton told lawmakers he would not speculate about events that occurred decades ago and acknowledged he may not recall specific interactions. “I am bound by my oath not to speculate,” he said, adding that many of the matters under review took place more than 20 years ago.
Questioning on photos, travel and Epstein’s island
During the deposition, Clinton was questioned about a now-viral photograph showing him in a hot tub with an unnamed woman that surfaced as part of recently released Epstein-related court files, according to two sources familiar with the testimony.
Clinton said he did not know the identity of the woman and denied having sex with her, the sources said. He was also repeatedly asked whether he had ever visited Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where many of the financier’s alleged crimes occurred. Clinton testified under oath that he had never been there.
The deposition capped months of efforts by Republicans to secure testimony from Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after both initially resisted subpoenas before agreeing to appear under threat of contempt proceedings.
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the committee, said Clinton “answered every question or attempted to answer every question” during the session.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Clinton was cooperative “even when his attorneys told him to shut up.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida echoed that assessment, telling reporters she had no reason to believe Clinton was “hiding the ball.”
Criticism of Hillary Clinton subpoena
In his opening statement, Clinton sharply criticized the committee’s decision to subpoena his wife, saying she had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.”
“She has no memory of even meeting him,” Clinton said. “She neither traveled with him nor visited any of his properties.”
Hillary Clinton testified before the committee a day earlier, spending several hours answering questions. Comer said she frequently deferred inquiries about her husband’s interactions with Epstein, telling lawmakers they would need to ask Bill Clinton directly.
Democrats press for Trump testimony
The deposition reignited partisan tensions over the scope of the investigation. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Democrats support serious questioning but criticized portions of Hillary Clinton’s deposition as a “sideshow” involving conspiracy theories.
Garcia and other Democrats renewed calls for President Donald Trump to testify about his own past relationship with Epstein.
“Republicans are now setting a new precedent, which is to bring in presidents and former presidents to testify,” Garcia said. “We are demanding that President Trump officially come in and testify.”
Comer told reporters that Clinton said Trump “never said anything to me to make me think he was involved,” though Garcia disputed that characterization, arguing Clinton’s testimony raised new questions about Trump’s past comments and interactions.
Flights, foundation work and prior statements
In a sworn declaration submitted to the committee last month, Clinton said Epstein offered use of his private plane to Clinton, his staff and Secret Service detail in support of Clinton Foundation work between 2002 and 2003. Clinton acknowledged taking several trips on Epstein’s jet but said the relationship ended years before Epstein’s criminal conduct became public.
“While Mr. Epstein may very well have attended any of the many hundreds of White House events or receptions during my eight years in office, I do not recall encountering Mr. Epstein, or any specific interactions with him, while in office,” Clinton said in the declaration.
Clinton also said he did not recall when he met Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and denied any knowledge of her criminal activity.
“To be clear, I had no idea of Mr. Epstein’s or Ms. Maxwell’s criminal activities,” the declaration said.
A rare congressional moment
Former presidents have rarely been compelled to testify before Congress, though several — including Gerald Ford and Harry Truman — have voluntarily appeared before committees. Clinton’s testimony underscores the expanding scope of congressional oversight and sets a precedent likely to reverberate well beyond the Epstein investigation.
