Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers during a six-hour deposition that she does not recall ever encountering Jeffrey Epstein, in a closed-door deposition to the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.
"I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices. So it's on the record numerous times," Clinton told reporters after the deposition.
Earlier in the day, Clinton shared her opening statement of the deposition on X.
“The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not," Clinton said. "As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein.”
She continued, "I never flew on his plane or visited his island. I have nothing to add to that."
Clinton also told reporters that the end of the deposition was "quite unusual."
"I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about pizzagate, one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet," she said.
Representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, called on committee Republicans to release the transcript from the deposition.
"What I can say is that she, again, never met Jeffrey Epstein, never went to the island, never went to the plane and had no knowledge of any of his crimes," Garcia told reporters.
Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters that he will not be releasing many details, but that the committee will try to get the video out "as quickly as possible, hopefully within the next 24 hours." He said the transcript will be released as soon as Hillary Clinton's lawyers approve it, adding that is the standard rule of a deposition.
Clinton also said she wanted to commend Comer for raising questions about the areas of the investigation Clinton thought should be explored further.
The deposition was also paused after Rep. Lauren Boebert, R‑Colo., shared a photo of Hillary Clinton taken during the closed‑door proceeding with a conservative influencer, who posted it on social media in violation of committee deposition rules.
Why It Matters
The closed-door depositions in the hometown of Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton in Chappaqua, a typically quiet hamlet about 30 miles north of New York City, come after months of tense back-and-forth between the former high-powered Democratic couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee. It will be the first time that a former president has been forced to testify before Congress.
Epstein was a sex offender and disgraced financier who was found dead in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein had social connections with many prominent people, including President Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Neither has been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, with Trump saying his relationship with him ended years before his death.
Epstein visited Bill Clinton in the White House multiple times in the 1990s, according to visitor logs. After he left office, the former president flew multiple times on Epstein's private jet.
“Traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward,” Bill Clinton wrote in his 2024 memoir. “I wish I had never met him.”
What To Know
Hillary Clinton said the committee’s focus should be on the federal government’s handling of the investigations and prosecutions of Epstein. She said lawmakers subpoenaed eight law enforcement officials but heard testimony from only one. She also said five former attorneys general were allowed to submit statements saying they had no relevant information.
“You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, including today,” Hillary Clinton told the panel.
She said the committee has made “little effort” to call individuals who show up most prominently in the released files.
"This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors. And I am furious on their behalf," she added.
The former first lady also spoke about her work to stop abuses women and girls face in the U.S. and around the world, including human trafficking, forced labor and sexual slavery.
“If you are new to this issue, let me tell you: Jeffrey Epstein was a heinous individual, but he’s far from alone,” she said. “This is not a one‑off tabloid fascination or a political scandal. It’s a global scourge with an unimaginable human toll.”
She criticized the Trump administration, saying it "gutted" the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Office by cutting more than 70 percent of the career civil and foreign service experts who worked to prevent trafficking crimes.
“The message from the Trump administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: Combating human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House," Hillary Clinton said.
She outlined what actions she said a committee with elected officials committed to transparency would take in this inquiry, including ensuring the full release of Epstein‑related files, demanding testimony from prosecutors who negotiated Epstein’s plea deal and getting to the bottom of reports that the Department of Justice withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accused President Donald Trump of "heinous crimes."
Instead, she argued, the committee has compelled her testimony despite her lack of direct knowledge, calling the effort a "distraction from President Trump's actions."
“What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover‑up?” she asked.
When Will Bill Clinton Testify About Epstein?
Bill Clinton is expected to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee on Friday.
Was Hillary Clinton Mentioned in the Epstein Files?
Hillary Clinton was mentioned in the Epstein investigative files released by the Department of Justice. She was mentioned in 802 documents, over 60 percent of which were related to her campaigns, fundraising and political messaging or her work as secretary of state, The Wellesley News reported.
What Happens Next
Bill Clinton is expected to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee on Friday.
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