Former American President Bill Clinton delivered a firm denial of any knowledge regarding Jeffrey Epstein's extensive sex crimes during a closed-door testimony before the US House Oversight Committee. The 79-year-old statesman insisted to investigators that he remained completely unaware of the paedophile financier's illicit activities throughout their brief acquaintance.
Clinton's Defiant Testimony on Epstein Association
In his opening remarks to the congressional committee, Clinton declared: "The girls and women whose lives Jeffrey Epstein destroyed deserve not only justice, but healing. They've been waiting too long for both." He emphasized that his limited interactions with Epstein concluded years before the financier's criminal behaviour became public knowledge.
"Though my brief acquaintance with Epstein ended years before his crimes came to light, and though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication of what was truly going on, I am here to offer what little I know so it might prevent anything like this from ever happening again," Clinton stated during the proceedings.
Photographic Evidence and White House Visits
The testimony follows the release of millions of Epstein files by the US Department of Justice over the past year, which include numerous photographs featuring Clinton with the convicted sex offender. One image shows Clinton grinning with a young woman on his lap aboard what appears to be a private jet, while another depicts him reclining in a hot tub beside a woman whose face has been redacted.
Additional photographs show Clinton appearing relaxed in Epstein's company, and official records reveal that Epstein visited the White House seventeen times between 1993 and 1995 during Clinton's presidency. The former president has consistently and strongly denied any misconduct, maintaining that his presence in the Epstein files does not imply any wrongdoing.
"I Saw Nothing, I Did Nothing Wrong"
Clinton delivered a particularly emphatic statement during his testimony: "No matter how many photos you show me, I have two things that at the end of the day matter more than your interpretation of those 20-year-old photos. I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see. I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong."
The former president warned committee members that they would frequently hear him say "I do not recall" during questioning, explaining: "I am bound by my oath not to speculate or to guess. This is not merely for my benefit, but because it doesn't help you for me to play detective 24 years later."
Clinton's Personal Connection to Abuse Issues
Clinton revealed a personal dimension to his testimony, stating that Epstein had concealed his crimes "so well for so long" and that "as someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse" he would never have flown on Epstein's private plane if he "had any inkling of what he was doing." He added emphatically: "I would have turned him in myself."
Hillary Clinton's Previous Testimony
The former president's appearance followed his wife Hillary Clinton's six-hour deposition before the same committee just one day earlier. The former first lady and secretary of state criticised the investigation's focus on her as a "fishing expedition" and accused Republican committee members of using her testimony to distract attention from former President Donald Trump.
Republican committee member Nancy Mace later claimed that Mrs. Clinton became "screaming" and "unhinged" during parts of her questioning, an allegation that her spokesman Nick Merrill vehemently denied, stating that Ms. Mace was "full of s***."
Political Dimensions and Historical Context
Oversight committee chairman James Comer noted that Mrs. Clinton deferred at least a dozen questions to her husband during her testimony, suggesting that Bill Clinton would face some "hard questions" during his appearance. This marks another chapter in the former president's history of facing scrutiny regarding his private life, having been impeached during his second term over an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, called for former President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to testify under oath, stating: "The House Republicans have set a new precedent, and that now includes bringing in for depositions presidents, former presidents and first ladies." He added that Mr. Trump must explain "why files are missing, why there has been a White House cover-up, and why he continues to call this investigation a 'hoax'."
Trump has denied being friends with Epstein, insisting that the released files "completely exonerate" him. During a break in proceedings, Chairman Comer revealed that Bill Clinton was asked whether President Trump should be called to answer questions, with Clinton reportedly responding: "That's for you to decide."
The testimony took place at an arts centre near Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York state, continuing the congressional investigation into the Epstein case that has ensnared numerous high-profile figures across political and social spheres.
