Hillary Clinton Denies Knowledge of Epstein Crimes in Congressional Deposition
Hillary Clinton has told a Congressional inquiry she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's or Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal activities, as she began two days of evidence that will also include statements from former president Bill Clinton. The closed-door depositions to legislators from the House of Representatives are being held in the Clintons' home town of Chappaqua in upstate New York.
First Presidential Precedent
When Bill Clinton gives evidence, it will mark the first time a former president has been forced to do so before Congress. This unprecedented situation comes after months of tense back-and-forth between the high-profile Democratic couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee.
"I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr Epstein," the former US secretary of state and ex-first lady said in her opening statement to the committee.
Republican Interruption
Not long after Thursday's hearing began, proceedings were briefly paused when Republican Representative Lauren Boebert sent a photo of Clinton with a conservative influencer who reposted it on social media. The photo violated committee rules, though Boebert insisted the influencer "did nothing wrong."
Political Pressure Mounts
The Clintons agreed to give evidence after their offers of sworn statements were rebuffed by the oversight panel and its chairman James Comer threatened charges of criminal contempt of Congress against them. "We have a very clear record that we've been willing to talk about," Hillary Clinton said in an interview with the BBC earlier this month.
She added that her husband had flown with Epstein for charitable trips and that she did not recall meeting Epstein but had interacted with Maxwell at conferences hosted by the Clinton Foundation. Maxwell also attended the 2010 wedding of their daughter, Chelsea Clinton.
Bipartisan Scrutiny
Bill Clinton has emerged as a top target for Republicans amid the political struggle over who receives the most scrutiny for their ties to Epstein. Several photos of the former president were included in the first tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in January, including a number of him with women whose faces were redacted.
Mr Comer has also pointed to Hillary Clinton's work as secretary of state to address sex trafficking as another reason to insist on her deposition. "We have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein," he told reporters outside the convention centre where the depositions were being held.
Democratic Response
Democrats, now being led by a new generation of politicians, have prioritised transparency around Epstein over defending the former leaders of their party. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, called on Donald Trump to give evidence in the investigation as well.
Even senior Democrats, such as former speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, said it was appropriate for the committee to interview anyone connected to Epstein. "We want to hear from everyone," Ms Pelosi said, adding that she did not see why Hillary Clinton was being interviewed and that it was important to "believe survivors."
Broader Context
The committee's investigation has sought to understand why the Department of Justice under previous presidential administrations did not seek further charges against Epstein following a 2008 arrangement in which he pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl but avoided federal charges.
Demands for a reckoning over Epstein's abuse of under-age girls has become a near-unstoppable force in Washington and beyond. Donald Trump, a Republican who has expressed regret that the Clintons are being forced to give evidence, bowed last year to pressure to release case files on Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.
