WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Former President told members of Congress on Friday that he 鈥渄id nothing wrong鈥� in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse as he faced hours of grilling from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago.
鈥淚 saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,鈥� the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media. The closed-door deposition ended after more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers who said he answered every question posed to him.
The deposition in the Clintons鈥� hometown of Chappaqua, New York, marked the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress. It came a day after Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for her own deposition.
Bill Clinton has also not been accused of any wrongdoing, and Republican members of the House Oversight Committee did not immediately level any accusations against the Clintons as they departed Chappaqua. They planned to review the depositions but said their attention was mostly shifting to other individuals.
Lawmakers are grappling with what accountability in the United States looks like at a time when men around the world have been toppled from their high-powered posts for maintaining their connections with Epstein after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
鈥淲e have questions about anyone who spent time with Epstein post-conviction,鈥� said Republican Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee. 鈥淥nce you knew Jeffrey Epstein was a sex offender, why did you continue a relationship?鈥�
Bill Clinton, in his opening statement, said that he had long stopped associating with Epstein by the time of his 2008 guilty plea. He also said it would be difficult to recall the specifics of events from more than 20 years ago, but expressed certainty that he had not witnessed signs of Epstein鈥檚 abuse.
Republican Rep. John McGuire accused Bill Clinton of having 鈥渟elective memory鈥� during the questioning, but other GOP members departed acknowledging that he had handled the deposition with skill and candor. Comer called Bill Clinton 鈥渃harming鈥� during the questioning.
鈥淐linton was quite candid, perhaps more candid than his attorneys were comfortable,鈥� said Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy.
Republicans finally get a chance to question Bill Clinton
Republicans have wanted to question Bill Clinton about Epstein for years, especially as conspiracy theories arose following in a New York jail cell while he faced sex trafficking charges.
Those calls reached a fever pitch late last year when surfaced in the Department of Justice’s first release of case files on Epstein and Maxwell, who was in December 2021 but maintains she’s innocent. Bill Clinton was photographed on a plane seated alongside a woman, whose face is redacted, with his arm around her. Another photo showed Clinton and Maxwell in a pool with another person whose face was redacted.
Epstein also visited the White House several times during Clinton’s presidency, and the pair later made several international trips together for their humanitarian work. Comer claimed the committee has collected evidence that Epstein visited the White House 17 times and that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s airplane 27 times.
Democratic lawmakers said they also posed tough questions to Bill Clinton about his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
鈥淲e are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,鈥� Bill Clinton said in his opening statement. 鈥淎nd by the time it came to light with his 2008 guilty plea, I had long stopped associating with him.鈥�
Bill Clinton also went after Comer for calling his wife before the committee, telling him that 鈥渋ncluding her was simply not right.鈥�
Comer said the committee was working to quickly publish a transcript and video recording of both days of depositions.
Has a precedent been set?
Democrats, who have supported the push to get answers from Bill Clinton, are arguing that it sets a precedent that should also apply to , a Republican who had his own relationship with Epstein.
鈥淚 think that President Trump needs to man up, get in front of this committee and answer the questions and stop calling this investigation a hoax,鈥� said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, on Friday.
Comer has pushed back on that idea, saying that Trump has answered questions on Epstein from the press. Republicans also said they have not come across any evidence that Trump did anything wrong in his relationship with Epstein.
Trump on Friday expressed remorse at Bill Clinton being forced to testify. 鈥淚 like Bill Clinton, and I don鈥檛 like seeing him deposed,鈥� he told reporters as he departed the White House .
Democrats are also calling for the resignation of Trump’s Commerce Secretary . Lutnick was a longtime neighbor of Epstein in New York City but said on a podcast that he severed ties with Epstein following a 2005 tour of Epstein鈥檚 home that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.
The public release of case files showed that Lutnick actually had two engagements with Epstein years later. He attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home, and in 2012 his family had lunch with Epstein on his private island.
鈥淗e should be removed from office and, at a minimum, should come before the committee,鈥� Garcia said of Lutnick.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace questioned Hillary Clinton about Lutnick’s relationship to Epstein during the deposition on Thursday. On Friday morning, Mace joined in calling for the commerce secretary to come before the committee.
鈥淚 believe we will have the votes to subpoena him,鈥� Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said.
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