Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Friday testified under oath before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, firmly denying any knowledge of criminal activities carried out by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during their association in the early 2000s.
The closed-door deposition, held at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center near the Clintons’ residence in New York, marks the first time in more than four decades that a former U.S. president has been compelled to appear before Congress.
In a prepared opening statement released publicly via social media, Clinton declared: “I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Clinton described his relationship with Epstein as a “brief acquaintance” connected primarily to humanitarian initiatives undertaken through the Clinton Foundation after he left office. He acknowledged travelling on Epstein’s private jet for trips to Africa and other destinations between 2002 and 2003 but insisted the travel was linked to charitable activities.
According to flight logs cited during the hearing, Clinton flew aboard Epstein’s plane at least 16 times during that period.
The former president emphasised that he cut off contact with Epstein years before the financier’s crimes became widely known, referencing Epstein’s 2006 plea deal in Florida as a turning point.
Clinton also addressed photographs from Epstein’s files, including images showing him alongside Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted in connection with Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
No evidence contained in publicly released Epstein documents or victim accounts has implicated Clinton in any wrongdoing. During the testimony, he reiterated that he would have reported to Epstein immediately had he suspected abuse, citing his personal background growing up in a home affected by domestic violence.
Clinton used part of his testimony to criticise the committee’s decision to subpoena his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who appeared before the panel the previous day for more than six hours.
“You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” he said, adding that she has “no memory of even meeting him.”
He framed his own appearance as an acknowledgment of congressional authority, stating that “no person is above the law, even Presidents, especially Presidents.”
However, he cautioned lawmakers that he would frequently respond “I don’t recall” when questioned about events from more than two decades ago, declining to speculate on matters he could not clearly remember.
The session featured alternating one-hour rounds of questioning between Republican and Democratic members of the committee.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) described Clinton as cooperative. He noted that when asked whether former President Donald Trump should also testify, Clinton replied, “that’s for you to decide,” adding that he had no knowledge of Trump’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Democratic members, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), accused Comer of mischaracterizing certain exchanges and demanded the immediate release of full, unedited videos and transcripts of both Clintons’ depositions.
They pointed to the historic nature of subpoenaing a former president and called for Trump—who has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein—to appear before the committee as well.
Republicans indicated that video of Hillary Clinton’s testimony would likely be released later Friday or Saturday, with Bill Clinton’s potentially following thereafter.
The congressional investigation follows the Justice Department’s phased release of Epstein-related files detailing his network of elite associates. While the documents reference numerous high-profile individuals, no substantiated allegations have been made against Clinton.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Lawmakers described Friday’s deposition as respectful in tone, with Clinton answering questions deliberately, though some acknowledged lapses in memory due to the passage of time.