Former President Bill Clinton took the hot seat in Chappaqua, New York, on Friday, delivering a defiant opening statement as he began a high-stakes deposition before the House Oversight Committee. Facing intense questioning regarding his relationship with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Clinton insisted he had "no idea" of the financier's criminal activities. He warned lawmakers that he would frequently use the phrase "I don't recall" rather than speculate on events from over two decades ago.
"I know what I saw and more importantly, what I didn't see. I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong," Clinton’s prepared remarks stated. In a highly personal moment, the former president cited his history of growing up in a home with domestic abuse as proof he would have never associated with Epstein had he known the truth.
He claimed he would have "turned him in" himself rather than allowing the "sweetheart deals" that defined Epstein’s 2008 prosecution.
Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arrived at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center with an "abundance of questions" following Hillary Clinton’s own six-hour deposition on Thursday. Comer noted that the former Secretary of State deferred at least a dozen answers to her husband, particularly regarding Epstein’s alleged role in fundraising for the Clinton Global Initiative.
"We know that Bill Clinton flew on Jeffrey Epstein's plane at least 27 times," Comer told reporters, adding that Epstein had been at the White House 17 times during the Clinton administration.
The deposition is expected to be an "all-day session" as Republicans dig into the "biological truth" of the Clintons' ties to both Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Comer suggested that his list of questions increased after Hillary Clinton claimed she was "in the Senate" and lacked focus on the nonprofit's early formation. Bill Clinton fired back in his opening, calling the subpoena of his wife "simply not right" and asserting she had "nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein."
The committee is under immense pressure to find answers after newly released Department of Justice files mentioned the former president numerous times. While neither of the Clintons has been accused of wrongdoing, the GOP-led panel is determined to dismantle the "clown show" of secrecy surrounding the Epstein network. Conservative critics, including Rep. Nancy Mace, have pointed out that Epstein frequently bragged in emails about being the "first person" to raise money for the Clinton Initiative.
The proceedings are being held behind closed doors, though a transcript and video are expected to be released to the public within the next week. As the investigation into human trafficking continues, the Trump administration has signaled that it will continue to push for total transparency in the Epstein files.
For the Clintons, the two-day ordeal represents a "vicious" attempt at political theater, while for the Oversight Committee, it is a necessary pursuit of justice for the victims.