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FORMER U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, asserting she has no recollection of meeting the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal activities.
“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices,” Reuters reported Clinton saying on Friday in a statement released alongside her closed-door deposition.
Following a seven-hour session, Clinton told reporters that she faced repeated questions but also offered suggestions on conducting the investigation, which she did not publicly detail.
She described a notable deviation late in proceedings, when inquiries veered toward UFOs and Pizzagate, a widely debunked conspiracy theory.
Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, also criticised the Republican-led panel, alleging it was attempting to shift attention from former President Donald Trump’s ties to Epstein. She noted that Trump’s administration had “gutted” a State Department office dedicated to combating international sex trafficking.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer dismissed the notion of subpoenaing Trump, stating, “President Trump has answered hundreds if not thousands of questions from you all about Epstein and I think he's been very transparent in releasing the documents.”
Comer emphasised that while no wrongdoing has been attributed to the Clintons, the committee seeks clarity on potential interactions with Epstein, involvement with their charitable work, and links to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Clinton confirmed that former President Bill Clinton will testify on Friday, expected to affirm that the vast majority of individuals who interacted with Epstein before his 2008 criminal pleas “did not know” of the sex trafficking, reinforcing the former president’s denial of wrongdoing despite his flights on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s.
The deposition occurs amid ongoing scrutiny of missing Epstein-related files from the Justice Department, which some Democrats allege were withheld to protect Trump from examination. Representative Robert Garcia, the panel’s top Democrat, highlighted concerns over records relating to a woman who accused Trump of sexual misconduct as a minor.
The Justice Department is reviewing whether any documents were improperly withheld and has promised to publish them if appropriate.
While Trump’s social interactions with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s are well documented, law enforcement authorities have not accused him of criminal wrongdoing.
Bill Clinton’s previous flights on Epstein’s plane and Epstein’s 17 visits to the White House during Clinton’s presidency remain points of public interest.
The Justice Department’s released documents have also revealed Epstein’s extensive connections to business and political leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick, prompting international scrutiny and criminal investigations abroad.
The Clintons’ testimonies mark a significant chapter in congressional oversight of Epstein’s network, with the public and political observers closely monitoring how the panel navigates questions regarding influential figures implicated in the broader Epstein scandal. - February 27, 2026