In a day that stretched close to seven hours behind closed doors, Hillary Clinton emerged to deliver a blunt message: she has no memory of ever crossing paths with Jeffrey Epstein and holds no information about his crimes.
Speaking after her deposition before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, Clinton said she was categorical in her testimony. She never boarded Epstein’s plane, never visited his island, and never stepped inside his homes or offices. “I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein,” she said in a prepared statement released during the proceedings.
But the session, she suggested, veered far beyond its stated purpose. As the hours wore on, she told reporters, questioning drifted into the realm of UFOs and “Pizzagate”—a conspiracy theory that falsely alleged a child-trafficking ring tied to her and other Democrats. Clinton described that line of inquiry as both bizarre and deeply offensive.
The political undertone was impossible to miss. Clinton accused the Republican-led panel of using the Epstein investigation to redirect attention away from President Donald Trump’s past association with the disgraced financier. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, a case that has continued to cast a long shadow across American political and business elites.
Committee chairman James Comer pushed back on claims of partisanship. He said the panel is not accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing but is seeking clarity on any interactions they may have had with Epstein, including possible overlap with charitable initiatives and connections to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Comer dismissed suggestions that Trump should testify, arguing the president has already addressed questions about Epstein and supported the release of documents.
Democrats on the committee countered with their own demands. Representative Robert Garcia called for Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to appear before lawmakers. Lutnick has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island years after he says their relationship cooled.
Garcia also raised alarms about millions of Epstein-related records released by the Justice Department, alleging that key files may be missing. Among them, he claimed, are materials tied to accusations involving Trump. The department has said it is reviewing whether any documents were improperly withheld and has cautioned that some released records contain unverified claims.
Epstein’s network was vast. Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to testify next, previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s, after leaving office, while expressing regret for the association. Trump, too, moved in similar social circles during the 1990s and early 2000s before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. No law enforcement agency has charged Trump in connection with Epstein.
Elsewhere, document disclosures have reignited scrutiny abroad, including renewed attention on Prince Andrew, whose past links to Epstein have already led to intense public and legal fallout.
For now, the spotlight remains fixed on Capitol Hill. Transcripts and video from the Clintons’ appearances are expected to be made public, ensuring that what unfolded behind closed doors will soon be dissected in the open.
