Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confronted a Republican-led congressional panel on Thursday investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, using her appearance to demand that President Donald Trump testify about his connections to Epstein.
Clinton told the House Oversight Committee she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, had never met him, and had never visited his private island or flown on his plane. She accused the panel of attempting to “protect one public official” — a reference to Trump.
Committee Chairman James Comer, whose panel will also question former President Bill Clinton on Friday, said the investigation aims “to try to understand many things about Epstein.” Clinton countered that if the committee was serious about probing Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it should question Trump directly under oath about his numerous mentions in the Epstein files.
Top Democrat on the panel Robert Garcia also called on Trump to testify “to answer the questions that are being asked across this country from survivors,” while committee member Suhas Subramanyam noted that missing FBI files contain “serious accusations around sexual abuse” against Trump.
The Republican-led panel is examining individuals connected to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. The Clintons initially resisted subpoenas but complied after Republicans threatened contempt proceedings. In her opening statement, Hillary Clinton said the subpoena was “based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”
The deposition was briefly paused after a photo of Clinton was posted online, violating the closed-door arrangement. Democrats have criticized the probe as politically motivated, aimed at targeting opponents of Trump rather than conducting genuine oversight.
Both Clintons, 79, appear in recently released government documents related to Epstein, though neither has been accused of wrongdoing. Bill Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s plane for Clinton Foundation-related work but denied visiting Epstein’s Caribbean island. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20-year prison sentence and previously invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during congressional questioning.
The depositions, held in Chappaqua, New York, drew dozens of journalists and heightened security, including metal barricades erected by the Secret Service. Public reactions were mixed, with some residents supporting the congressional inquiry and others expressing political sentiment against Hillary Clinton.
Epstein had cultivated a network of influential business leaders, politicians, and celebrities. The release of his case files has had global repercussions, including the arrests of former Prince Andrew and former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson.
