Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she does not recall ever encountering Jeffrey Epstein.
After more than six hours of closed-door deposition, Clinton told reporters that she repeatedly told lawmakers that she did not know Epstein and only knew his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, "as an acquaintance."
"I answered every one of their questions as fully as I could based on what I knew, and what I knew is what I said in my statement this morning. I never met Jeffrey Epstein, never had any connection or communication with him," she said. "... I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices, so it's on the record numerous times."
Clinton also defended her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who is named and pictured multiple times in documents related to Epstein and is scheduled to testify before the same committee on Friday.
"I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with him before his criminal pleas in 2008 were like most people — they did not know what he was doing, and I think that that is exactly what my husband will testify tomorrow," the former Secretary of State added.
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In her opening remarks Thursday morning, Clinton sharply criticized the Republican-led committee, accusing it of engaging in partisan politics rather than focusing on accountability for Epstein’s crimes and justice for survivors.
"This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors," the former first lady stated. "And I am furious on their behalf."
Clinton argued that the committee has failed to call key figures mentioned in documents released by the Justice Department and has not subjected President Donald Trump to similar scrutiny.
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"If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files," Hillary Clinton said.
Clinton also maintained that she has no information relevant to the committee’s investigation and suggested her testimony was being used as a distraction from other matters.
Being named in the files is not, by itself, an allegation of wrongdoing. Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has said he ended his relationship with the financier before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea in Florida.
