Bill Clinton Tells Lawmakers He “Saw Nothing” And “Did Nothing Wrong” In Epstein Inquiry

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton spent several hours answering questions from members of Congress about his past interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers he witnessed no illegal activity and committed no wrongdoing during the time he knew the financier.

The closed-door deposition took place Friday before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein’s connections to powerful political and business figures. Clinton’s testimony lasted roughly six hours, making him the first sitting or former U.S. president to testify before members of Congress in more than four decades.

Clinton Defends His Record

During the interview, Clinton repeatedly insisted that he never observed any criminal behavior by Epstein and had no knowledge of the trafficking crimes that later came to light.

“I saw nothing and did nothing wrong,” Clinton told lawmakers, according to people familiar with the testimony.

In an opening statement posted online before the session, Clinton also addressed Epstein’s crimes directly. He said that if he had known what Epstein was involved in, he would have immediately reported it.

“As someone who grew up in a household that experienced domestic abuse, I would never have flown on his plane if I had any idea of what he was doing,” Clinton said. “I would have reported him and called for justice.”

Hillary Clinton Questioned a Day Earlier

Clinton’s deposition came just one day after lawmakers questioned his wife, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

She also spent several hours answering questions about her knowledge of Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Bill Clinton criticized the committee for requiring his wife to testify, saying she had no connection to Epstein and no memory of ever meeting him.

“Whether you subpoena ten people or ten thousand, including her was simply not right,” he told the panel.

Committee Leaders Call Testimony “Productive”

After the deposition, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told reporters the session had been “very productive.”

Comer said Clinton answered nearly all of the questions asked by lawmakers.

“He answered every question or attempted to answer every question,” Comer said outside the hearing location in Chappaqua, New York.

The Republican congressman added that investigators had learned new details but were hoping for additional information.

Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina also said Clinton appeared cooperative during the interview, noting that he sometimes continued speaking even when his attorneys advised him to stop.

Unlike his wife, Clinton did not address reporters immediately after the deposition.

Questions About Epstein Flights and Photographs

The investigation has focused in part on Clinton’s past association with Epstein.

Previously released files related to the case include photographs showing Clinton with Epstein and Maxwell in various settings. Some images depict Clinton socializing at gatherings, including photos of him sitting with a woman on his lap or appearing with Maxwell in leisure settings such as a pool or hot tub.

However, the photos are undated, and investigators have not identified any evidence of wrongdoing connected to them.

During the deposition, Clinton reportedly said he did not know the woman shown with him in one of the hot-tub images included in documents released by the Justice Department.

When asked directly about the encounter, Clinton told lawmakers he had not had a sexual relationship with the woman.

He also reiterated that he never visited Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, which has been linked to some of the most serious allegations in the trafficking case.

Clinton Explains Flights on Epstein’s Plane

Clinton has previously acknowledged that he flew on Epstein’s private aircraft several times in 2002 and 2003.

According to a sworn declaration he submitted earlier, the flights occurred while he was traveling internationally to support projects related to the Clinton Foundation.

Epstein, Clinton said, offered the use of his aircraft because it could accommodate the former president, his staff, and his U.S. Secret Service protection team.

“I do not recall speaking with Mr. Epstein for more than a decade before his 2019 arrest,” Clinton stated in his declaration.

Epstein Case Continues to Draw Political Attention

Epstein, who had earlier pleaded guilty to charges related to soliciting a minor in Florida in 2008, was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He died later that year in a New York jail while awaiting trial.

Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting and trafficking underage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The House Oversight Committee began issuing subpoenas last year to multiple individuals connected to the case, including the Clintons and several former Justice Department officials.

Investigators have said their goal is to determine whether powerful individuals helped enable Epstein’s activities or benefited from them.

Questions About Donald Trump Also Raised

During the deposition, lawmakers also asked Clinton about his past interactions with President Donald Trump, who also knew Epstein years earlier.

According to Chairman Comer, Clinton told investigators that Trump never said anything to him suggesting involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

However, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said Clinton’s testimony raised additional questions about previous remarks Trump had made regarding Epstein.

Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Maxwell Frost, said Clinton described Trump’s falling-out with Epstein as being related to a real estate dispute, rather than Epstein’s alleged behavior.

Trump has repeatedly said he cut ties with Epstein years before the financier faced criminal charges.

Rare Moment in Congressional History

It is extremely uncommon for a sitting or former U.S. president to testify before members of Congress.

The last time it happened was in 1983, when former President Gerald Ford appeared before a Senate panel discussing preparations for the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.

Because of that rarity, Chairman Comer called the deposition “a historic day for Congress.”

“No one is accusing anyone of wrongdoing,” Comer said beforehand. “But the American people have a lot of questions, and this committee intends to find answers.”

Calls for Additional Testimony

Democratic members of the committee have argued that the investigation should also seek testimony from Trump.

They say if former presidents are being questioned about their ties to Epstein, the current president should also answer questions under oath.

For now, the committee plans to release video recordings and transcripts of both Clinton depositions once the review process is complete.

Clinton himself said he welcomes the public release of the footage.

“When people see the full testimony,” he said in a video message afterward, “I hope it encourages everyone with information to come forward and tell the truth.”