Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she had no knowledge of crimes committed by notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes, or offices,” Hillary Cilnton said in her opening statement. She also said she was horrified by the abuse allegations and criticized the 2008 plea deal that resulted in Epstein serving 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
After months of resisting subpoenas she and former President Bill Clinton had described as invalid and politically motivated, the Clintons agreed to testify after the House was prepared to move toward contempt proceedings.
The hearing itself became a procedural fight roughly one hour in, when Rep. Lauren Boebert reportedly leaked a photo from inside the deposition room that was then posted online by a right-wing podcaster. Clinton halted the session, objected through counsel, and later said the leak was “very upsetting” because it raised concerns that other agreements could also be violated. The deposition resumed about 30 minutes later.
Clinton’s aides distributed a statement accusing House Republicans of using her as a prop in “partisan political theater.” She said she was being compelled to testify “fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation,” and argued the inquiry was designed to distract from President Donald Trump. Democrats on the committee echoed that line, with members describing the session as repetitive and unproductive.
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman, publicly maintained that no one was accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing. He said the committee wanted answers about Epstein’s wealth, his possible government ties, and whether people close to him could shed light on how his operation functioned.
Lawmakers specifically told Hillary Clinton that, given her tenure as secretary of state, they believed she might have knowledge relevant to federal efforts against international sex trafficking networks of the type Epstein ran.
Conflicts in the record
The strongest pressure point for Hillary Clinton is not her own travel record, which she denied, but the documented and disputed ties between Epstein and the Clinton orbit. Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane in 2002 and 2003, according to flight logs and photographs cited in the material presented.
Court documents also stated he went to Epstein’s island, where authorities said Epstein repeatedly abused minors.
That point is directly contested by Maxwell. In a 2025 interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, she said Bill Clinton “never, absolutely never” went to the island and said she could be sure of that. Bill Clinton’s post-arrest spokesperson also denied he had ever been to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or Epstein’s Florida residence, while acknowledging that Clinton took trips on Epstein’s plane tied to Clinton Foundation work, briefly visited Epstein’s New York home, and met him in a Clinton office in New York.
Additional relationship markers complicate Hillary Clinton’s claim that she does not recall ever encountering Epstein. Epstein visited the White House multiple times during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding, though Democrats said Hillary Clinton described her as “a guest of a guest” and said she did not really know or speak with her.
A 2002 statement from Bill Clinton’s spokesperson also described Epstein as “a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets.”
A further conflict appears in a 2011 email excerpt from the infamous Epstein files. In that exchange, Epstein wrote, “Hey Hillary Clinton is much prettier in person” to a redacted email address.
After Hillary, Bill Clinton is scheduled to appear the next day.
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