House Oversight Republicans have released video recordings of depositions from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taken as part of the committee’s review of Jeffrey Epstein-related records.
Both Clintons were questioned separately behind closed doors last week after unsuccessfully challenging subpoenas. Each agreed to testify only after the panel threatened contempt of Congress; they had sought to provide their testimony publicly.
In hours of testimony, both denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct before his 2008 conviction in Florida on state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. In a brief opening statement shared before his session in Chappaqua, N.Y., Bill Clinton said, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Bill Clinton appears in portions of the Epstein materials made public by the committee, including photographs. He told lawmakers he first met Epstein around 2001 or 2002 after leaving the White House, saying former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers introduced them. He described the relationship as cordial rather than a friendship and said he severed ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
Clinton acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s airplane, saying those trips were connected to humanitarian work for the Clinton Foundation. He testified he understood he could use the plane to support AIDS-related work and, in return, would speak with Epstein about economics and politics. He said those conversations did not involve sensitive government matters and that he never witnessed Epstein trafficking women or any abuse of young women or girls.
On a photograph that shows him in a hot tub beside an unidentified person, Clinton said the image was taken on a Clinton Foundation trip to Brunei, that he did not know the other individual and did not engage in sexual activity.
Hillary Clinton told the committee she had never met Epstein, saying she had “no prior relationship” with him and had never communicated with him. She acknowledged knowing Ghislaine Maxwell as a casual acquaintance but said Epstein “wasn’t on my radar” and she could not recall speaking with him.
Republicans framed the video releases as part of their broader probe into Epstein-related records. Democrats on the committee said the fact that both Clintons appeared under subpoena underscores the idea that no one is above the law, and they argued it sets a precedent for similar scrutiny of others, including former President Donald Trump. Trump also appears in the Epstein files and has denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes; Democrats have pointed to missing Epstein-related documents tied to Trump that are not in the public record, as reported by NPR.
Sam Gringlas contributed to this report.