WASHINGTON — Former US President Bill Clinton told lawmakers on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and that he saw no evidence of sexual abuse by him, as he faced hours of questioning about his more than two-decade-old ties to the disgraced financier.
“I didn’t see anything and I didn’t do anything wrong,” said the former Democratic president in an initial statement that he shared on social networks at the beginning of the session.
The closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York, marks the first time a former president has been forced to testify before Congress. It came a day after Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appeared before lawmakers to make her own statement.
Bill Clinton has also not been accused of wrongdoing. Still, lawmakers are grappling with the question of what the international picture of accountability is in the United States, at a time when men around the world have been removed from high positions for maintaining their ties to Epstein after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
“Men — and women, for that matter — of great power and great wealth from around the world have been able to get away with many heinous crimes and have not been held accountable, or even had to answer questions,” Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, declared before Bill Clinton’s statement began.
Hillary Clinton told lawmakers Thursday that she was unaware of how Epstein had sexually abused underage girls, and that she did not remember even meeting him. But Bill Clinton will have to answer questions about a well-documented relationship with Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, even if it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In his opening statement, Bill Clinton noted that he would likely often tell the commission that he did not remember the specific details of events that occurred more than 20 years ago. But he also expressed certainty that he had not witnessed signs of the abuses committed by Epstein.
During a break after two hours of questions, Democratic lawmakers said Bill Clinton had attempted to answer every question and had not invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Still, Republicans relished the opportunity to examine the former Democratic president in a sworn session.
“No one is accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but I think the American people have a lot of questions,” Comer said.
Republicans finally have a chance to question Bill Clinton
Republicans have wanted to question Bill Clinton about Epstein for years, especially as conspiracy theories emerged following Epstein’s 2019 suicide in a New York jail cell while facing sex trafficking charges.
Those exhortations reached a fever pitch late last year, when several photos of the former president appeared in the Justice Department’s first release of case files on Epstein and Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 but maintains her innocence. Bill Clinton was photographed on a plane sitting next to a woman, whose face is censored, with his arm around her. Another photo showed Clinton and Maxwell in a pool with another person whose face was redacted.
Epstein also visited the White House several times during Clinton’s presidency, and the two later made several international trips together for their humanitarian work. Comer alleged that the committee has gathered evidence that Epstein visited the White House 17 times and that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane 27 times.
Democratic lawmakers said they also asked Bill Clinton tough questions about his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
“We’re only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Bill Clinton said in his opening statement. “And by the time he came out with his guilty plea in 2008, I had long since stopped associating with him.”
Comer pledged to thoroughly question the former president, noting that Hillary Clinton had repeatedly delegated questions about Epstein to her husband.
Bill Clinton lashed out at Comer for summoning his wife before the commission, telling him that “including her just wasn’t right.”
The commission is working to quickly release a transcript and video recording of her statement.
Has a precedent been established?
Democrats, who have backed the push for Bill Clinton to provide answers, argue this sets a precedent that should also apply to President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own relationship with Epstein.
“I think President Trump needs to come forward, come before this committee and answer the questions, and stop saying that this investigation is a hoax,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat.
Comer rejected that idea, noting that Trump has fielded questions from the press about Epstein.
Trump expressed regret Friday that Bill Clinton was forced to testify. “I like Bill Clinton, and I don’t like seeing him forced to testify,” he told reporters as he left the White House for Corpus Christi, Texas.
Democrats are also calling for Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign. He was a longtime neighbor of Epstein’s in New York City, but said on a podcast that he severed ties with Epstein after a tour of Epstein’s home in 2005 that was disturbing for Lutnick and his wife.
The release of case files showed that Lutnick actually had two encounters with Epstein years later. She attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home, and in 2012 her family had lunch with Epstein on his private island.
“He should be removed from office and, at a minimum, he should appear before the commission,” Garcia stated of Lutnick.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace questioned Hillary Clinton about Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein during Thursday’s deposition. On Friday morning, Mace joined calls for the Commerce Secretary to appear before the committee.
“I think we will have the votes to call it,” said Democratic Representative Ro Khanna.
