Bill Clinton Testifies in Epstein Deposition, Says 'I Saw Nothing, I Did Nothing Wrong'
Former President Bill Clinton testified on Friday before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door deposition concerning his previous associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers, "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong."
In his opening statement, Clinton highlighted that his acquaintance with Epstein was brief and concluded "years before his crimes came to light." He declared he had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities, adding, "No matter how many photos you show me, I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see."
Clinton is the first former president to be compelled to testify before Congress, marking a historic milestone. His appearance follows the six-hour deposition of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday, who has stated she does not recall meeting Epstein.
Republicans entered the deposition expressing they had "a lot of questions" for the former president, vowing transparency during the proceedings. Committee Chairman James Comer noted that when asked whether President Donald Trump should also testify, Clinton replied that the decision was for the committee to make.
Democratic members praised Clinton's cooperation, with Ranking Member Robert Garcia stating the former president was "answering tough questions." Democrats immediately called for Trump to testify, citing his frequent appearances in the Epstein files and arguing that Clinton's deposition establishes "a new precedent" for summoning presidents.
Trump, when asked about Clinton's testimony, told reporters: "I don't like seeing him deposed. But they certainly went after me more than that." He has consistently denied wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Clinton acknowledged he would often say "I don't recall" due to the passage of time, which he recognised might be "unsatisfying" to lawmakers. He also criticised the committee's decision to depose Hillary Clinton, stating she "had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein."
The closed-door session in Chappaqua, New York, is part of the committee's ongoing investigation into Epstein's network following the release of thousands of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.