WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified Thursday before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the crimes of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, stating she had no prior knowledge of his criminal activities and limited contact with his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Clinton addressed reporters following a closed-door deposition, reiterating that she “had no idea” about the extent of Epstein’s crimes. She firmly denied any connection or communication with Epstein himself. “I never met Jeffrey Epstein, never had any contact, connection or communication with him,” she stated. “I never went to his island, I never went to his home, I never went to his offices.”
While acknowledging she knew Maxwell, Clinton characterized their relationship as a casual acquaintance. She explained Maxwell’s presence at her daughter Chelsea’s 2010 wedding was as a guest of another invitee, not as a personal friend of the family.
The deposition, Clinton said, became “repetitive” and at times veered into unrelated territory. She criticized Republican lawmakers for what she described as a shift towards “partisan political theater,” alleging questions eventually included topics like UFOs and the debunked “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory.
Clinton also addressed questions regarding her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and his past association with Epstein. She maintained that his contact with Epstein ended years before Epstein’s crimes came to light in the late 2000s, suggesting many individuals had similar limited knowledge at the time. “I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with him before his criminal pleas in ‘08 were like most people,” she said. “They did not know what he was doing.”
Former President Clinton is scheduled to appear before the committee Friday. The committee has indicated footage from both depositions will be released publicly at a later date.
The inquiry stems from recently unsealed court documents detailing Maxwell’s involvement in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein, and her failure to appear for a deposition in a civil lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. The committee justified its subpoena to Clinton based on the assumption she possessed information relevant to the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal activities, according to Clinton’s own statement.
