...
By Gabe Whisnant
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Former President Bill Clinton released an opening statement ahead of his six-hour, closed-door testimony Friday before members of Congress investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, answering for his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago.
Clinton posted on X, along with his statement, "As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing — I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals."
“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media at the outset of the deposition.
Read More on News
Bill Clinton's Opening Statement: What He Said
Clinton, appearing in Chappaqua, New York, told House Oversight Committee members on Friday that he appeared voluntarily because “no person is above the law, even presidents,” and said his testimony was intended to help restore public trust and aid victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton said he was there to “offer what little I know” so that similar crimes could be prevented, while stressing that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s conduct at the time and ended his association with him years before the financier’s crimes became public.
Clinton forcefully defended his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying it was “simply not right” for the committee to compel her appearance on Thursday, insisting she “had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein” and had no memory of meeting him.
“Before we start, I have to get personal,” Bill Clinton says in his statement. “You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing. She has no memory of even meeting him. She neither traveled with him nor visited any of his properties.”
He continues: “Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right.”
He repeatedly denied any wrongdoing of his own, telling lawmakers, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” and said he would not speculate or guess under oath, even if his answers were unsatisfying.
Clinton also told lawmakers that, just as he’s bound in sworn testimony, “each and every one of you owes nothing less than truth and accuracy to the American people.”
Clinton said he was prepared to answer questions truthfully “consistent with the facts as I know them,” adding, “With that, Mr. Chairman, fire away.”
...
Why Is Bill Clinton Testifying?
Clinton appeared Friday for a closed‑door deposition before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the network of powerful figures who maintained ties to him before his crimes became public. Lawmakers say the inquiry is focused on accountability and transparency rather than alleging criminal wrongdoing by Clinton.
Committee Chairman Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky told reporters Friday, “No one’s accusing anyone of any wrongdoing. But I think the American people have a lot of questions.” He added that people of “great power and great wealth” had often avoided accountability in the Epstein case, and that Congress has a responsibility to examine how that happened.
Clinton has not been accused of criminal conduct and has repeatedly said he was unaware of Epstein’s sexual abuse at the time they knew each other. Still, his relationship with Epstein and Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell — including documented travel in the late 1990s and early 2000s — has made him a central figure in the committee’s review. The deposition marks the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to testify before Congress, according to committee officials.
Democrats on the panel supported questioning both Clintons but argued that the investigation should be applied consistently. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat, said the precedent set by the depositions should extend to other public figures with documented ties to Epstein, including President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“I think that President Trump needs to man up, get in front of this committee and answer the questions and stop calling this investigation a hoax,” said Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, on Friday.
Republicans countered that Trump has addressed questions from the press, though Democrats said congressional testimony under oath is fundamentally different.
However, on Friday morning, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina joined in calling for the commerce secretary to come before the committee.
“I believe we will have the votes to subpoena him,” Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said.
...
What Happened in Hillary Clinton’s Testimony?
Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, testified Thursday before the same committee, appearing voluntarily for a closed‑door deposition that preceded her husband’s appearance by one day. In her testimony, she said she had no knowledge of Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and no recollection of ever meeting him, according to statements from lawmakers present.
She also told the committee that she expected her husband to testify consistently with his longstanding public account — that he had no awareness of Epstein’s crimes at the time of their association and ended contact years before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea. “I think the chronology of the connection that he had with Epstein ended several years before anything about Epstein’s criminal activities came to light,” Hillary Clinton said after her deposition.
Lawmakers said her testimony included repeated deferrals to her husband on questions about Epstein, with Comer later saying she directed members to ask Bill Clinton about the nature of those interactions. The committee said it is working to release a transcript and video recording of her deposition, subject to committee rules.
The proceeding was briefly paused after Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado shared a photograph of Hillary Clinton taken during the closed‑door deposition with a conservative influencer, who posted it on social media. Committee officials said the action violated deposition rules prohibiting photography and public dissemination of images from private proceedings.
Republicans and Democrats offered sharply different accounts Friday of Hillary Clinton’s closed‑door testimony before the House Oversight Committee.
Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Clinton was “screaming” during Thursday’s deposition, telling reporters outside the hearing room that she hoped former President Bill Clinton would be “less unhinged than his wife was yesterday.”
Democrats rejected Mace’s characterization. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat, said the comments underscored the need for Comer to release the “full, unedited” video of the proceedings. Garcia noted that the Clintons had sought to testify publicly but that Comer required the depositions to be conducted in private.
Garcia called the Republican line of questioning a “disgrace,” saying it focused on long‑standing “conspiracy theories,” and praised Hillary Clinton for agreeing to appear. He reiterated that Democrats continue to push for open hearings “so that you can hear the questions and the answers directly.”
...
Updates: 2/27/26, 5 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 2/27/26, 6:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines