‘I had no idea’: Hillary Clinton tells Congress she did not know about Epstein's crimes

Washington: Hillary Clinton told members of Congress she had no information about the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and did not recall ever meeting Epstein, as she gave more than six hours of testimony in a closed-door deposition.

“I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein,” Clinton said in an opening statement shared on social media. “Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes.”

The deposition in Chappaqua, New York, marked the first of two days of testimony from the Clintons before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein’s network and past prosecutorial decisions. It will also be the first time a former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, is compelled to testify before Congress.

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Clinton reiterated that while her husband flew on charitable trips connected to Epstein, she did not recall meeting the financier. She acknowledged having encountered Maxwell at events linked to the Clinton Foundation and said Maxwell attended their daughter Chelsea’s 2010 wedding “as a guest of someone else,” adding she knew her only “as an acquaintance.”

The committee’s inquiry comes amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and questions about a 2008 plea deal in Florida that allowed him to avoid federal charges. Committee chairman James Comer had threatened contempt proceedings after the Clintons initially offered sworn statements instead of live testimony.

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Clinton accused Comer of running a partisan probe. “This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official,” she said, arguing the investigation had not held Donald Trump or other Republicans to account.

The deposition was briefly paused after Lauren Boebert sent a photo from the private proceeding to a conservative influencer, violating committee rules. Democrats said the incident underscored the need for a public record, with Rep. Robert Garcia calling for the full video and transcript to be released. Comer said he would work quickly to make them public.

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“The purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein,” Comer said. “How did he accumulate so much wealth? How was he able to surround himself with some of the most powerful men in the world?”

Garcia also urged that Trump testify, saying Bill Clinton’s appearance should set a precedent. “Let’s get President Trump in front of our committee to answer the questions that are being asked across this country from survivors,” he said.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said his caucus would review unredacted Epstein files at the Justice Department and vowed to “pull on every thread” until they “reveal this massive cover-up.”

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.