- the Clintons challenged the committee’s subpoenas, arguing they were politically motivated
- Hillary Clinton expressed frustration that the proceedings were not open to the public
- Clinton said she and her husband supported the full release of relevant documents
Hillary Clinton has told a congressional committee she was unaware of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities and urged lawmakers to require President Donald Trump to testify under oath about his past connections to the disgraced financier.
After testifying for several hours in a private session with the House Oversight Committee investigating matters related to Epstein, the former US secretary of state spoke to reporters, while her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is set to appear before the panel on Friday, Eko Hot Blog gathered.
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Initially, the Clintons challenged the committee’s subpoenas, arguing they were politically motivated. However, they later agreed to cooperate as the possibility of contempt-of-Congress proceedings arose. Both the Clintons and Trump have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Speaking to reporters after her deposition, Hillary Clinton expressed frustration that the proceedings were not open to the public, saying transparency would have spared her from having to describe the session herself.
She said she wanted the full facts to emerge and welcomed what she described as serious lines of questioning from Committee Chairman James Comer.
At the same time, she criticised Republican members of the panel for not posing similar questions to other individuals who had been deposed in connection with Epstein or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a written statement released ahead of the hearing, Clinton said she had no knowledge of Epstein or Maxwell’s criminal conduct. She added that she did not recall meeting Epstein, nor visiting any of his properties or travelling on his aircraft.
During the session, proceedings were briefly halted after a photograph taken inside the room was shared publicly.
Democrats on the committee accused Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of breaching rules by circulating the image. Boebert said the photo was taken before the deposition began.
Clinton later said her team sought assurances that no further rules would be violated before continuing.
Democratic lawmakers who addressed reporters during a break defended Clinton and suggested the inquiry had produced little new information.
Congressman Robert Garcia called for the full transcript of her testimony to be released promptly and renewed calls for Trump to appear before the committee.
In a recent interview, Clinton said she and her husband supported the full release of relevant documents, arguing that transparency was essential.
She acknowledged meeting Maxwell on a few occasions, including at her daughter Chelsea’s wedding in 2010, but maintained she never met Epstein.
Chairman Comer said securing testimony from the Clintons was part of a bipartisan effort to demonstrate that no one is above the law.
After Thursday’s session, he described the process as long overdue and said most questions had been answered, though some responses left members seeking further clarification.
Bill Clinton’s appearance will mark a rare instance of a former US president testifying before Congress, the first such event since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
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