Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and said he saw no signs of sexual abuse, as he faced hours of questioning over his ties to Epstein more than two decades ago.
“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” Clinton said in an opening statement shared on social media at the start of his deposition in Chappaqua, New York.
The closed-door session marked the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to testify before Congress. It came one day after his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, testified that she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and did not recall ever meeting him.
Although Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing, lawmakers are examining accountability surrounding powerful figures who maintained relationships with Epstein after his 2008 guilty plea in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
Republican Representative James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, said before the deposition that people of wealth and influence had avoided scrutiny for too long and that the American public deserved answers.
Clinton acknowledged that Epstein had hidden his behavior from those around him. He said he ended his association with Epstein well before the 2008 conviction and insisted he would have reported him if he had suspected abuse.
Republicans pressed Clinton over his well-documented interactions with Epstein and Epstein’s former partner Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein had visited the White House multiple times during Clinton’s presidency, and Clinton later traveled with him on humanitarian trips in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Comer said the committee believes Epstein visited the White House 17 times and that Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane 27 times. Photos released in Justice Department files show Clinton with Maxwell and with unidentified women whose faces were redacted.
Democrats argued that Clinton’s testimony sets a precedent that should apply to President Donald Trump, who also had a past relationship with Epstein. Representative Robert Garcia said Trump should appear before the committee and answer questions directly.
Republicans countered that Trump has already addressed questions from the press and does not need to testify before the panel.
Democrats also called for the resignation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over his past contacts with Epstein. Lutnick previously said he cut ties with Epstein in 2005, but newly released files show he attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home and that his family visited Epstein’s private island in 2012.
Representative Nancy Mace questioned Hillary Clinton about Lutnick during her deposition, and lawmakers from both parties signaled support for subpoenaing him to testify.
The committee said it plans to release transcripts and video from the depositions as its investigation into Epstein’s network and political connections continues.
