Bill Clinton Will Face Lawmakers’ Questions over Epstein Ties/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Former President Bill Clinton is testifying before the House Oversight Committee about his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers are examining Clinton’s documented ties to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, though he has not been accused of wrongdoing. The deposition has sparked calls from Democrats to also question President Donald Trump and other officials with past Epstein connections.
Bill Clinton testifies over Epstein connections Quick Looks
- Bill Clinton is giving a closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York.
- It marks the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to testify before Congress.
- The session follows Hillary Clinton’s deposition a day earlier.
- Clinton has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
- Lawmakers are reviewing his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
- Republicans say they want answers about Clinton’s knowledge of Epstein’s activities.
- Democrats argue the investigation should also examine President Trump’s past ties to Epstein.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick could also face questioning.
Deep Look: Bill Clinton Will Face Lawmakers’ Questions over Epstein Ties
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton appeared Friday for a closed-door deposition before members of the House Oversight Committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, answering questions about his past association with the financier more than two decades ago.
The deposition, held in Chappaqua, New York, marks an unprecedented moment: it is the first time a former U.S. president has been compelled to testify before Congress. The appearance comes one day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat for her own session with lawmakers.
Bill Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. However, his relationship with Epstein and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been well documented, particularly during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
A Documented Relationship
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida involving solicitation of a minor and later died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges, maintained relationships with numerous political and business figures over the years.
During Clinton’s presidency, Epstein visited the White House multiple times. After Clinton left office, the two traveled together on several international trips connected to philanthropic and humanitarian efforts. Photographs released in the Justice Department’s initial batch of Epstein-related files last year showed Clinton on a plane alongside a woman whose face was redacted, as well as images of Clinton and Maxwell in social settings.
Despite those documented interactions, Clinton has consistently said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct at the time they associated.
Hillary Clinton told lawmakers in her deposition that she expected her husband to testify he was unaware of Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls. She also said she believed the relationship between Clinton and Epstein ended years before the full scope of Epstein’s crimes became public.
“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,” she said after her testimony.
Republican Push for Accountability
Republicans on the Oversight Committee have long sought the opportunity to question the former Democratic president under oath.
“The Clintons haven’t answered very many, if any, questions about their knowledge or involvement with Epstein and Maxwell,” said Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the committee’s chairman. He emphasized that no one is currently accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing but argued that transparency is necessary.
Calls to scrutinize Clinton intensified after Epstein’s 2019 death, which fueled widespread speculation and conspiracy theories about his powerful connections. For years, Republican lawmakers have argued that Clinton’s documented ties warranted formal congressional questioning.
Comer has said he intends to conduct extensive questioning and indicated that Hillary Clinton frequently deferred Epstein-related inquiries to her husband during her deposition.
Democrats Call for Broader Scope
Democrats on the committee have supported the effort to question Bill Clinton but argue the investigation should not stop there.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said the precedent of compelling a former president to testify should apply equally to President Donald Trump, who also had a past association with Epstein.
“We’re demanding immediately that we ask President Trump to testify in front of our committee,” Garcia said.
Comer dismissed that idea, noting that Trump has addressed questions about Epstein from the press.
Democrats have also raised concerns about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who lived near Epstein in New York and has acknowledged past interactions with him. Lutnick has said he severed ties with Epstein after visiting his home in 2005 and feeling disturbed by what he saw. However, records released publicly show Lutnick attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home and had lunch with him on his private island in 2012.
Garcia said Lutnick should appear before the committee or resign, arguing that anyone with documented ties to Epstein should be scrutinized. Comer responded that it was “very possible” Lutnick could be called to testify.
Broader Questions of Accountability
The depositions of the Clintons reflect broader questions about accountability in cases involving powerful figures who maintained connections with Epstein after his 2008 plea agreement. Around the world, high-profile individuals have faced consequences for similar associations.
In Washington, lawmakers from both parties say the goal is to better understand how Epstein maintained access to influential people and why earlier legal actions did not prevent further abuse.
For Bill Clinton, the testimony represents another chapter in a political life shaped by investigations and public scrutiny. For Congress, it underscores the continuing effort to unravel the full scope of Epstein’s network — and to determine whether associations, even absent criminal conduct, merit public explanation.
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