Former US President Bill Clinton has told a congressional committee he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities during what he described as a “brief acquaintance” with the disgraced financier.
Clinton made the remarks in his opening statement to the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the US government’s handling of the Epstein case. He was subpoenaed after appearing prominently in the first release of select “Epstein files” last year, including undated photographs with Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing,” Clinton said in a statement posted to X. “Not only would I have not 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.”
He added that even in hindsight, he saw nothing during their interactions that raised concerns. “We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Clinton stated, noting that by the time Epstein entered a guilty plea in 2008, he had already cut ties with him.
Clinton’s deposition in New York took place a day after his wife, Hillary Clinton, also appeared before the committee. After her testimony, she criticised what she described as repetitive and unproductive questioning, the committee’s refusal to open the hearing to the media, and its decision not to compel testimony from President Donald Trump.
In his statement, Clinton defended his wife, saying she should not have been required to testify. “Including her was simply not right,” he said, insisting she had no connection to Epstein.
The hearing marks the first time a former US president has testified before a congressional committee under subpoena. The Clintons had initially resisted the move but agreed to appear following a bipartisan push — including support from some Democrats — to hold them in contempt of Congress.
Committee chairman James Comer pointed to Clinton’s past interactions with Epstein, noting that the financier visited the White House multiple times during Clinton’s presidency and that Clinton had flown on Epstein’s plane on several occasions.
Democrats on the panel argued that the investigation should also include President Trump. Congressman Ro Khanna said Clinton’s appearance sets a precedent that current and former presidents must comply with congressional subpoenas.
“Now we have the Clinton rule,” Khanna said. “Presidents and their families have to testify when Congress issues a subpoena.”
