Former President Bill Clinton Completes Six-Hour Deposition on Epstein Ties Before House Oversight Committee

Former President Bill Clinton appeared for more than six hours of closed-door questioning yesterday at his home before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, becoming the first former U.S. president in decades to testify under congressional subpoena regarding his past association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The session, held February 27, 2026, focused on Clinton’s documented interactions with Epstein, including flights on the financier’s private aircraft and social encounters in the United States and abroad. Clinton, who has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct, opened the deposition with a prepared statement that he later released publicly via video on his X account.

In the statement and during questioning, Clinton reiterated that he had no awareness of Epstein’s illegal activities. He described their acquaintance as brief and social, ending years before Epstein’s crimes became widely known – specifically before Epstein’s 2008 plea agreement in Florida. Clinton emphasized his personal history with domestic abuse in his upbringing, stating he would have immediately reported Epstein had he suspected wrongdoing rather than accept any leniency.

He expressed support for the complete public release of all Epstein-related files to assist victims and prevent future abuses, while criticizing the committee’s inquiry as politically driven. Clinton also defended his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who testified the previous day and stated she had no recollection of meeting Epstein, never flew on his plane, and had no knowledge of his offenses. He called subpoenaing her “simply not right” given the absence of documented ties.

Lawmakers questioned Clinton at length about recently released Justice Department files, including photographs showing him with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. One widely circulated image depicted Clinton in a hot tub with an unidentified woman; sources familiar with the session said he denied knowing her identity or engaging in any improper conduct. He addressed flight logs documenting multiple trips on Epstein’s aircraft, insisting nothing inappropriate occurred during those limited interactions.

Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) characterized the testimony as “productive,” noting Clinton stated President Donald Trump had never indicated involvement with Epstein’s wrongdoing. Republican members appeared satisfied this resolved any need for further inquiry into Trump. Democrats pushed back, arguing the session set a precedent for high-profile figures – including Trump – to testify under oath, and disputed characterizations of Clinton’s remarks on Trump’s Epstein connections.

The Epstein investigation has stretched over years, driven by periodic document releases that mention numerous prominent individuals but have yielded no major new criminal revelations implicating Clinton. He has previously advocated transparency, providing sworn statements and agreeing to testify after initial reluctance.

Public reaction split sharply along partisan lines. Supporters portrayed Clinton’s cooperation as evidence of accountability; critics – citing his 1998 perjury conviction in the Monica Lewinsky matter – questioned the credibility of his repeated denials and anticipated “I don’t recall” responses given the passage of time.

The depositions of both Clintons appear to have generated more political theater than substantive new evidence in a case that continues to fuel polarization. The committee is reviewing transcripts and video, with release expected soon. Attention may now turn to whether additional witnesses, potentially including Trump, will face similar scrutiny.