Former U.S. President Bill Clinton recently underwent a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee, vehemently denying any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. In his testimony, Clinton asserted, "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong," maintaining that his acquaintance with the late paedophile financier was brief and ended years before Epstein's illicit activities came to light. He stressed that he never witnessed any indication of wrongdoing during their limited interactions.

Clinton, 79, told investigators he did not recall much about his association with Epstein, indicating he would frequently use the phrase "I do not recall" during questioning. He emphasized his oath not to speculate or "play detective" two decades later, stating it would not aid the committee's search for truth. He further explained that Epstein had hidden his crimes "so well for so long," and as someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, he would have reported Epstein immediately if he had any inkling of his activities, asserting he "would have turned him in myself."

Millions of Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice have included photographs featuring Mr. Clinton. These images show him grinning with a young woman on his lap on what appears to be a private jet, reclining in a hot tub beside a woman whose face is redacted, and looking relaxed with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell. Records also indicate Epstein visited the White House 17 times between 1993 and 1995, during Clinton's presidency. Clinton has consistently denied any misconduct, and his appearance in these files does not imply wrongdoing.

During his opening remarks, Clinton expressed his belief that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein deserved justice and healing. He also made a personal plea, criticizing the committee for compelling his wife, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, to testify earlier. He argued that Hillary had "nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein," had no memory of meeting him, and neither traveled with him nor visited his properties, deeming her inclusion in the subpoena list "simply not right."

Hillary Clinton, who testified for six hours a day prior to her husband, similarly denied meeting Epstein and criticized the probe as a "fishing expedition," accusing Republicans of using her to distract from Donald Trump. Republican committee member Nancy Mace claimed Mrs. Clinton was "screaming" and "unhinged" during her questioning, a characterization her spokesman strongly refuted. Oversight committee chairman James Comer noted that Mrs. Clinton had deferred at least a dozen questions to her husband.

The deposition marks another instance of embarrassing scrutiny for Bill Clinton, who was impeached during his second term over an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, famously denying, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." During the current questioning, Clinton revived a similar defense when pressed about the hot tub photo, denying having sex with the unidentified woman and stating he did not know her.

The proceedings have sparked a debate over setting precedents for former presidents to testify. Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia called for Donald Trump to testify under oath, arguing that Republicans had set a new precedent. Trump, who has denied being friends with Epstein and claims the files "completely exonerate" him, rebuked his Republican allies for deposing Clinton, stating, "I like him" and "I don't like seeing him deposed, but they certainly went after me." Chairman Comer, however, stated that Clinton had absolved Trump, a characterization immediately challenged by Garcia, who suggested new questions about Trump's past comments.

Clinton confirmed flying on Epstein's plane in 2002 and 2003 for his Foundation's philanthropic work, noting the plane's capacity for his staff and Secret Service detail. He denied ever visiting Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St James, a claim corroborated by Ghislaine Maxwell in an interview with the Justice Department. Epstein was found dead by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges, while Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence as his convicted co-conspirator.