NEED TO KNOW

• Hillary Clinton testified under oath before the House Oversight Committee today, saying she never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his crimes
• Clinton’s opening statement called on lawmakers to investigate DOJ reports that FBI interviews accusing Trump of “heinous crimes” were withheld from the Epstein files
• Both parties claim to want transparency — but neither has fully pursued every lead, and only 2% of Epstein-related DOJ materials have been released publicly

CHAPPAQUA, NY (TDR) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat for a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday, testifying under oath about her knowledge of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities and said she could not recall ever meeting him. But her opening statement — posted in full on X — went far beyond denial. She used the platform to launch a direct attack on President Donald Trump, the Republican-led committee, and the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.

“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.” — Hillary Clinton

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What Clinton’s Statement Actually Said

Clinton’s opening remarks accused the committee of conducting an investigation “designed to protect one political party and one public official” — a reference to Republicans and Trump. She then laid out a series of actions she said a legitimate investigation would take.

A committee committed to transparency, Clinton argued, would “ensure the full release of all the files” and ensure that redactions “protected the victims and survivors, not powerful men and political allies.” She called specifically for the committee to “get to the bottom of reports that DOJ withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accuses President Trump of heinous crimes.”

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Clinton also took a veiled shot at Elon Musk, demanding subpoenas for “anyone who asked on which night there would be the ‘wildest party’ on Epstein’s island.” She criticized DOGE-related cuts to the State Department that she said dismantled teams working on sex trafficking investigations.

The statement referenced an NPR report this week alleging that the Department of Justice had withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump — a claim that Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said the committee was already looking into.

What the Committee Says It’s Investigating

The deposition took place at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New York — negotiated to spare the Clintons the precedent of testifying on Capitol Hill. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to sit for his own deposition Friday, marking the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress.

The committee and the Clintons agreed to five topic areas: alleged mismanagement of the government’s Epstein investigation; the circumstances of Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody; how the government can combat sex trafficking; how Epstein and Maxwell used powerful connections to shield themselves; and potential ethics violations by public officials.

“No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have a lot of questions.” — Rep. James Comer (R-KY)

Comer told reporters the committee was examining how Epstein accumulated wealth, whether he was a government asset, and how he surrounded himself with influential people. He said the video and transcript would be released after all parties approve them.

The deposition was briefly paused after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) sent a photo from the closed-door proceeding to a conservative influencer — violating committee rules that prohibit outside press or photography during depositions.

Both Parties Claim Transparency — Neither Has Delivered

The Clinton deposition exists inside a broader accountability gap that both parties have contributed to.

Democrats point to the DOJ’s handling under AG Pam Bondi, who stated in February 2026 that all materials required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act had been released — even though an estimated 2% of total Epstein-related data was made public. Bondi cited attorney-client privilege for withholding the rest. During her own contentious hearing two weeks ago, Bondi deflected questions and personally attacked Democratic lawmakers. Trump called her performance “fantastic.”

Republicans counter that the Clintons spent months dodging subpoenas, offering sworn statements instead of testimony, and only agreed to appear after a bipartisan contempt vote was imminent. The Clintons initially described the subpoenas as legally invalid and politically motivated before reversing course in February.

Ranking member Robert Garcia (D-CA) said Democrats want to hear from everyone — and set a marker for the future.

“We should be very clear that now that we’re going to hear from former President Clinton, I hope that Chairman Comer and the Republicans will join us in demanding that the person who actually appears more times in the files than the former president, who we want to speak with, is President Donald Trump.” — Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)

Trump himself expressed ambivalence about the Clintons’ depositions: “I hate to see it, in many ways. I hate to see it, but then look at me, they went after me.” Some Trump allies are privately concerned that the precedent could be used to compel Trump or his family to testify in a future Congress.

With 98% of the Epstein files still unreleased and both parties pointing fingers at the other, the investigation has produced depositions, hearings and headlines — but neither full transparency nor accountability for the powerful figures who enabled Epstein’s crimes.

If both parties agree that the Epstein files should be fully released and every connected individual should testify under oath — regardless of party — why hasn’t it happened, and who benefits most from the delay?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from CBS News, NBC News, CNN, The Hill, PBS NewsHour, Al Jazeera, The Mirror, Fox 13, Asianet Newsable, The Daily Wire, and Democracy Docket.

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