Hillary Clinton Defends Her Association with Epstein, Calls for Trump's Testimony
In a tense deposition to Congress, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denied ever meeting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and criticized the Republican-led House Oversight Committee's approach to combat sex trafficking12.
Background
The congressional inquiry, which is investigating Epstein's connections with influential figures, had Clinton testifying in a closed-door session345. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is scheduled to testify on Friday167589.
Key Developments
Clinton, who had initially resisted testifying, entered the session defiant, growing irate after a photo from inside the room was leaked by a Republican6. She accused the committee of using her to distract
from President Donald Trump and suggested that they should be focusing on rectifying a system that allowed Epstein to evade justice in 200810.
I never met Jeffrey Epstein, never had any contact, connection or communication with him,
she told the press after the deposition11. She also defended her husband Bill Clinton, stating that his relationship with Epstein was severed before the financier was accused12.
The session was briefly disrupted after a photo of Clinton at the session was posted online by a conservative commentator, causing Clinton's attorneys to halt the deposition13.
Call for Trump's Testimony
Clinton used the opportunity to call for Trump to testify about his own connections to Epstein141516. She accused the committee of trying to protect one public official
— U.S. President Donald Trump1715.
Conclusion
After a grueling six-hour deposition, Clinton criticized Republicans for holding a closed-door session rather than a public hearing and rejected the prospect of testifying again if a public hearing were to be held18. The session concluded with Clinton asserting her lack of knowledge about Epstein's criminal activities19917.
The Epstein probe continues, with former president Bill Clinton scheduled to testify on Friday167589.