Former President Bill Clinton told the House investigators on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his past dealings with Jeffrey Epstein. He also said he had “no idea” about Epstein’s crimes, based on accounts from the closed-door deposition in suburban New York.
Clinton appeared under subpoena before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at a performing arts center in Chappaqua, New York, near the Clintons’ home. In his opening remarks, Clinton stated, “I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing,” and added, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
The committee arranged the deposition as part of a Republican-led investigation into the crimes of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as Epstein’s connections with prominent figures. The panel announced that Clinton would testify on February 27, 2026, a day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared for her own deposition.
Bill Clinton also criticized the committee’s choice to force his wife’s testimony. “You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” Clinton said, according to a transcript of his opening statement reported by The Washington Post.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., stated that lawmakers plan to question the Clintons and other subpoenaed witnesses as they examine evidence related to Epstein’s network and influence. In a February 3 statement announcing the scheduled depositions, Comer mentioned that the committee aimed for “transparency and accountability” in its inquiry.
As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have 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. pic.twitter.com/0rX8cat5Pu
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) February 27, 2026
This deposition followed a months-long standoff between the Clintons and the committee. The panel said it initially requested a deposition date in October 2025 and later issued a subpoena for January 13, 2026. When the Clintons did not show up, the committee moved towards contempt proceedings. Both Clintons ultimately agreed to testify after the House Oversight Committee voted in January to recommend contempt findings.
Epstein, once a well-connected financier, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state prostitution-related charges that included a count involving a minor. Federal prosecutors arrested him in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges. He died in federal custody that same year.
In his deposition, Bill Clinton tried to distance himself from Epstein and said he cut off contact years before Epstein’s first guilty plea. He told investigators that even “with 20/20 hindsight,” he did not notice anything that raised concerns, according to the opening statement cited by The Washington Post.
The Oversight Committee has stated that it will conduct the depositions as transcribed, filmed sessions. The committee indicated in its February 3 announcement that it planned to question witnesses under oath as part of its investigation.
Jeffrey Epstein’s association with Clinton appeared to have begun in the early 1990s. Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, but there has been a focus on the association since demands for the Epstein Files release picked up steam.
Despite Trump being named in the Epstein files over 38,000 times, the Oversight Committee has not called for him to testify, nor has the first lady, who has been seen in photographs with Maxwell.
