Former President Bill Clinton repeatedly denied any knowledge of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes as he testified Friday before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door deposition.
Clinton, the first former president compelled to testify to Congress, opened with a prepared statement defending his past interactions with Epstein and said he saw no signs of criminal behavior.
“First, I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. No matter how many photos you show me, I have two things that, at the end of the day, matter more than your interpretation of those 20-year-old photos,” Clinton said.
“I know what I saw and more importantly, what I didn’t see. I know what I did and more importantly, what I didn’t do. I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong,” he added.
Clinton also cautioned lawmakers that “You’ll often hear me say that I don’t recall” in response to decades-old questions and said he would not speculate on events from years past.
“That might be unsatisfying, but I’m not going to say something I’m not sure of. This was all a long time ago, and I’m bound by my oath not to speculate or to guess,” he said.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said Republicans intend to press Clinton with documentary evidence that includes photos, emails, and travel logs. Comer pointed to records showing that Epstein visited the White House 17 times during Clinton’s presidency and that Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane at least 27 times.
Comer said other evidence released by the Justice Department and the Epstein estate will frame his questions.
Clinton has maintained he stopped communicating with Epstein years before Epstein’s 2019 arrest and conviction. There is no allegation that Clinton committed crimes related to Epstein.
The deposition came one day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified she had little memory of ever meeting Epstein and denied any involvement with his activities.
The committee has not released the full transcript or video but is expected to make them public later.
This story is developing…
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
Bill Clinton’s pre deposition Statement.
We’ve seen him lie so many times on video, this time is no different!!
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) February 27, 2026