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The testimony stems from a unanimous vote last July to subpoena the former first couple. When the Clintons initially refused to comply, the committee in January escalated the situation, voting to hold them in contempt—a move that could have led to a criminal referral to the Justice Department had it progressed to a full House vote.
It was only after this pressure that the Clintons agreed to participate.
Hillary Clinton has consistently maintained that she did not personally know Epstein, though she admitted having encountered his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.
“We have a very clear record that we’ve been willing to talk about, which my husband has said he took some rides on Epstein’s airplane for his charitable work,” Hillary told the BBC. “I don’t recall ever meeting him.”
She continued, “They are accused, and in both cases, were convicted, of horrific crimes against girls and women. That should be the focus.”
Both Clintons have long insisted they were unaware of Epstein’s abuse and that they severed ties well before the full extent of his crimes became public. They have also publicly demanded that all Epstein-related files be released in full.
“We have nothing to hide,” Hillary told the BBC. “We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly. We think sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
Republicans, however, made it clear they would not allow the Clintons to avoid giving sworn testimony indefinitely.
In a January letter explaining their initial refusal to cooperate, the Clintons wrote, “Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences. For us, now is that time.”
Hillary Clinton also called for the depositions to be conducted publicly, accusing committee Republicans of using the matter as political theater.
“For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath. They ignored all of it,” she wrote on social media. “So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight … let’s have it—in public.”
Committee Republicans countered, noting that while the Clintons’ legal team agreed to deposition terms at the last moment, they later objected to standard procedures for recording video.
Bill Clinton’s name has appeared repeatedly in documents related to Epstein, including flight logs that show he used Epstein’s private jet, though he has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island. Importantly, appearing in these files does not automatically imply criminal wrongdoing, and no one besides Maxwell has been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes.
