Former US President Bill Clinton told lawmakers on Friday that he “saw nothing that gave me pause” during his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, as he delivered closed-door testimony before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee.
The appearance marked the first time a current or former US president has been compelled to testify before Congress.
Clinton and current President Donald Trump both had social connections with Epstein prior to his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Both have repeatedly stated they were unaware of any sex trafficking and neither has been accused by authorities of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.
In his testimony, Clinton said he would not have flown on Epstein’s private plane in the early 2000s if he had known about the alleged abuse of underage girls and would have reported him if he had been aware.
“We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Clinton said, speaking near his home in Chappaqua, New York.
Clinton flew on Epstein’s aircraft several times after leaving office. Recently released Justice Department documents include photographs of Clinton with women whose identities were redacted. “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” he told the committee.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer described the session as cordial and said Clinton had been cooperative.
Clinton also said the committee should not have subpoenaed his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who testified a day earlier. She told lawmakers she did not recall meeting Epstein and had no information regarding his crimes. She also said she was questioned about unrelated topics during the session.
Comer indicated that some of Hillary Clinton’s responses would be reviewed for possible inconsistencies but did not provide details. He also did not rule out the possibility of subpoenaing other public officials connected to Epstein.
Democratic members of the committee argued that the investigation would lack credibility if it did not examine Trump’s past association with Epstein. Trump’s name appears in documents related to the case, and he previously socialized with Epstein before reportedly cutting ties prior to the 2008 conviction. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
At the White House, Trump expressed sympathy for Clinton, saying he did not like seeing him deposed but noted that investigations into himself had been more extensive.
The Clintons agreed to testify after the House threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress for failing to cooperate. They have accused Republicans of conducting a politically motivated inquiry, noting that others involved in the investigation were permitted to submit written statements instead of appearing in person.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide.