Hillary Clinton told reporters Thursday that her husband's association with Jeffrey Epstein "ended several years before anything about Epstein's criminal activities came to life," as she emerged from a roughly six-hour closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, N.Y., ahead of former President Bill Clinton's scheduled testimony on Feb. 27.
The deposition is part of a congressional inquiry examining federal handling of the Epstein investigation, including his 2008 plea agreement and his 2019 death in federal custody. Lawmakers issued subpoenas in July 2025 seeking testimony and records from individuals connected to Epstein's network and to institutions that may have interacted with him.
Speaking briefly after the session, Mrs. Clinton described the questioning as "long" and "repetitive," saying she answered to the best of her ability. In a public statement, she said she had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and did not recall ever meeting him. She also said she never flew on his plane or visited any of his properties.
Regarding Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, Mrs. Clinton said she knew Maxwell "casually as an acquaintance" through public events but had no awareness of her criminal conduct.
During an exchange with reporters outside the deposition site, Mrs. Clinton was asked about photographs of her husband appearing in files tied to the Epstein investigation. She replied, "I think the chronology of the connection that he had with Epstein ended several years before anything about Epstein's criminal activities came to life."
According to multiple media accounts of the closed-door session, Mrs. Clinton frequently responded "I don't know" when questioned about specific details related to Epstein's alleged connections to the Clinton Foundation or the Clinton Global Initiative. On several occasions, she reportedly said, "You'll have to ask my husband," deferring questions about Mr. Clinton's personal interactions.
Public records and previously reported flight logs show that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's private jet multiple times between 2002 and 2003. Media reviews over the years have cited at least 16 trips during that period, often associated with foundation work and international initiatives involving global health and economic development.
Additional records indicate that Epstein visited the White House during Mr. Clinton's presidency in the 1990s, according to visitor logs. In 2019, following Epstein's arrest, a spokesperson for the former president said he "knows nothing about the terrible crimes" committed by Epstein and had not been in contact with him for well over a decade prior to the arrest. The spokesperson also said Mr. Clinton had never visited Epstein's private island.
Neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has indicated that members expect Mr. Clinton's testimony to clarify the nature, timing and scope of his interactions with Epstein. The focus, lawmakers have said, extends beyond personal association to broader questions about institutional awareness and federal oversight during earlier stages of the Epstein investigation.
