In a dramatic Capitol Hill clash that’s already sending shockwaves through Washington, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim at Republicans Thursday, accusing the GOP-led House Oversight Committee of dragging her into the Jeffrey Epstein probe to shield President Donald Trump.
“A committee endeavoring to stop human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008,” she declared in her opening statement.
“But that’s not happening. Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.”
That accusation set the tone for what promises to be a bruising two-day political spectacle in Chappaqua, New York — the Clintons’ adopted hometown — where members of Congress traveled for back-to-back depositions of both Hillary and former President Bill Clinton.
Clinton flatly rejected any suggestion she had knowledge of the disgraced financier’s crimes. “As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities,” she told lawmakers. “I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.”
She added, “Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes. It’s unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.”
Epstein’s infamous 2008 plea deal — widely blasted as a sweetheart arrangement — remains a sore spot for Americans demanding accountability across party lines.
Oversight Chairman James Comer stressed that the committee is not accusing the Clintons of criminal conduct — at least not at this stage.
“No one’s accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing. They’re going to have due process,” Comer told reporters before the deposition began. “But we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.”
Comer predicted marathon sessions. “Today will be a long deposition, I would assume, and tomorrow will be an even longer deposition,” he said.
Rep. Nancy Mace, one of four Republicans who forced a House vote demanding the Justice Department release additional Epstein files, was slated to open the questioning.
Mace — currently mounting a gubernatorial bid in South Carolina — told reporters she plans to press Clinton not only on Epstein’s network but also on names that have surfaced in the files, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Comer also signaled scrutiny of Clinton’s relationship with Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, noting Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding — years after the first wave of allegations against Epstein had become public.
The committee is also expected to examine reported connections between Epstein and the Clinton Foundation.
“Again, we’re not accusing Hillary Clinton of wrongdoing. We know that Jeffrey Epstein said many times in emails that he was the first person to raise money for the Clinton initiative, the Clinton Foundation, that he solicited money at some of his properties for the Clinton Foundation,” Comer said.
“Again, that’s not saying anything illegal, but there are a lot of questions pertaining to Secretary Clinton with respect to Epstein and his involvement in the Clinton initiative and her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Clinton, however, portrayed the probe as political theater. Her prepared remarks accused Republicans of staging a “fishing expedition” rather than pursuing meaningful reform.
“If this committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press giggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement. It would ask him directly, under oath, about the tens of thousands of times who showed up in the Epstein files. If the majority was serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done.”
Neither the Clintons nor Trump have been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Still, the financier’s records have ensnared an array of high-profile names — including tech titan Bill Gates and retail magnate Leslie Wexner — ensuring the political fallout is far from over.
