Former President Bill Clinton sat down with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, on Friday, February 27, to give his long-awaited testimony about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
- Why Clinton Testified
- Defending Hillary: A Personal Rebuke
- Maintaining Innocence: What Clinton Said About Epstein
- Drawing on Personal History: Domestic Abuse Reference
- Swipes at the Republican Committee
- The Memory Problem: Why Clinton Said ‘I Don’t Recall’
- The Boebert Incident: Chaos During Hillary’s Testimony
- The Clintons’ Previous Refusal to Testify
- Timeline of Events
- Key Quotes from Bill Clinton’s Statement
While his deposition was closed to the press, Clinton released his powerful opening statement on social media as the hearing began. After the testimony concluded, he posted a video reading most of his opening statement while explaining why he agreed to appear.
Why Clinton Testified
“I’m here today for two reasons,” Clinton began in his statement.
“The first is that I love my country. And America was built upon the idea that no person is above the law, even Presidents — especially Presidents.”
His words set the tone for a testimony that would blend personal emotion with pointed criticism of the Republican-led committee.
Defending Hillary: A Personal Rebuke
Before addressing his own connections to Epstein, Clinton took aim at the committee for forcing his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to testify the day prior.
While Bill Clinton appears in photographs from the Department of Justice’s trove of Epstein evidence, Hillary does not. She stated in her testimony that she never associated with the convicted sex offender.
“Before we start, I have to get personal,” Clinton, 79, said.
“You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing. She has no memory of even meeting him. She neither traveled with him nor visited any of his properties.”
He continued with clear frustration: “Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right.”
Maintaining Innocence: What Clinton Said About Epstein
Clinton went on to repeat his long-standing claim that he had “no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing.”
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding his relationship with the financier, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
“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 stated.
“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.”
Drawing on Personal History: Domestic Abuse Reference
In one of the most striking portions of his statement, Clinton connected the Epstein case to his own childhood experiences.
“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,” he said.
He maintained that even with perfect hindsight, he saw nothing suspicious at the time.
“But even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me pause. We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long. And by the time it came to light with his 2008 guilty plea, I had long stopped associating with him.”
Swipes at the Republican Committee
The former president did not hide his feelings about the committee conducting the deposition.
“Since I am under oath, I will not falsely state that I am looking forward to your questions,” he quipped.
“But I am ready to answer them to the best of my abilities, consistent with the facts as I know them: the legitimate, the logical, and even the outlandish.”
The Memory Problem: Why Clinton Said ‘I Don’t Recall’
Clinton acknowledged that his answers might frustrate investigators, but he defended his limitations.
“You’ll often hear me say that I don’t recall. That might be unsatisfying. But I’m not going to say something I’m not sure of,” he asserted.
“This was all a long time ago. And I am bound by my oath not to speculate, or to guess. This is not merely for my benefit, but because it doesn’t help you for me to play detective 24 years later.”
The Boebert Incident: Chaos During Hillary’s Testimony
Both Clintons’ testimonies are being recorded and could be released later at the discretion of committee Chairman James Comer.
But the public got an inside look at Hillary’s testimony on Thursday, February 26, when Republican Representative Lauren Boebert secretly took photos inside the deposition and sent them to far-right podcaster Benny Johnson, who posted them on social media.
The hearing came to a halt. Hillary reportedly requested that the press be allowed in after Boebert broke the closed-door rules. But Comer reportedly would not allow it.
The Clintons’ Previous Refusal to Testify
Last month, the Clintons released a lengthy public letter announcing their refusal to appear for their originally scheduled testimonies. They acknowledged it might lead Comer to hold them in contempt.
“We’ve tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” they wrote.
“If the Government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be the focus of your work — to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again.”
They added with clear frustration: “You accepted the least from those who know the most but demand the most from those who know the least. To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre.”
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Jeffrey Epstein pleads guilty to state charges in Florida |
| 2019 | Epstein arrested on federal sex trafficking charges; dies in prison |
| January 2026 | Clintons release letter refusing to testify initially |
| February 26, 2026 | Hillary Clinton testifies; Boebert leaks photos |
| February 27, 2026 | Bill Clinton testifies; releases opening statement |
Key Quotes from Bill Clinton’s Statement
On why he testified:
“I’m here today for two reasons. The first is that I love my country. And America was built upon the idea that no person is above the law, even Presidents — especially Presidents.”
On Hillary being subpoenaed:
“You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing. She has no memory of even meeting him.”
On what he knew:
“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.”
On his childhood experience:
“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.”
On not remembering details:
“You’ll often hear me say that I don’t recall. That might be unsatisfying. But I’m not going to say something I’m not sure of.”
