By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has testified behind closed doors before a House committee examining materials connected to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, with lawmakers from both parties describing his deposition as extensive, cooperative, and marked by lengthy responses.
The session, held in Chappaqua, included scheduled breaks during which lawmakers emerged to brief reporters. Members of both parties said Clinton answered questions at length and did not seek to evade scrutiny. However, despite broad agreement on Clinton’s conduct during the deposition, Republicans and Democrats diverged sharply over the political meaning of his testimony, particularly as it relates to President Donald Trump.
Lawmakers emphasized that the deposition itself was not an investigation into Trump. Clinton appeared before the committee to answer questions about his own contacts, travel, photographs, and any knowledge he may have had regarding Epstein and the contents of recently released files. Trump’s name entered the discussion largely through follow-up questioning and post-deposition political interpretation, rather than as a central subject of the inquiry.
Republicans said Clinton’s testimony supports their position that President Trump should be regarded as cleared of any Epstein-related implications. Democrats, however, said the deposition reinforced the need to question Trump directly, arguing that Clinton’s account highlighted unresolved discrepancies rather than providing closure.
One area of focus during the deposition involved differing explanations for why Trump ended his relationship with Epstein. Clinton told the committee that Trump had said he severed ties with Epstein following a failed land deal. That account differs from Trump’s public statements, in which he has said he removed Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club because he viewed him as a “creep”. Lawmakers from both parties acknowledged the discrepancy but disagreed on its significance.
Clinton was also questioned about a photograph contained in the Epstein files showing him seated in a hot tub with an unidentified woman. According to a source familiar with the exchange, Clinton said he did not recall the identity of the woman and denied having slept with her. Lawmakers said Clinton was pressed on the image but maintained his denial throughout the questioning.
Both Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. In statements released ahead of their depositions, both said they had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities at the time of their interactions with him.
While Trump’s name featured prominently in press briefings following the deposition, Democrats made clear that the inquiry extends beyond any single political figure. They confirmed that another individual they are seeking to question is U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Lutnick has faced renewed scrutiny following the release of emails contained in Epstein-related files made public by the U.S. Department of Justice in January. Those emails show that Lutnick, his wife, their four children, and another family planned and later undertook a visit to Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, in 2012.
The disclosed emails appear to contradict statements Lutnick made in an earlier media interview, in which he said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after visiting Epstein’s New York townhouse once. Lutnick has since acknowledged that he and his family did visit the island but has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. A Commerce Department spokesperson has previously said Lutnick has never been charged or formally accused in connection with Epstein.
Democrats involved in the inquiry stressed that Clinton’s cooperation does not signal the conclusion of the investigation. They said the committee is continuing to review documents, assess testimony, and determine whether additional witnesses should be called as part of its broader examination of the Epstein files and related disclosures.
— Newspot Nigeria
