Bill Clinton Faces Grilling From Lawmakers Over His Connections To Jeffrey Epstein

WASHINGTON — Former President Clinton is testifying Friday earlier members of Congress investigating convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein, answering for his connections to nan disgraced financier from much than 2 decades ago.

The closed-door deposition successful Chappaqua, N.Y., will people nan first clip a erstwhile president has been compelled to attest to Congress. It comes a time aft Clinton’s wife, erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sat pinch lawmakers for her ain deposition.

Bill Clinton has besides not been accused of immoderate wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are grappling pinch what accountability successful nan United States looks for illustration astatine a clip erstwhile men astir nan world person been toppled from their high-powered posts for maintaining their connections pinch Epstein aft he pleaded blameworthy successful 2008 to authorities charges successful Florida for soliciting adultery from an underage girl.

Hillary Clinton told lawmakers that she had nary knowledge of really Epstein had sexually abused underage girls and had nary recollection of moreover gathering him. But Bill Clinton will person to reply questions connected a well-documented narration pinch Epstein and his erstwhile woman Ghislaine Maxwell, moreover if it was from nan precocious 1990s and early 2000s.

Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she expected her hubby to attest that he had nary knowledge of Epstein’s intersexual maltreatment astatine nan clip they knew each other.

Republicans were relishing nan opportunity to scrutinize nan erstwhile Democratic president nether oath.

“The Clintons haven’t answered very many, if any, questions astir their knowledge aliases engagement pinch Epstein and Maxwell,” Rep. James Comer, nan Republican chair of nan House Oversight Committee, said Thursday.

“No one’s accusing, astatine this moment, nan Clintons of immoderate wrongdoing,” he added.

Republicans yet get a chance to mobility Bill Clinton

Republicans person wanted to mobility Bill Clinton astir Epstein for years, particularly arsenic conspiracy theories arose pursuing Epstein’s 2019 termination successful a New York jailhouse compartment while he faced activity trafficking charges.

Those calls reached a fever transportation precocious past twelvemonth erstwhile respective photos of nan erstwhile president surfaced successful nan Department of Justice’s first merchandise of lawsuit files connected Epstein and Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted of activity trafficking successful December 2021 but maintains she’s innocent. Bill Clinton was photographed connected a level seated alongside a woman, whose look is redacted, pinch his limb astir her. Another photograph showed Clinton and Maxwell successful a excavation pinch different personification whose look was redacted.

Epstein besides visited nan White House respective times during Clinton’s presidency, and nan brace later made respective world trips together for their humanitarian work.

In nan lead-up to nan deposition, Bill Clinton has insisted he had constricted knowledge astir Epstein and was unaware of immoderate intersexual maltreatment he committed.

“I deliberation nan chronology of nan relationship that he had pinch Epstein ended respective years earlier thing astir Epstein’s criminal activities came to light,” Hillary Clinton said astatine nan conclusion of her deposition Thursday.

Comer has pledged extended questioning of nan erstwhile president. He claimed that Hillary Clinton had many times deferred questions astir Epstein to her husband.

Has a precedent been set?

Democrats, who person supported nan push to get answers from Bill Clinton, are arguing that it sets a precedent that should besides use to President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his ain narration pinch Epstein.

“We’re demanding instantly that we inquire President Trump to attest successful beforehand of our committee and beryllium deposed successful beforehand of Oversight Republicans and Democrats,” Rep. Robert Garcia, nan apical Democrat connected nan committee, said Thursday.

Comer has pushed backmost connected that idea, saying that Trump has answered questions connected Epstein from nan press.

Democrats are besides calling for nan resignation of Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick was a longtime neighbour of Epstein successful New York City but said connected a podcast that he severed ties pinch Epstein pursuing a 2005 circuit of Epstein’s location that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.

The nationalist merchandise of lawsuit files showed that Lutnick really had 2 engagements pinch Epstein years later. He attended a 2011 arena astatine Epstein’s home, and successful 2012 his family had luncheon pinch Epstein connected his backstage island.

“He should beryllium removed from agency and astatine a minimum should travel earlier nan committee,” Garcia said of Lutnick.

Comer connected Thursday said that it was “very possible” that Lutnick would beryllium called to testify.

Groves writes for nan Associated Press.