Hillary Clinton Urges That She 'Wants to See Truth Come Out' After Epstein Deposition
hillary clinton concluded a full day of closed-door testimony in the House Oversight Committee's inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers she wants "the truth" to emerge. The session matters now because a photo leak forced an abrupt pause in proceedings and has prompted political defenses and calls for additional testimony.
Hillary Clinton's closed-door testimony
Clinton spent the day answering questions behind closed doors and repeatedly told the committee she has no information about Epstein's crimes and does not recall ever meeting or speaking to him. On several occasions she referred questions about Epstein to her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to give his deposition on Friday.
Photo leak halts proceedings
Lawmakers paused the deposition earlier in the day after a photo taken inside the closed-door session was leaked. Democrats on the Republican-led House Oversight Committee condemned the release, calling it "completely against the rules, " and the leak prompted an immediate interruption of testimony while committee staff addressed the breach.
Democrats defend Clinton before House Oversight Committee
Outside the hearing, Clinton echoed her written opening statement, accusing the Republican-led committee of engaging in "partisan political theater" and urging committee members to request that President Donald Trump testify. Democrats framed the photo release as a procedural violation that undermined the closed-door format, while committee leaders pressed forward with the schedule of depositions.
Bill Clinton set to testify on Friday
Bill Clinton is due to appear before the committee on Friday. He has previously acknowledged taking trips on Jeffrey Epstein's plane but has denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, Epstein's crimes. Chairman James Comer said he was "confident" that the former president's deposition would last even longer than the full day just completed, signaling an expectation of extended questioning.
Ghislaine Maxwell appeared virtually earlier this month
The committee has already heard from other figures connected to the Epstein investigation: Ghislaine Maxwell appeared before the panel virtually earlier this month. The committee plans to release a transcript of today's hearing and a video of Clinton's testimony in the coming days, formalizing the record of both the testimony and the interruption caused by the leaked image.
Clinton maintained there is no suggestion that simply appearing in the millions of files tied to Epstein implies wrongdoing. What makes this notable is that the committee's procedural breach — the leaked photo — interrupted the intended confidentiality of the session and heightened partisan responses, reshaping how the depositions will be perceived publicly.
The Clintons have criticized the hearings overall, arguing they distract from inquiries into President Trump's connections to Epstein and to other friendships the late paedophile maintained. During the session, the former secretary of state repeatedly redirected queries to Bill Clinton; that pattern both framed expectations for his testimony and left unanswered questions for the committee to pursue.
The coverage was edited by Oliver O'Connell and Ann Butler, with Sarah Smith and Nada Tawfik reporting from Chappaqua, New York.
