Lauren Boebert Image Sparks Disruption as Bill Clinton Testifies He 'Did Nothing Wrong' in Epstein Deposition

Lauren Boebert Image Sparks Disruption as Bill Clinton Testifies He 'Did Nothing Wrong' in Epstein Deposition

Former President Bill Clinton spent more than six hours testifying before a Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Friday, insisting he “did nothing wrong” and saying he had “no idea” about the scope of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes; the previous day’s closed-door deposition of Hillary Clinton was disrupted when an image taken by lauren boebert from inside the proceedings was posted online. The twin depositions and the disruption matter because they mark a high-profile phase of a committee inquiry into Epstein and the network alleged to have facilitated decades of sex trafficking.

Bill Clinton’s deposition: what he said and where it took place

Bill Clinton testified for more than six hours before the Republican-led committee near his home in Chappaqua, N. Y. He told the panel, “I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn’t see, ” adding, “I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn’t do. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong. ” The hearings are part of what the committee describes as a massive investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and the network that helped facilitate his reported decades of sex trafficking.

Lauren Boebert and the hourlong disruption during Hillary Clinton’s deposition

Hillary Clinton’s lengthy deposition on Thursday featured an hourlong disruption after an image taken from inside the closed-door proceedings by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert was posted online. That interruption occurred while the committee was hearing her testimony behind closed doors, and the image’s appearance disrupted what was otherwise intended to be a private session.

Hillary Clinton’s opening statement and public responses

Hillary Clinton released her opening statement to the public on Thursday morning. In that statement she said she did not remember ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein and criticized the committee’s work as fishing expeditions rather than a serious investigation. She wrote that she had been compelled to testify despite having no knowledge that would assist the inquiry and said the compelled testimony was intended to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.

After the hearing, Hillary Clinton told reporters she repeatedly had to say she did not know Jeffrey Epstein. She said she never went to his island, his homes, or his offices, and that those denials are on the record numerous times. She also said the questioning veered into unusual territory late in the session, with questions about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, identified in the testimony as a debunked conspiracy theory.

Committee posture and key comments from the chair

Republican Rep. James Comer, chair of the Oversight Committee, spoke to reporters before Bill Clinton’s deposition, saying, “I think the American people have a lot of questions and our [committee] is committed to getting answers. ” Comer also said on Thursday morning that no one was accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing at that moment but that the committee nonetheless had many questions.

Epstein’s criminal history and the limits of what was addressed

The testimony sits against a backdrop in which Jeffrey Epstein was described in the depositions and committee materials as a wealthy financier who spent time with many of the world’s richest and most powerful men and who was accused of running a sprawling criminal operation that victimized dozens of underage girls over the course of multiple decades. Epstein was convicted in 2008 on two counts of soliciting prostitution in a deal widely viewed as a sweetheart arrangement that spared him more serious punishment. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died by suicide after a little over a month in custody. The context notes that neither Clinton has been accused of being part of Epstein’s many alleged crimes.

What remains unclear in the provided context

The context states that the point of these hearings, Comer said, was to expand the committee’s knowledge of the se—unclear in the provided context. Beyond the remarks and the disruption tied to an image taken by lauren boebert, further procedural details, evidence disclosures, and next steps are unclear in the provided context and may evolve as the committee continues its work.