Pizzagate: Bill Clinton testifies one day after Hillary’s deposition

Former President Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee one day after his wife, Hillary Clinton, was deposed in the Epstein probe. The word pizzagate appears in broader conversation around the case — unclear in the provided context.

Clinton’s closed-door testimony

Clinton was deposed for about six hours in a closed-door setting, answering questions from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. He told members, “I saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong, ” and criticized the panel for making his wife sit for a deposition.

In his opening statement, which he posted on a social platform, Clinton said that “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. ”

Timeline and deposition details

The deposition of Bill Clinton took place one day after the committee had questioned Hillary Clinton for a similar amount of time about what she knew about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and co‑conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. The Clintons had earlier told the committee in sworn declarations last month that they had “no personal knowledge” of any “criminal activities” by Epstein or Maxwell.

Clinton acknowledged knowing and traveling with Epstein but said his wife had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein” and “no memory of even meeting him. ” He told the panel, “Whether you subpoena 10 people or 10, 000, including her was simply not right. ”

Oversight chair and members react

Oversight Chair James Comer, R‑Ky., told reporters outside the venue in Chappaqua, New York that Clinton “answered every question” or “attempted to answer every question” in what Comer called a “very productive” deposition. Comer added, “we learned some things” but “we were hoping to get more, ” and described Clinton as “charming. ”

Comer also told reporters before the deposition, “It’s a historical day for the United States Congress. ” He said, “No one is accusing anyone of any wrongdoing, but I think the American people have a lot of questions and our House Oversight Committee is committed to getting answers. ”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R‑S. C., said Clinton answered questions “even when his attorneys told him to shut up. ” Unlike his wife the day before, Clinton did not speak to reporters after the deposition.

Photographs and Justice Department files

Files related to the Epstein probes released to date include numerous pictures of Bill Clinton with Epstein and Maxwell. In some of those photos, Clinton is shown in a hot tub, swimming in a pool with Maxwell, and sitting at a table with a woman sitting on his leg. The pictures are undated, and it is unclear where they were taken; none suggests any wrongdoing.

During the deposition, a person in the room said Clinton told lawmakers he did not know the woman he was pictured with in a jacuzzi in the Justice Department's release of its files related to Epstein. Clinton said he did not have sex with the woman when asked during his deposition. He also repeatedly said during the deposition that he never visited Epstein’s island.

Pizzagate and public questions

The proceedings have drawn intense interest and commentary; the term pizzagate has surfaced in some public discussion of these developments — unclear in the provided context. Clinton’s opening statement closed with an appeal to the committee and an insistence on candor: “Since I am under oath, I will not falsely state that I am looking forward to your questions. 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. ”

Clinton is the first sitting or former president to testify before members of Congress in more than 40 years. The interview took place in Chappaqua, where the Clintons have a house. Comer said he expects a video and transcript of the Hillary Clinton deposition to be made pub — unclear in the provided context.

The House Oversight Committee’s work, the length and setting of the depositions, and the images released in the probes remain central to ongoing questions raised during testimony.