Hillary Clinton denies knowledge of Epstein crimes, urges oath testimony from Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton told lawmakers she was unaware of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities and urged that Donald Trump be questioned under oath about his past links to the disgraced financier.

Speaking after hours of closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Clinton said she wanted “the truth to come out” and expressed disappointment that the proceedings were not public. She said the holy month-style scrutiny should extend to all individuals named in the case files.

Her husband, Bill Clinton, is scheduled to testify next. The couple had initially challenged the committee’s subpoena as politically driven but agreed to appear amid the threat of contempt proceedings. Both Clintons, as well as Trump, have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

In her statement, Hillary Clinton maintained she never met Epstein, never travelled on his aircraft and never visited any of his properties. She acknowledged having encountered Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on a few occasions, including at her daughter’s 2010 wedding.

The deposition was briefly halted after Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert shared a photograph taken inside the session, prompting objections from Clinton’s team over rules governing closed hearings.

Committee Chairman James Comer said Clinton answered most questions, though some responses left members unsatisfied. Democrats on the panel criticised the inquiry as politically motivated and called for the full transcript to be released.

The investigation centres on documents detailing Epstein’s network of high-profile contacts, though inclusion in the records does not in itself indicate misconduct. Bill Clinton’s upcoming appearance will mark the first time a former US president has testified before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.