Former President Bill Clinton appeared before the House Oversight Committee on February 27, 2026, for a deposition regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The testimony took over four hours. Clinton claimed that his contact with Epstein was limited, that he had no knowledge of any crimes, and that he never received money or special favors from him. Other than a donation of $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation, but he said he did not ask for the donation and does not know why Epstein gave it. Throughout the session, committee members questioned him about his past relationship with and interactions with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate and convicted child sex trafficker. This included social meetings, flights, dinners, donations, and what he knew about Epstein’s criminal activities.
The testimony clarified the timeline of these interactions as well. It also went over disputes over media reporting versus Clinton’s actual statements. According to his statements, the overall timeline of their relationship was that he met Epstein briefly in 2002 and 2003, then stopped contact around 2008, before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea. Clinton explained that he did fly on Epstein’s private jet, but clarified that it was only for business work and never for personal reasons, and that he did attend some dinners with Epstein, but was not able to recall exact occasions or attendance by Maxwell. The media also misrepresented his statements about meeting Epstein. Clinton clarified those media reports; the full statement included trips and visits beyond the media excerpt. He said he never tried to get the press to report on Epstein a certain way, never asked officials to be lenient with Epstein, and Epstein never tried to contact him while in jail.
A big part of the deposition was the questions and clarifications on his knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. He said he did not know the extent of Maxwell’s or Epstein’s wrongdoing at the time and was not aware of “intel operations” or schemes targeting him, and he also added that both Maxwell and Epstein had misled many people, including powerful and smart people. However, he was not personally targeted. On sensitive interactions (massages, young women, intern references), Clinton denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate interest. Clinton even stated, “I had always thought Epstein was odd, but had no inkling of the crimes he was committing.” He insisted that his contact with Epstein was limited to work-related and social events, not criminal matters. There were even allegations of Clinton going to Epstein’s island; however, he stated, “He didn’t have to [deny my presence on his island] since I was never there.” This was in response to the question, “Did Jeffrey Epstein ever tell anyone to lie or deny that you (Clinton) had ever been to his private island?”
In his hours-long testimony, Clinton repeatedly insisted he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities and stressed that his interactions with Epstein and Maxwell were limited and unrelated to their illegal conduct.
Former First Lady Hillary Clinton also had her own testimony regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on February 26, 2026, a day before her husband’s. She firmly denied any personal knowledge of their criminal activities, and she stated she never met Epstein, especially in a way that would give her knowledge of his crimes. She never visited his homes or island, and never flew on his plane. Clinton even criticized the committee for what she called a one-sided and flawed investigation, emphasizing her lifelong advocacy against sex trafficking and her concern for survivors. She stated, “I have spent my life advocating for women and girls… survivors are real, and they are entitled to better.” and “Sex trafficking and modern slavery should have no place in America. None.” She pointed out that the Trump Administration’s cuts to trafficking programs sent a clear message that fighting these crimes was no longer a national priority. Throughout the testimony, Clinton became very upset and frustrated with the committee, accusing them of wasting time and keeping key information hidden from the public. She also asked about the legality of photos being taken during her