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Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 15:36 IST
Bill & Hillary Clinton appeared before House Oversight Committee as part of an investigation into criminal network of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. All you need to know, explained
Bill and Hillary Clinton. (AP/PTI File)
Bill and Hillary Clinton have become the first former US presidential couple to testify before a congressional panel since 1983.
They appeared before the House Oversight Committee as part of an investigation into the criminal network of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hillary Clinton’s Testimony
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors before the Republican-led U.S. House Oversight Committee as part of a broader investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a six-hour closed-door deposition, Hillary Clinton stated she had “no idea" about Epstein’s criminal activities and did not recall ever encountering him. She said she did not know about Epstein’s or Maxwell’s criminal conduct and does not recall ever meeting Epstein. She denied flying on Epstein’s plane, visiting his properties, or having relevant information to add to the investigation.
She used her opening statement to accuse the Republican-led committee of “partisan political theater" and called for Donald Trump to be deposed, noting his name appears “tens of thousands of times" in the Epstein files. Clinton reported that towards the end of the session, the questioning shifted to unrelated topics, including UFOs and the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.
The session was briefly paused after Representative Lauren Boebert took a photo of Clinton and sent it to a conservative influencer, violating committee rules for closed-door hearings.
Bill Clinton’s Involvement
Unlike Hillary, Bill Clinton had a well-documented social relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Records show Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s private jet at least 16 times between 2002 and 2003 for Clinton Foundation work. The Department of Justice released photos in late 2025 showing him with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including images of him in a pool and hot tub.
His spokesperson maintained that the former president knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes and cut ties well before Epstein’s 2006 indictment.
The “Epstein Files" and Transparency
The inquiry followed the release of over 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related files by the Justice Department, mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed in 2025.
The Clintons only agreed to testify after the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress.
To date, there has been no suggestion of criminal wrongdoing by either Bill or Hillary Clinton in connection with Epstein’s crimes
The huge trove of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes flight logs, correspondence, photographs, and other records linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s network.
What do the Epstein Files say on Bill and Hillary Clinton?
Bill Clinton appears in flight logs from the early 2000s on Epstein’s plane (often called the “Lolita Express"). Photographs in the files show him with Epstein and with Ghislaine Maxwell in informal settings, but there is no allegation of criminal conduct by Clinton in these documents.
Hillary Clinton’s name is referenced in the files largely in context of news articles and campaign mentions, not as showing evidence of a relationship with Epstein. She has consistently maintained she never met Epstein and had no involvement with his activities.
No credible evidence has emerged from the official documents linking either Hillary or Bill Clinton to Epstein’s crimes. Investigations into the files are ongoing, and so far no charges or criminal allegations have been made against either of them based on the released material.
The probe
The current focus of investigations is primarily on:
The DOJ’s release and redaction of Epstein files, including whether certain documents (especially those mentioning public figures) were improperly withheld.
How Epstein could operate for so long, who in his orbit may have enabled him, and how investigations were handled by authorities.
With CNN, Agency Inputs
First Published:
February 27, 2026, 15:31 IST
News explainers Why Bill & Hillary Clinton Are Testifying In Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell Files Probe Explained
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