Summary

  • Bill Clinton's testimony to the House Oversight committee has concluded after hours of questioning about his connection to Jeffrey Epstein

  • The former president was asked about a photograph from the Epstein files that shows him and an unidentified person in a hot tub, a source tells the BBC

  • Clinton told lawmakers he does not know who the woman in the photograph was

  • House Democrats say Clinton's testimony brought up "additional information" about Trump, as they renewed calls for the president to testify

  • Trump said of Clinton earlier today: "I don't like seeing him deposed"

  • Republicans say they will release video of Hillary Clinton's testimony on Saturday and the former president's is expected to follow, as well as transcripts approved by their respective lawyers

  • Former president Clinton denies any knowledge of Epstein's crimes. He says if he had known he would have "turned him in myself"

  • There is no suggestion that appearing in the Epstein documents implies wrongdoing. Clinton earlier said he "saw nothing" and "did nothing wrong"

  1. Clintons' depositions over after two days in Chappaqua, New Yorkpublished at 01:37 GMT 28 February

    The two days of depositions from Bill and Hillary Clinton - which virtually took over the small town of Chappaqua, New York - are over.

    Although the former president and the former secretary of state spoke to lawmakers behind closed doors, we expect that we will soon see videos and transcripts of their individual testimonies.

    Hillary Clinton gestures while speaking to the press outside the Chappaqua Arts CenterImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Hillary Clinton speaking to the press outside the Chappaqua Arts Center

    Bill Clinton spoke to both Republicans and Democrats on the House Oversight Committee for more than six hours today, including breaks when lawmakers came out to update the press.

    Members of both parties said he was largely cooperative and transparent during his deposition, and said he often spoke at length.

    They disagreed on one major point: What Clinton's deposition means for President Donald Trump.

    Republicans say the president is exonerated by Clinton's deposition, while Democrats reupped their calls to question Trump. Clinton reportedly told the committee that Trump had said he ended his relationship with Epstein over a bad land deal, where Trump has said publicly he kicked Epstein out of his private Mar-a-Lago because he was a "creep".

    Bill Clinton, wearing a dark blue suit and striped blue tie, gestures with his right hand as he speaksImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Former President Bill Clinton

    Clinton was also asked to address a photo from the Epstein files of him in a hot tub with an unidentified woman, a source told the BBC. The president said he did not recall who the woman was and he did not sleep with her, the source said.

    Both Bill and Hillary Clinton deny any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein, and in statements released ahead of their depositions say they had no knowledge about his crimes.

    We are closing this page now, but you can read more about the events of the day here: Bill Clinton asked about hot tub photo, testifying he knew 'nothing' of Epstein crimes

  2. A closer look at Bill and Hillary Clinton's opening statements to the committeepublished at 00:47 GMT 28 February

    Bill and Hillary Clinton side by sideImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Bill and Hillary Clinton at the funeral of former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, May 2025

    While we wait to see if we get a statement from former President Bill Clinton following his day of testimony, let's take a closer look at the opening statements both he and Hillary Clinton shared on social media ahead of their respective depositions before the House Oversight Committee.

    Both deny any knowledge of Epstein's crimes

    • "I had no idea about their [Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's] criminal activities," Hillary Clinton said. "I never flew on his plane or visited his islands, homes or offices. I have nothing to add"
    • Bill Clinton also said he had "no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing", adding "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong"

    Criticism of the House Oversight Committee

    • "Too often Congressional investigations are partisan political theater", said Hillary Clinton at the start of her statement, adding later that the Republican-led committee had "made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files"
    • Bill Clinton condemned the summoning of Hillary before lawmakers: "Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right." He also said he hoped the "search for truth and justice outweighs the partisan urge to score points"

    Both also emphasised support for abuse victims

    • "I have spent my life advocating for women and girls", said Hillary Clinton, who pointed to her work supporting female victims of abuse both as First Lady and as a secretary of state
    • Bill Clinton drew from his personal experience, stating that "as someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse", he would have turned Epstein in had he known of his crimes

    The starkest difference between the two statements is that - though he characterises it as a "brief acquaintance" - Bill Clinton acknowledges that he knew Jeffrey Epstein and promises to "offer what little I know".

  3. Clintons just the latest to be questioned by Oversight committeepublished at 00:32 GMT 28 February

    Ghislaine Maxwell wearing brown prison clothes and glasses raises her right hand to be sworn in.Image source, GOP Oversight via PA
    Image caption,

    Ghislaine Maxwell testifies from a US federal prison

    Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday, and former US President Bill Clinton on Friday, are the latest people to to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee in regards to Jeffrey Epstein.

    Last week, US billionaire Les Wexner, who is alleged to have played a key role in helping Jeffrey Epstein build his wealth, also appeared in a closed-door deposition. The former CEO of Victoria's Secret lingerie brand accused Epstein of stealing "vast sums" of money from his family when working as his financial adviser.

    Wexner, who was described as a potential co-conspirator of Epstein's in a 2019 FBI document, has denied any wrongdoing. No charges were ever brought against him

    On 9 February, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and convicted associate, appeared virtually from the Texas prison where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. But she refused to answer questions, invoking her right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment.

    In August, former US Attorney General Bill Barr - who served in the first Trump administration - sat for a deposition before the bipartisan committee and said he had limited knowledge of the Epstein investigation and could not exonerate President Trump of wrongdoing, the committee said.

    Earlier in August, committee chair James Comer announced that the committee issued deposition subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as other senior officials, including former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller and former US Attorneys General Barr, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales "for testimony related to horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein".

    Holder, Garland, Gonzales and Sessions have either said or sent letters saying that they have no memory of decisions involving Epstein or no knowledge and information relevant to the committee’s investigation into Epstein-related matters.

    The committee has withdrawn its subpoena for Mueller citing his health issues. It is unclear if Lynch has responded.

  4. Democrats keep bringing up one name for who they want to talk to, besides Trumppublished at 00:10 GMT 28 February

    Grace Eliza Goodwin
    US reporter

    Howard Lutnick, wearing a suit and tie, sitting in front of a microphone with a slight smile on his faceImage source, Getty Images

    While President Trump's name came up many times when lawmakers spoke with the press over the past two days in Chappaqua, House Democrats have also made it clear that another person they want to bring in for testimony is US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

    Lutnick has come under fire after Epstein files revealed that he planned a visit to Epstein's island with his family - years after he claimed to have cut ties with the convicted paedophile.

    The billionaire businessman, his wife, their four children and another family planned to travel to Little Saint James in 2012, according to emails included in Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in January.

    Lutnick has since admitted that he and his family did visit the island.

    The emails contradict statements Lutnick made in October in an interview with The New York Post, in which he said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005 when the pair were neighbours in New York.

    Lutnick told the outlet that, after visiting Epstein's townhouse once in 2005, "my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again".

    A Commerce Department spokesperson previously told the BBC that Lutnick had never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.

  5. Watch: Clinton: 'I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein'published at 23:57 GMT 27 February

    After her deposition on Thursday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with the press outside the Chappaqua Arts Center. We were hoping for a similar appearance by former President Bill Clinton on Friday but unfortunately this has not happened.

    Here's an excerpt of Mrs Clinton's remarks:

    Media caption,

    Hillary Clinton re-affirms she didn't know Epstein

  6. The Clintons showed a united frontpublished at 23:49 GMT 27 February

    Pratiksha Ghildial
    Reporting from Chappaqua, New York

    In his opening statement today, Bill Clinton called out the Oversight Committee over the deposition of his wife, Hillary Clinton, yesterday and said that it was wrong of them to do so.

    In a strong defence of the former Secretary of State, he said he needed to get personal.

    "You made Hillary come in," he said. "She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing."

    He went on to add that she never travelled with Epstein or visited any of his properties.

    Meanwhile, yesterday, Mrs Clinton told reporters after her deposition that she believes her husband knew nothing about Epstein's crimes.

    "I think the chronology of the connection that he had with Epstein ended several years before anything about Epstein's criminal activities came to light,” she said.

    The couple have been married for more than 50 years.

    Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton stand side by side in front of a backdrop of large flagsImage source, Getty Images
  7. Why did Clinton agree to testify today?published at 23:15 GMT 27 February

    Bill Clinton says in his opening statement to the committee that there are two reasons why he agreed to testify today.

    The first, he says, is that no person is above the law.

    "Democracy requires every person to play their part, and I hope that by being here today, we can bring ourselves a little further from the brink and back to being a country where we can disagree with one another civilly - where the search for truth and justice outweighs the partisan urge to score points and create spectacle," his statement reads.

    The second reason, he says, is that he wants justice and healing for the victims. He says he hopes sharing the little information he has about Epstein will help "prevent anything like this from ever happening again".

    Now that the deposition has concluded, we're now watching if the former president has anything to say about how it went.

  8. Two more depositions in the probe expected in the near futurepublished at 22:56 GMT 27 February

    Comer wraps up his remarks by saying the committee has two more depositions scheduled in the near future.

    One is with Epstein's accountant and the other with his lawyer.

    Comer again thanked the Clintons for their testimony.

  9. Clintons pointed to where the investigation should go next, Mace sayspublished at 22:56 GMT 27 February

    James Comer in a bright red tie stands behind a lectern with Nancy Mace in a burgundy suit standing behind himImage source, Getty Images

    Trump has repeatedly said that he has been "exonerated" in the Epstein investigation.

    Republican committee chair James Comer is asked by a reporter if that is really true. The chairman says yes, based on the evidence he's seen, Trump has been exonerated.

    Nancy Mace, also a Republican, adds that the victims have exonerated Trump.

    She also adds that both former President Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton offered the Committee advice on where the investigation should go next.

  10. Lawmakers have questions about those who associated with Epstein after convictionpublished at 22:54 GMT 27 February

    Comer says there are a lot of remaining questions about anyone who spent time with Epstein after his first conviction."That's where most of our concerns are," Comer said, once people knew he was a sex offender. "Why did you remain friends with him?"

  11. Republicans hope video will be released in next 24 hourspublished at 22:52 GMT 27 February

    Answering questions from reporters, Republican committee chair James Comer says that they plan to "bring more people in" to give depositions: "We're not finished".

    Comer says before the transcript of the hearing can be released, it has to be approved by attorneys from "both sides", as per the "standard rules" of depositions.

    But he adds that, once the video is uploaded and audio is cleaned, it will be released publicly, "hopefully in the next 24 hours".

    House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer points from behind a lecternImage source, Getty Images
  12. Republicans want to talk to more peoplepublished at 22:49 GMT 27 February

    More people will be called in to discuss the Epstein files, the Republicans say.

    Depositions like this are important because we need to get justice for the victims, Congressman John McGuire, a Republican of Virginia, said.

    He thanked the Clintons but said there was selective memory at play in some responses from the former president.

  13. Clinton gave thorough answers, Mace sayspublished at 22:48 GMT 27 February

    Republican Nancy Mace thanks former President Clinton for giving the deposition today, saying he gave thorough answers even when his lawyers wanted him to stop talking.

    But she says she believes we will see inconsistencies in his answers. We expect a video and transcript of the deposition to be released in coming days.

    Nancy Mace, flanked by two fellow Republicans on each side, stands behind a lectern outside a large white building with three archesImage source, Getty Images
  14. 'Very productive deposition', says Republican Committee chairpublished at 22:46 GMT 27 February

    The Republican chair of the US House Oversight Committee, James Comer, has just walked out and announced that Bill Clinton's deposition hearing has now finished.

    "We believe this was a very productive deposition," he says.

    "President Clinton answered every question, or attempted to answer every question," he says, adding that once the video and transcript of the hearing are released there may be more questions.

    He describes the depositions of the former president and the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, as "historic", saying he believes they are the two highest-ranking officials to ever be deposed by Congress.

    "This is a serious investigation. We will continue to try and get the truth to the American people and justice to the victims," says Comer.

  15. Clinton talks about Trump and Epstein, and reported end of their friendshippublished at 22:43 GMT 27 February

    Earlier today, Republican James Comer told reporters that Bill Clinton testified: "President Trump has never said anything to me to make me think he was involved" with Epstein's criminal activities.

    Democrats on the committee did not agree that was how the conversation played out.

    "Claims that President Clinton fully exonerated Trump are wrong and a mischaracterization," they said in a post on X.

    "President Clinton raised more questions about the relationship between President Trump and Epstein - specifically with regards to the reason their relationship ended," the post wen on.

    "In fact, President Clinton confirmed that he knew Trump and Epstein had a close relationship and said Trump reported having "great times" with Epstein."

    Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat on the committee, says Clinton testified that Trump once told him the reason he no longer speaks to Epstein is because the two had a falling out over a land dispute.

    "This directly refutes Trump’s claims about why he fell out with Epstein," Frost says.

    The White House has previously said that Trump kicked Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club "for being a creep".

    Trump was a friend of Epstein's for years, but the president has said they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

  16. What's happened so far in Bill Clinton's deposition?published at 22:23 GMT 27 February

    Sakshi Venkatraman
    US reporter

    It's now been more than six hours since former President Bill Clinton started giving a deposition to the House Oversight Committee for its Epstein investigation.

    Here's what's happened so far:

    • Lawmakers on both the Democratic and Republican sides say Clinton has been cooperating with questions, even giving lengthy answers
    • A source tells the BBC that Clinton was asked about a photograph from the Epstein files showing him in a hottub with a person whose face is redacted
    • Clinton said he did not know who the woman was and did not have sex with her, the source says
    • The former president said he "saw nothing, I did nothing wrong" in an opening statement released on social media before the hearing began today
    • Republicans and Democrats both shared that Clinton has been asked about President Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein - but the two parties shared different interpretations of his answers
    • House Democrats say Clinton shared details of a conversation he had with Trump that raises more questions for the current president, who they say should testify
    • Republicans say they have plans to release footage from the deposition of Hillary Clinton, who testified for six hours yesterday
    • Bill Clinton's unedited deposition video and transcript should also be released, Democrats say

    The hearing is closed-door, and we will keep you posted as we learn more.

  17. Bill Clinton asked about hot tub photopublished at 21:45 GMT 27 February
    Breaking

    Cai Pigliucci
    Reporting from Chappaqua, New York

    Bill Clinton reclines in a hot tub next to a person whose face has been covered by a black square to protect their identityImage source, US Department of Justice

    A source confirms to the BBC that Bill Clinton was asked about a photograph from the Epstein files, showing him and an unidentified person in a hot tub.

    Clinton told lawmakers in his deposition that he did not know who the woman in the photograph is. When asked if he had sex with the woman, he said he did not, the source said.

    The exchange was first reported by CNN.

    Another image in the files, taken at the same location, shows him swimming in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified person.

    Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and Clinton has denied any knowledge of in Epstein's crimes. He has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein survivors who have come forward so far.

  18. How Trump appears in the Epstein filespublished at 21:10 GMT 27 February

    Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, smiling next to each other, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 1997Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 1997

    Democratic lawmakers have been calling throughout the day for Donald Trump to testify about Jeffrey Epstein.

    The US president is mentioned thousands of times in the files released by the Department of Justice, including in correspondence sent by Epstein to others.

    The pair had a well-established relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s, and were pictured at various events and parties together in this time. Trump has said they had a falling out around 2004 - before Epstein was under investigation - and that their relationship ended.

    One of the files released by the justice department, however, raised questions about what Trump knew and when. The file is a written record of an FBI interview with the former Palm Beach police chief, who alleges Trump called him in 2006 after the department launched an investigation into Epstein and said "everyone has known he's been doing this" and "people in New York knew he was disgusting".

    US media have reported that multiple witness interviews are missing from the released files, including some relating to a woman who accused Trump of sexual assault. Democrats who have viewed the unredacted files allege three witness interviews with the accuser have been withheld.

    In a statement, the justice department denied wrongdoing and said it was reviewing the withheld documents. It said it would publish any that are found to have been improperly removed.

    Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and recently said he has been "totally exonerated". The president has not been accused of any crimes by the Epstein survivors who have come forward publicly so far.

  19. Why is this happening at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center?published at 20:25 GMT 27 February

    Dozens of cameras set up outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center with journalists walking aroundImage source, Getty Images

    The depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton have been taking place in a small performing arts centre in Chappaqua, New York. It's a town just outside of New York City where the Clintons have lived since Bill left office in 2001.

    Political testimony from two of the most well-known politicians in the country is not the typical programming normally seen at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center.

    The 425-seat space has previously hosted school arts and music shows, movie screenings, and stand-up comedy.

    Tomorrow, after the deposition crowds clear out, the theatre will host a celebration for Lunar New Year.

    Next month on 20 March, it hosts a Fleetwood Mac cover band (funnily enough, Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign song was Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac).

    No more depositions of former presidents are on the calendar - at least for the foreseeable future.

  20. Democrat says today's session is covering more territory than Hillary Clinton's depositionpublished at 20:07 GMT 27 February

    Nada Tawfik
    Reporting from Chappaqua, New York

    Subramanyam at a podium flanked by other DemocratsImage source, EPA/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Suhas Subramanyam also spoke to the media a little earlier

    I’ve just spoken with Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat, who has described the atmosphere inside the deposition room as "respectful", with the former president answering all of the questions in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.

    He says yesterday felt like the committee was going in circles, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but a lot more territory has been covered today.

    While Bill Clinton hasn’t been able to recall every single thing they’ve asked him from 20+ years ago, Representative Suhas believes Clinton is doing his best to be helpful and cooperative with the committee’s investigation.

    Democrats, he said, aren’t letting him off the hook and are asking the tough questions.

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