NEW YORK, Feb 26 – Former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is appearing before a panel of the US House of Representatives that is investigating the crimes of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The former Democratic secretary of state and presidential candidate recently agreed, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to testify to the House Oversight Committee.
Both had previously resisted demands to appear, describing them as politically motivated. Their agreement to testify warded off potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings against them.
Hillary Clinton has said she does not recall meeting or speaking to Epstein. Her husband, who did know Epstein, has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Bill Clinton appears in text and photos that have recently been released in stages by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in its disclosure of material that was uncovered during federal investigations into Epstein’s crimes.
The files more broadly reveal the extent of Epstein’s connections with multiple high-profile individuals, including after he was convicted of sex crimes.
As with others who appear in the files – including the current president Donald Trump, who previously had his own association with Epstein – appearing in the documents does not imply any wrongdoing.
The Clintons’ hearings will take place in Chappaqua, New York, near their home. Such depositions normally occur behind closed doors, though the Clintons fought for their own testimony to be public so that selective portions of their evidence could not be leaked to the media.
Both Democratic and Republican members of the committee are expected to address reporters after Hillary Clinton’s deposition, which is scheduled for 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT).
The highly anticipated appearance by Bill Clinton on Friday will represent the first time a former US president has testified to a congressional panel since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
