Hillary Clinton appeared before congressional lawmakers on Thursday for a closed-door deposition at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. The session was related to the ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein. It took place not on Capitol Hill, but closer to the Clintons' residence in Westchester County, New York, a move that brought the proceedings to a locale of significance for the former Secretary of State.
Under oath, Clinton firmly denied having any personal association with the convicted sex trafficker. Addressing the press after her testimony, Clinton expressed frustration over the line of inquiry pursued by some members of Congress. "I don’t know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes," she stated.
The deposition also veered into unexpected territory, with Clinton being questioned about extraterrestrial life forms and Pizzagate—a widely debunked conspiracy theory suggesting a child sex ring operated by high-ranking Democrats. After the deposition, Clinton publicly dismissed these topics as "one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet."
The day's proceedings were not without controversy. Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert took a photograph of Clinton, an action that violated the confidentiality rules of the private session. Clinton's legal representatives promptly moved to pause the deposition as the image began to circulate on social media. A spokesman for Clinton criticized the breach of protocol, and the hearing was delayed while the source of the leak was investigated. The session resumed roughly an hour later.
In response to the incident, Clinton requested that House Oversight Chairman James Comer allow press access to the proceedings, a proposal that was declined. While the deposition was recorded, Clinton's legal team retains rights to review any footage before it may be released to the public.
In her opening statement, Clinton suggested that the motivation behind her summons was to divert attention away from President Donald Trump's documented associations with Epstein, a claim she reinforced by referencing the Department of Justice's Epstein files released earlier in the year. Clinton challenged the committee to directly question President Trump under oath regarding his numerous mentions in the Epstein documents.
The testimony of Hillary Clinton precedes that of her husband, Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to testify at the same venue. His appearance marks a notable moment in history as he will be the first former president to be compelled to testify before a congressional investigation.
