Clinton Testifies Before Congress on Epstein Ties
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is set to testify before Congress regarding his connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, the first such appearance by a former president in over four decades. The hearings are seen by some analysts as a sign of the Democratic Party's evolving priorities and waning influence of its 1990s establishment figures. Hillary Clinton called the hearing “partisan political theater,” highlighting the deep political divisions surrounding the investigation.
Flight logs show Bill Clinton took at least 26 trips on Jeffrey Epstein's private jet, nicknamed the "Lolita Express," between 2001 and 2003. While Clinton's spokesperson maintains these were four international trips for foundation work, the logs detail travel to destinations like China, Russia, Africa, and Europe. The former president's association with Epstein began in the early 1990s, with Epstein making several visits to the White House during Clinton's presidency. Federal Election Commission filings show Epstein donated to Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. Clinton's testimony marks a rare historical event. The last former president to testify before Congress was Gerald Ford in 1983, who spoke about the Constitution's bicentennial anniversary. Before that, Harry Truman testified in 1955 regarding the United Nations charter. The closed-door deposition is being conducted by the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer. The Clintons initially resisted the subpoena, but agreed to testify after the committee threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress. While Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, one accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, testified that Epstein once told her "Clinton likes them young." Through a spokesperson, Clinton has stated he knew nothing of Epstein's crimes and had not spoken to him in "well over a decade" before Epstein's 2019 arrest. The committee's investigation extends beyond the Clintons. Subpoenas have also been issued to Epstein's convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, billionaire Les Wexner, and Epstein's longtime accountant and lawyer. Democrats on the committee have called for Donald Trump, whose name also appears in Epstein's files, to testify as well.
