The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors before a congressional committee about his ties to the deceased convicted felon Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Her husband, the former president Bill Clintonis summoned to answer questions the next day by the House Oversight Committeecontrolled by the Republicans.
Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Republicans have “a lot of questions” for the Clintons, said the head of the investigative committee, James Comer, before entering an arts event hall in Chappaqua, New York state, where the hearing is being held.
“The Department of Justice continues to lead a White House cover-up,” said the committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia.
“Let’s bring President Trump before our committee,” he demanded.
Epstein Parties
For years, photos and documents in which he appears Bill Clinton on Epstein’s private plane, or at parties organized by the magnate, have been coming to light.
The Clintons had initially rejected subpoenas ordering them to testify in the committee’s investigation, but the influential Democratic couple ended up agreeing after Republicans and Democrats forced them to do so under threat of contempt.
Bill Clinton and President Trump, both 79, appear prominently in the latest batch of government documents released in connection with Epstein, but each has claimed that he severed ties with the financier before his 2008 conviction in Florida as a sex offender.
Mere mention in the files does not constitute proof of having committed a crime.
Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors
The Clintons demanded that their statements be made public, but the committee insisted on questioning them behind closed doors, a decision that Bill Clinton described as “pure politics” and comparable to an “operetta court.”
Testimonies behind closed doors are usually common in investigative commissions, since they allow more incisive questions to be asked of the witness, which for legal reasons cannot be asked before television cameras.
Hillary Clinton78, who lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump, said in an interview with the BBC last week that she and her husband “have nothing to hide.”
The former politician said she met Maxwell “on a few occasions” but never had significant interactions with Epstein.
More problematic are recent photos of her husband, Bill Clinton, appearing in places such as a swimming pool, supposedly in the company of young women.
Chappaqua is the New York town where the Clintons reside. Dozens of journalists have gathered to cover the unprecedented hearing.
Security measures are important, and to avoid photos, a white tent was installed at a side door.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane
Bill Clinton has acknowledged that he flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s for humanitarian work related to the Clinton Foundationbut claimed he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Ghislaine Maxwell, 64, is the only person to have been convicted of a crime in relation to the deceased financier.
Epstein’s former associate is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Maxwell appeared by video conference before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month but refused to answer any questions, invoking her right not to incriminate herself.
Her lawyer, David Markus, said Maxwell would be willing to speak publicly if Trump granted her clemency.
Markus also claimed that Trump and Bill Clinton are “innocent of any wrongdoing.”
“Only Ms. Maxwell can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” he said.
Epstein cultivated a network of powerful business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics, and the release of the files has had repercussions around the world, including the arrests in the United Kingdom of former Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson, the former ambassador to the United States.
Several prominent Americans have had their reputations damaged by their friendships with Epstein and have resigned from their positions, but no one other than Maxwell has faced legal consequences.
Clinton asks that Trump be called to testify under oath
It should be noted that in addition, the former contender for the US presidency,Hillary Clinton asks that the current president, Donald Trump be called to testify “under oath” before the Epstein case commission.
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