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By Goli Innocent
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to testify behind closed doors on Thursday before a congressional committee probing the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is scheduled to follow the next day.
The Clintons had initially resisted subpoenas but relented after House Republicans threatened contempt of Congress.
While Democrats argue the investigation is being used to attack political opponents of Republican President Donald Trump, the Clintons maintain they are cooperating fully.
Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, said she “has nothing to hide” and confirmed she met Maxwell “on a few occasions,” but never had significant contact with Epstein.
Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation humanitarian work but denied ever visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
He criticised the committee’s closed-door approach, describing it as “pure politics” and “akin to a kangaroo court,” and called for a public hearing where “the American people can see for themselves what this is really about.”
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Republicans are reportedly using the hearings to shift attention away from Trump, who has not been called to testify. Hillary Clinton remarked, “Look at this shiny object. We’re going to have the Clintons, even Hillary Clinton, who never met the guy.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, 64, remains the only person convicted in connection with Epstein, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
She recently appeared via video-link before the committee but refused to answer questions, invoking her Fifth Amendment rights.
Her lawyer, David Markus, said Maxwell “alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” and maintained that Trump and Bill Clinton “are innocent of any wrongdoing.”
The depositions are taking place in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons reside.
Epstein had cultivated a network of powerful business executives, politicians, celebrities, and academics, and the release of related files has caused reputational damage globally, though only Maxwell has faced legal consequences.
