Breaking today: Bill Clinton answered questions for more than six hours as part of the House Oversight Committee's Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The deposition happened behind closed doors in Chappaqua, New York, marking a historic moment for the nation's political system.
In his opening statement, Clinton said he "saw nothing" and "did nothing wrong" related to the disgraced financier. The former president told lawmakers he did not know or have sex with the woman who he was pictured with in a jacuzzi in files released by the Justice Department. Clinton went further in defending his wife Hillary, saying his wife had "nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein" and that "Whether you subpoena 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right".
No sitting or former president has testified before members of Congress since 1983, making Clinton the first sitting or former president to testify before members of Congress in more than 40 years. The appearance in New York marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress under a subpoena. Both Democrats and Republicans said the former president was very cooperative in the deposition, with Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna telling reporters the former president was cooperating with lawmakers, while the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, said Clinton fielded "tough questions" from both parties.
The former president's testimony comes a day after lawmakers interviewed Hillary Clinton for the House investigation. Both Clintons testified behind closed doors for more than six hours. Unlike his wife, Clinton did not speak to reporters after the deposition. Bill and Hillary Clinton have pushed for transparency over the files and suggested that their deposition be made public, though the Republican-led committee has kept the proceedings closed-door.