Bill Clinton faces questions from the House Oversight Committee in the investigation into Epstein

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to give closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee on Friday as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in Chappaqua, New York.

The former president’s testimony comes a day after the Republican-led panel questioned former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton about the couple’s dealings with the convicted sex offender.

In her testimony on Thursday, Hillary Clinton said she did not know Epstein, did not remember ever meeting him, and had never visited him on his island or at his home or office.

Hillary Clinton said after her testimony that the committee repeatedly asked her if she knew Epstein and there were off-topic questions – about UFOs and the exposed “Pizzagate” conspiracy.

“So, if they would have fulfilled their investigative responsibilities to the letter in the investigations, which is what they originally said was the scope of their work, I think they could have spent the day more productively,” she said.

Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton have been accused of wrongdoing, and both have denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

No survivor or associate of Epstein has made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife regarding his past relationship with Epstein.

“No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing at this point,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Thursday morning before Hillary Clinton testified. He added: “They will have due process, but we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.”

Bill Clinton’s association with Epstein was first publicly noted in 2002 after reporters learned of the former president’s flight that year on Epstein’s plane on a humanitarian mission to several African countries.

Bill Clinton He told New York magazine A spokesperson said at the time that “Geoffrey is a highly successful financier and committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of 21st century science.”

Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein co-conspirator who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes, said in a taped interview last year with Deputy District Attorney Todd Blanche that she, not Epstein, was the one who was friendly with Bill Clinton, and that she was the one who suggested and organized his trips on Epstein’s plane.

The Clintons were summoned to appear under oath before the committee to testify in January, however They failed to comply, arguing that the subpoenas had no legal basis. Instead, they suggested a four-hour written interview instead.

David Kendall, an attorney for the Clinton family, said the couple had no information relevant to the committee’s investigation into the federal government’s handling of the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, and should not be required to appear in person to testify.

Kendall emphasized that the Clintons should be allowed to provide the limited information they have to the committee in writing.

Comer had long threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they failed to appear before the committee, so when they didn’t, a contempt resolution was drafted and put to a vote.

Monitoring Committee The contempt resolution passed with nine Democrats voting in favor, leading to a vote in the full House.

At the last minute, just before the House voted on the resolution, the Clintons agreed to sit and testify, postponing further consideration of the contempt vote.

Democrats on the committee said they hoped the Clinton family’s testimony this week would prompt Republican committee members to investigate more of Epstein’s ties to President Donald Trump.

Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and said he cut off contact with his former friend more than 20 years ago.

While the Clintons have agreed to speak with the committee behind closed doors, they are still pushing for public hearings as part of the committee’s investigation.

“I will not sit idly by while I am used as a prop in a closed court by a fear-mongering Republican Party,” Bill Clinton wrote in a lengthy post on Channel X. “If they want answers, let’s stop the games,” he added. & “Do it the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves the truth of the matter.”