Clinton Defends Epstein Ties, Says 'Nothing Wrong'

Former President Bill Clinton testifies for over 6 hours about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Former President Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he "did nothing wrong" in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein's sexual abuse as he faced hours of questioning from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago. Clinton insisted that if he had any "inkling" that Epstein was abusing underage girls, "I would have turned him in myself and led the calls for justice for his crimes."

Why it matters

The closed-door deposition marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress, as lawmakers grapple with what accountability looks like for powerful individuals who maintained connections with Epstein after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

The details

Bill Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but Republicans have wanted to question him about Epstein for years, especially as conspiracy theories arose following Epstein's 2019 suicide. Several photos of Clinton with Epstein and his associates have surfaced, and the committee claims Epstein visited the White House 17 times during Clinton's presidency and that Clinton flew on Epstein's airplane 27 times.

  • The closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, N.Y. ended after more than six hours of questioning on Friday, February 28, 2026.
  • A day earlier, on Thursday, February 27, 2026, Clinton's wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sat with lawmakers for her own deposition.

The players

Bill Clinton

The former Democratic president who testified before Congress about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein

The disgraced financier who pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

Hillary Clinton

The former Secretary of State and wife of Bill Clinton, who also testified before Congress about her knowledge of Epstein.

James Comer

The Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, who questioned Bill Clinton during the deposition.

Robert Garcia

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, who argued that President Donald Trump should also be questioned about his relationship with Epstein.

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What they’re saying

“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”

— Bill Clinton, Former President (arkansasonline.com)

“If I had any inkling that Epstein was abusing underage girls, I would have turned him in myself and led the calls for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals.”

— Bill Clinton, Former President (arkansasonline.com)

“No one's accusing anyone of any wrongdoing, but I think the American people have a lot of questions.”

— James Comer, Republican Chair, House Oversight Committee (arkansasonline.com)

“I think that President Trump needs to man up, get in front of this committee and answer the questions and stop calling this investigation a hoax.”

— Robert Garcia, Top Democrat, House Oversight Committee (arkansasonline.com)

What’s next

The House Oversight Committee plans to publish a transcript and video recording of Hillary Clinton's deposition, which took place a day before Bill Clinton's testimony.

The takeaway

This high-profile congressional investigation into the Clintons' ties to Jeffrey Epstein highlights the ongoing scrutiny and accountability that powerful individuals face, even decades after their connections to disgraced figures like Epstein first came to light.