Clinton Faces Congress in Historic Epstein Deposition

A Historic First in American Politics

Former President Bill Clinton sat before U.S. House lawmakers for approximately six hours on Friday in Chappaqua, New York — becoming the first former American president to be compelled to testify before Congress in more than four decades, since Gerald Ford appeared before the House Judiciary Committee in 1983. The deposition, conducted by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, focused exclusively on Clinton's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"I did nothing wrong," Clinton told investigators under oath, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the closed-door session. He also stated he "saw nothing" of Epstein's systematic abuse during their years of acquaintance and claimed difficulty recalling specifics from events more than two decades old.

What the Files Reveal

The deposition follows the U.S. Department of Justice's release of over 3 million pages of Epstein-related files in January 2026, after an initial batch released in December 2025 was criticized for extensive redactions. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer pressed Clinton on the central contradiction at the heart of the investigation: why Clinton continued associating with Epstein even after the financier pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges involving a minor.

Evidence presented to the committee includes records indicating Epstein visited the White House 17 times during Clinton's presidency and that Clinton flew on Epstein's private aircraft 27 times. Clinton acknowledged knowing Epstein and traveling with him, but denied visiting Epstein's private Caribbean island or having any knowledge of the criminal network operating around him.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton underwent a similar deposition the previous day. Democrats on the committee called the proceedings politically motivated and demanded equivalent scrutiny be applied to sitting President Trump, whose own documented ties to Epstein span decades.

Global Fallout: Mandelson Arrested in London

The Epstein files have triggered a parallel political crisis across the Atlantic. Peter Mandelson, once one of Britain's most powerful political architects and until recently the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, was arrested on February 23 by London's Metropolitan Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released on bail pending further investigation.

The Epstein files revealed that Mandelson or his partner received approximately £55,000 ($75,000) in payments from Epstein between 2003 and 2004. More damaging, internal correspondence suggested that during his tenure as Business Secretary in 2008–2010, Mandelson passed sensitive UK government information to Epstein — including early notice of a €500 billion EU bank bailout and intelligence on proposed bankers' bonus tax policy.

Mandelson's lawyers from Mishcon De Reya called the arrest "baseless" and said their client is fully cooperating with investigators. Mandelson had already resigned from the Labour Party and the House of Lords in early February after the files became public.

A Reckoning Still Unfolding

The Epstein files investigation has become one of the defining accountability moments of 2026, with its reach extending from Washington to Westminster. Legal experts note the proceedings are historically unprecedented in scope: no previous scandal has simultaneously implicated senior political figures across multiple continents through documented financial and informational ties to a single convicted criminal.

While no criminal charges have yet been filed against Clinton — and Republicans on the committee stopped short of making direct accusations — the political damage is substantial. The global ramifications of the Epstein files are far from over, with investigators in multiple countries still combing through millions of pages of documents.