Hillary Clinton slams 'repetitive' Epstein questions, denies Bill's involvement

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(The Center Square) - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she "never had any connection or communication" with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

The U.S. House Oversight Committee deposed Clinton in New York on Thursday over her ties to Epstein. She said Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate who is serving a prison sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, was a casual acquaintance.

Before the deposition, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he would question Clinton on why Maxwell came to her daughter's wedding. Clinton said Maxwell came to the wedding as a guest of someone else who was invited. She did not specify with whom Maxwell attended the wedding. 

Clinton lamented that the committee did not hold a public hearing in its Epstein investigation. Clinton also complained about a photo Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Co., took of her during the hearing which was posted online by conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson. The hearing was paused briefly due to the photo being posted. 

"We had to pause the hearing for a period of time until we could get assurances that no rules would be broken going forward," Clinton said. 

The hearing was recorded and a recording is expected to be released within the next 24 hours. 

Clinton said she was asked the same questions about her ties to Epstein repetitively. She said lawmakers also asked her about unidentified flying objects and a conspiracy theory from the 2016 presidential election. 

"I don't know how many times I had to say 'I don't know Jeffrey Epstein, I never went to his island, I never went to his homes,'" Clinton said. 

She also said her husband, former President Bill Clinton, ended his relationship with Epstein before Epstein's sexual abuse charges emerged in 2008. 

"I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with him before his criminal pleas in [2008] were like most people," Clinton said. "They did not know what he was doing, and I think that that is exactly what my husband will testify to tomorrow."

Comer called the deposition "productive," and said he came to the conclusion that most answers to his questions would come from Bill Clinton. Comer said Hillary referenced her husband for answers on the ties between Epstein and the couple's charitable foundations more than a dozen times. 

Comer rebutted the idea that he would subpoena President Donald Trump in the oversight committee's investigation. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said the oversight committee asked victims about Trump's involvement with Epstein and they exonerated him. 

"Why would we bring in the President of the United States who's been exonerated, who cooperated with law enforcement and who released the [Epstein] files," Paulina Luna said. 

Clinton said she appreciated Comer's line of questioning toward the end of the deposition where he asked her for suggestions in investigation. 

"I want to see the truth come out," Clinton said. "That was a reassuring way to end a very long, repetitive deposition."

Bill Clinton is expected to testify before the oversight committee on Friday.