Former US President Bill Clinton has firmly denied any knowledge of crimes committed by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers he “saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong” during his limited association with the disgraced financier.
In his opening statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on February 27, 2026, Clinton said he appeared for two reasons: out of respect for the rule of law and for the women and girls whose lives were damaged by Epstein.
“America was built upon the idea that no person is above the law, even Presidents especially Presidents,” Clinton said, urging lawmakers to prioritize truth over partisanship and spectacle.
He acknowledged having known Epstein but insisted their interactions were brief and ended years before Epstein’s crimes became public. Clinton said he had “no idea” what Epstein was doing and rejected any suggestion that photographs or past travel implied wrongdoing.
“No matter how many photos you show me,” he said, “I know what I saw and more importantly, what I didn’t see. I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn’t do. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Clinton stressed that even in hindsight, nothing during their association raised red flags. “We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” he said, noting that by the time Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea came to light, he had “long stopped associating with him.”
The former president also addressed the subpoena of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling it unjustified. He said she had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” had no memory of meeting him, never traveled with him, and never visited his properties.
“Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right,” he said.
Clinton invoked his upbringing in a home affected by domestic abuse, arguing that had he known of Epstein’s actions, he would have acted decisively.
“As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Clinton repeatedly emphasized the limits of his recollection, telling lawmakers he would not speculate or guess under oath.
“You’ll often hear me say that I don’t recall. That might be unsatisfying. But I’m not going to say something I’m not sure of,” he said, describing it as a matter of integrity and obligation to the American public.
While declining to say he was “looking forward” to questioning, Clinton told the committee he was prepared to answer inquiries “to the best of my abilities, consistent with the facts as I know them the legitimate, the logical, and even the outlandish.”
“With that, Mr. Chairman,” he concluded, “fire away.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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