Hillary Clinton Calls on Congress to Subpoena Trump to Testify in Epstein Case

Photo: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki

In her opening statement, which Clinton published on social media before the hearings, she stated that she was unaware of the crimes committed by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and called on the committee to subpoena the current U.S. President Donald Trump to testify.

"I do not recall ever meeting Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes, or offices. I have nothing to add to that," said the former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate in a statement, the full text of which Clinton published on social network X.

"If this committee is serious about uncovering the truth about Epstein's human trafficking crimes, it will not rely on crowds of journalists to get answers from our current president about his involvement; it will ask him directly, under oath, why he appears in the Epstein case files tens of thousands of times," Clinton added.

In her opening statement, she also criticized the committee for the lack of transparency in its hearings and accused the investigation of bias.

"You have not held a single public hearing, refused to admit the media, including today, despite dozens of times declaring the need for transparency," the opening statement said. "You have made virtually no effort to subpoena the people most prominent in Epstein's affairs. And when you did, not a single Republican showed up for questioning."

Earlier, Hillary Clinton agreed, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to appear before the House Oversight Committee.

Previously, the couple had refused to appear before congressmen, calling the demands for testimony politically motivated. As a result, they faced potential prosecution for contempt of Congress.

Bill Clinton, who knew Epstein personally, denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of crimes committed by Epstein.

Clinton also stated that he broke off relations with Epstein 20 years ago and expressed regret for having once been associated with the financier, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Bill Clinton is also expected to testify on Friday.

The Clintons had previously accused the committee chairman, Republican James Comer, of "partisan politics" in conducting the investigation. They described the subpoenas as "nothing more than a ploy designed to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump demands."

They insisted that they had already provided written sworn testimony, outlining the "limited information" they possessed about Epstein.

Nevertheless, according to a representative for Bill Clinton, they will appear before the committee and "hope to set a precedent that will apply to everyone."

For his part, Comer stated that the effort to obtain testimony from the Clintons is a bipartisan initiative intended to show that "no one is above the law."

Bill Clinton appears in the Epstein case files, which the U.S. Department of Justice published in several stages.

The documents and photographs shed light on Epstein's connections with numerous high-profile individuals, even after he was convicted of sex crimes.

As with other individuals mentioned in the files, including current President Donald Trump, who was previously friendly with Epstein, appearing in the documents does not imply any wrongdoing.

The Clintons' hearings are taking place in Chappaqua, New York, near their home. The couple will testify in a closed session; however, reports indicate that the Clintons fought for their testimony to be public to prevent selected parts of their statements from leaking to the media.

Bill Clinton's appearance at the hearings on Friday will mark the first time a former U.S. president testifies before a Congressional committee since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.

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