Hillary Clinton’s deposition on Epstein disrupted by leak of photo of her testifying

CHAPPAQUA, New York – Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton briefly halted her closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on the afternoon of Feb 26 after learning that a Republican attendee had leaked an image from inside the deposition, prompting an eruption in the room as her lawyers vociferously objected.

Ms Lauren Boebert of Colorado shared a photograph of Ms Clinton answering questions, which was posted on social media by Mr Benny Johnson, a right-wing podcaster.

Ms Clinton’s attorneys immediately asked to pause the proceedings, noting that the former secretary of state had been denied her request for a public hearing. The deposition resumed about 30 minutes later.

The disruption came after a defiant opening statement from Ms Clinton, who decried House Republicans for forcing her to participate in their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accused them of using her as a prop in “partisan political theater”.

“You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers,” she said according to a copy of her statement provided in advance.

“You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files,” she added, noting that not a single Republican had attended a closed-door session last week in Ohio to depose Mr Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire and prolific donor to GOP candidates.

Mr Suhas Subramanyam, said the first hour of the deposition before the interruption had been an embarrassment to Republicans, turning up nothing of significance.

“Secretary Clinton is puzzled as to why she’s here answering questions,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what else to ask her. She doesn’t know much.”

He said that Republicans had grilled her about Epstein’s involvement in raising money for the Clinton Global Initiative. But Ms Clinton was a senator during the years when her husband, former President Bill Clinton, was starting his foundation. And she told the committee she had not been involved.

Speaking to reporters before the deposition, Mr James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the Oversight Committee, appeared defensive about why the panel was investigating Ms Clinton, a Democrat who has said she never met or spoke to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

He noted that Democrats on the committee had voted to hold both Clintons in contempt of Congress if they did not appear to testify. He also reiterated his claim that Ms Clinton was of interest to the committee because Ghislaine Maxwell, a long-time companion of Epstein, attended her daughter Chelsea Clinton’s wedding.

Mr Subramanyam said Maxwell had been “a guest of a guest at the wedding,” adding that Ms Hillary Clinton “didn’t really know or talk to her in any way”.

Some Democrats on the Oversight Committee were careful not to criticise Republicans on the panel for investigating the Clintons, saying that they were happy to question to anyone who might have knowledge of Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes.

Others were more blunt. “There is no indication – zero, zip, zilch, nada – that Secretary Clinton had any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes,” said Mr James Walkinshaw, “my fear is we’re here today as part of a political exercise, part of a long-running fever dream where Republicans want to lock up Secretary Clinton”.

In her opening comments, Ms Clinton said that she had never met Epstein and knew nothing of his criminal activities.

“I do not recall ever encountering Mr Epstein,” she said, according to her prepared statement. “I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.”

Mr Bill Clinton is slated to testify on Feb 27. NYTIMES