In a gripping session that unfolded behind closed doors at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, Hillary Clinton took a bold stance during her deposition related to Jeffrey Epstein. The former Secretary of State did not hold back, accusing Republicans of shielding Donald Trump while dragging Elon Musk into the controversy. This event, situated near the Clintons’ residence in Westchester County, New York, centered around a 2012 email exchange involving Musk and Epstein about the infamous private island, Little St. James. Clinton asserted that a committee dedicated to transparency should ensure the complete release of pertinent files and suggested subpoenas for anyone inquiring about parties on Epstein’s island.
Ratio is not a problem
The email trail reveals that in November 2012, Musk inquired about the “wildest party” on Epstein’s island, indicating a plan to visit with his then-wife, actress Talulah Riley. By Christmas that year, Musk expressed a desire to unwind after a stressful year, mentioning potential party destinations like St. Barts. Epstein’s response, hinting at an uncomfortable guest ratio, was met with Musk’s assurance that it wouldn’t be an issue for Talulah. Despite these exchanges, Musk later characterized Epstein as a “creep” who persistently invited him to the island, invitations he claimed to have declined. However, the January release of a vast cache of Epstein files by the Justice Department unearthed further friendly exchanges, including discussions of a potential SpaceX tour in 2013.
Chaos in Chappaqua
As the deposition proceeded, chaos erupted when Republican Representative Lauren Boebert photographed Clinton during the session. The image rapidly circulated on social media, prompting legal demands to pause the proceedings. Despite this disruption, which required review by Clinton’s legal team, the deposition resumed shortly after. Before this interruption, Clinton criticized Republicans for focusing on her without investigating Trump’s alleged ties to Epstein. She dismissed any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities and accused lawmakers of diverting attention from Trump, who faces serious accusations from survivors. Clinton’s fiery statement underscored her belief that the session was a distraction from more pressing issues involving the former president.
‘If this committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files,’ she added today. Trump’s name appears more than 38,000 times in the millions of Epstein documents released by the Department of Justice in January. ‘If the majority were serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done. What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?’ Despite her denials of any Epstein relationship, Clinton received a $20,000 donation from the disgraced financier in 1999 when she was fundraising for the DNC. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s infamous madam, attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in 2010, years after Epstein had been convicted of sexual abuse. Hillary previously admitted to meeting Maxwell on several occasions.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking – the only Epstein co-conspirator who has been jailed. Bill Clinton is expected to face a grilling on Friday as the first former president compelled to testify in a congressional investigation. His relationship with Epstein was extensive following the end of his presidency. Flight logs for Epstein’s private jet indicate that the former president traveled on it for trips to the Virgin Islands, Portugal, Siberia, Japan, and China. The ex-president claims these trips were only ever related to his charitable work. Photographs have also emerged from the Epstein files showing Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted . Another photo shows him swimming with Maxwell and an unidentified woman. Epstein famously kept an oil painting of Clinton in a blue dress and red heels at his Manhattan mansion.
The Clintons initially resisted House Republicans’ subpoena to testify about Epstein but agreed to the deposition after being threatened with contempt charges. The committee said it will release the deposition videos and transcripts after the lawyers for the Clintons have reviewed the content. Lawmakers speaking ahead of the hearing were asked whether they planned to ask Hillary about an email in the Epstein files, which shows Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emailed the financier about Hillary’s 2016 presidential campaign. ‘It will be on my list,’ Republican Representative Nancy Mace told reporters. In November 2015, Epstein’s assistant forwarded him an invitation from Lutnick to a ‘very intimate fundraising event’ at his financial firm for then-presidential candidate Hillary. It is unclear whether Epstein attended the event. He made no donations to her campaign, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission. Lutnick donated $2,700 to her campaign, the maximum allowed by law at that time.
Republicans, who hold the majority on the House Oversight Committee, drove the effort to bring the Clintons to testify as Donald Trump faced pressure to release the Epstein files. Democrat lawmakers are also attending the deposition which forms part of a broader congressional effort to investigate the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case. Epstein and Maxwell also appear to have played a key role in setting up the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative, according to the Epstein files. Maxwell herself was deposed as part of the bipartisan congressional investigation into the Justice Department’s prosecution and handling of the Epstein case, during which she pleaded the Fifth Amendment to prevent self-incrimination.
Hillary said in a BBC interview last week that she and Clinton are ‘more than happy to say what we know, which is very limited and totally unrelated to their behavior or their crimes.’ House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, noted earlier this week that ‘the Clintons’ testimony is critical to understanding Epstein and Maxwell’s trafficking network and the ways they sought to curry favor and influence to shield themselves from scrutiny.’ ‘Their testimony may also inform how Congress can strengthen laws to better combat human trafficking. Our goal for this investigation is straightforward: we seek to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,’ Comer added. The Daily Mail has contacted the Clintons for comment.
