During a deposition concerning Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, Hillary Clinton criticized Republicans for allegedly shielding Donald Trump, while also bringing Elon Musk into the spotlight with her assertive opening remarks.

The private deposition took place at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, conveniently located near the Clintons’ residence in Westchester County, New York.

Clinton highlighted a 2012 email in which Elon Musk, a significant donor to Trump, inquired of Epstein about the most extravagant party on Epstein’s notorious private island, Little St. James.

In her statement, Hillary emphasized the need for transparency, suggesting, “A committee led by dedicated officials would guarantee the complete disclosure of all relevant documents.”

She further remarked, “Such a committee would issue subpoenas to anyone inquiring about the dates of these ‘wildest parties’ on Epstein’s island.”

According to emails, Epstein reached out to Musk in November 2012, asking, “How many people will you be for the heli to island?”

‘Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?’ Musk replied, referring to his then-wife, English actress Talulah Riley. 

At 6am on December 25, 2012, Musk sent an email telling Epstein he’d been ‘working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose.’

Epstein sent a suggestive reply about the guest list, writing: ‘The ratio on my island might make Talilah (sic) uncomfortable.’

Musk wrote back: ‘Ratio is not a problem for Talulah.’

The Tesla boss told Vanity Fair in 2019 that Epstein was ‘obviously a creep’ who ‘tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined.’  

But the January release of 3 million Epstein files by the Justice Department revealed a series of cordial exchanges between the two men, including references to a tour Musk reportedly planned to give Epstein of SpaceX in 2013. 

Epstein was disgraced by this stage, having been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida in 2008.

Clinton’s statement torching Trump and Musk was still echoing when the session was thrown into chaos.

Republican Representative Lauren Boebert had taken a photograph of Clinton during the private session, and when it began circulating on social media, lawyers demanded proceedings halt. 

The closed-door session is being filmed, though any footage will be reviewed by Hillary Clinton’s lawyers before release. The deposition got back underway within an hour.

Prior to the turmoil, Clinton blasted Republicans for targeting her while failing to investigate Donald Trump in a fiery opening statement where she provided no defense for her husband. 

The former secretary of state said she has ‘no information on Epstein’s criminal activities and never recalls meetings,’ then accused lawmakers of covering up for Trump’s relationship with Epstein, where he faces ‘heinous’ accusations from survivors. 

‘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. 

‘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 pedophile 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. 

Clinton previously admitted to meeting Epstein on several occasions. 

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking – the only Epstein co-conspirator who has been jailed.

Bill Clinton is expected to face a grilling 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 pedophile 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 sex 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.