In a recent deposition, former President Bill Clinton spent at least 20 seconds scrutinizing a photograph of himself in a hot tub, an image linked to the controversial Jeffrey Epstein case. The photograph, originating from documents released by the Department of Justice, has drawn significant attention.
The picture captures a younger Clinton, now 79, relaxing in a luxurious hot tub during a 2002 trip to Asia. Notably, another individual is seen beside him, though their identity remains concealed by a redaction from the Justice Department.
This image was first made public in December when the DOJ released a trove of Epstein-related documents. It resurfaced this week as Clinton faced over six hours of questioning before the House Oversight Committee, probing his connections to the convicted sex offender.
In a moment that quickly went viral, Clinton swiftly took the photograph from his attorney’s hands to inspect the now-famous snapshot. He then broke into a broad smile and chuckled, while his lawyer attempted to hide a grin.
When pressed about the identity of the other person in the photograph, obscured by a black box, Clinton responded, “I don’t know who that is.”
Last week, Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also appeared before the bipartisan committee for questioning.
The committee released video footage of Clinton’s separate depositions on Monday, in which Clinton was asked to explain the image.
The hot tub picture is just one of the many photographs the former president appears in as part of Epstein’s estate – including images with the disgraced late financier and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Bill Clinton and his attorney shared a knowing smirk after the former president spent several seconds examining an image of him in a hot tub from the Epstein files before breaking out in a smile
The printed out image showed a younger Clinton lounging in a hot tub with a person whose face is redacted by a black box. The picture was part of the trove of Epstein files released over the last year. Clinton says the person was not underage but that he doesn’t remember who was sitting beside him
Clinton examined the image for a moment too long – prompting his lawyer to snatch the print-out from his hands
Clinton in his deposition on Friday told the panel he severed ties with Epstein well before his crimes were known.
‘[If] I had any inkling of what he was doing — I would have turned him in myself,’ he insisted.
Asked about the image or details about when it was taken, Clinton explained it was at a hotel in Brunei that the Sultan of the country insisted they stay at during their trip.
‘This picture was taken in Brunei, we flew one night on the trip to Asia… and Mr. Epstein was there and Ms. Maxwell,’ he admitted.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She remains the only living person facing the music related to Epstein’s crimes.
The DOJ and FBI said last year that there is no evidence that Epstein trafficked minors to anyone other than himself and said that no other people would face prosecution for the heinous acts.
Clinton said that everyone in the pool area during his Asia trip was part of his traveling party, and that he recalls there being a Secret Service agent at the other end of the pool.
The redacted person in the image has not been identified and it’s unclear if they were an underage girl or a victim of Epstein’s.
Clinton insists that whoever it was, they were not underage.
Clinton said that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were at the hotel in Brunei as part of the traveling party where the image of him in a hot tub was snapped
Clinton appears in several images part of Epstein’s estate. Here Epstein and Maxwell go to the White House as guests of then-President Bill Clinton in 1993
At another point in the Oversight panel’s questioning, Clinton said claims are not true that he ‘likes them young,’ as witnesses who testified in the Epstein cases recalled he said about the former president.
‘Why would Epstein say that about you?’ South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace asked Clinton.
‘First of all, that’s not true,’ Clinton said, adding that he has no ‘interest in underage’ women.
‘I didn’t say underage, I said young,’ Mace shot back.
‘But it’s still not true,’ Clinton insisted, to which the congresswoman said: ‘Is an intern young?’
The former president admitted: ‘Yes.’
Clinton was famously impeached by the House during his presidency over lying under oath about having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He was acquitted by the Senate.
