Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated on Thursday, the 26th, at a House hearing in New York that she had no knowledge of the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The hearing will continue for two days, with former President Bill Clinton scheduled to testify as a witness tomorrow. This marks the first time a former president has been compelled to appear and testify at a congressional hearing.

The closed-door deposition, held at a community performing arts center in Chappaqua, the Clintons' hometown, a typically quiet village north of New York City, followed months of tense back-and-forth between the former Democratic power couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee.

In her opening statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Hillary Clinton said, "I was not aware of his criminal activities. I do not believe I ever met Mr. Epstein."

She added, "I have never flown on his plane, nor have I ever visited his island, his home, or his offices. I have nothing further to add."

The testimony is part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into individuals associated with Epstein, with whom former President Bill Clinton has had documented ties.

Hillary Clinton stated in her opening remarks, "Like all conscientious people, I was appalled to learn of their crimes."

She acknowledged that her husband had flown with Epstein for charitable purposes, but reiterated that she had no recollection of meeting Epstein. She did add that she had interacted with Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and associate, at a conference hosted by the Clinton Foundation.

Maxwell, a British socialite, also attended the wedding of their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, in 2010.

In December 2021, Maxwell was found guilty by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on five out of six counts: conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to entice a minor, conspiracy to transport a minor, transportation of a minor, and conspiracy to solicit a minor for sex. In June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $750,000.

She is currently serving her sentence at a federal correctional institution in Bryan, Texas.

"We have a lot of questions, and the purpose of this investigation is to understand more about Epstein," stated House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to reporters outside the convention center. "How did he accumulate so much wealth? How was he able to associate with the most influential people in the world?"

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) argued that if former President Clinton is being subpoenaed, then President Trump should also be subpoenaed to testify.

Chairman Comer had previously stated that it is not possible to subpoena a sitting president. When asked by a reporter if Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnick could be subpoenaed, he responded, "It's very likely. His name has come up a lot in the investigation. This is not just a Democratic issue."

During the closed-door deposition today, there was a brief interruption when Benny Johnson released a photograph he took of Clinton inside the hearing room. He stated that the photo was provided by Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and later explained that the photo was taken before the proceedings began.

By Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief of NNP USA / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com