--- title: Clintons' Epstein Depositions: Moments You May Have Missed description: “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home," said Hillary Clinton during one tense moment. canonical: https://time.com/7382244/bill-hillary-clinton-epstein-files-testimony-footage-key-moments/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-03-03T18:09:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:14:43.428Z article:section: Politics og:title: Clintons' Epstein Depositions: Moments You May Have Missed og:description: “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home," said Hillary Clinton during one tense moment. og:url: https://time.com/7382244/bill-hillary-clinton-epstein-files-testimony-footage-key-moments/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6b6beedff3fce58/69b04899035c6fba657a416e/GettyImages-2263772286.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: Bill And Hillary Clinton Give Deposition To House Oversight Committee On Epstein Connections og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Clintons' Epstein Depositions: Moments You May Have Missed twitter:description: “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home," said Hillary Clinton during one tense moment. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6b6beedff3fce58/69b04899035c6fba657a416e/GettyImages-2263772286.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Six Key Moments You May Have Missed From the Clintons' Epstein Depositions > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=919aeb64-c4b3-448f-af67-c5b0bf001eb9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Key Moments From the Clintons' Epstein Investigation Depositions [Watch (HLS stream): Key Moments From the Clintons' Epstein Investigation Depositions](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eONjsZup.m3u8) (9:44)  _Published 2026-03-03. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were grilled for over four hours each by the House Oversight Committee in its investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Footage released Monday shows the Clintons, who have both strenuously denied having prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, being questioned by Republicans and Democrats. They fielded queries about their respective connections to Epstein and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors._  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 3, 2026 6:09 PM UTC  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 3, 2026 6:09 PM UTC Former President [Bill Clinton](https://time.com/7381671/bill-clinton-epstein-files-deposition/) and former Secretary of State [Hillary Clinton](https://time.com/7381451/hillary-clinton-epstein-files-deposition/) were grilled for over four hours each by the House Oversight Committee in its investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Footage released Monday shows the Clintons, who have both strenuously denied having prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, being questioned by Republicans and Democrats. They fielded queries about their respective connections to Epstein and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors. Hillary said she doesn’t recall having met Epstein, but she did encounter Maxwell a few times. Meanwhile, Bill is pictured socializing with Epstein and Maxwell in the files released by the Department of Justice, and appears on the flight logs for the late financier’s private jet. There is also a photograph depicting Maxwell attending the wedding of Hillary and Bill’s daughter, Chelsea. When asked about the matter during her deposition, Hillary said Maxwell was simply an invited guest’s “plus one.” The Clintons have not been accused of any misconduct. Although their names appear in the files, it is not an indication of wrongdoing. There were heated moments throughout the couple’s separate testimonies, which had tense origins. Hillary and Bill had pushed to testify in front of Congress publicly, but the committee opted for closed-door questioning, instead, with the filmed depositions later being released. The committee had previously [voted](https://time.com/7355906/bill-clinton-hillary-epstein-investigation-contempt-house-oversight-committee/) to recommend holding the Clintons in contempt after they declined to testify. An aide later [announced](https://x.com/angelurena/status/2018466236766765153) the couple had reversed course and agreed to appear. Hillary has been a vocal critic of the committee’s goal in questioning her, accusing the Trump Administration of engaging in a [“cover-up”](https://time.com/7379143/hillary-clinton-trump-administration-epstein-files-cover-up/) over the release of the Epstein files. She previously suggested herself and Bill had been brought into the foray to “divert attention” from President Donald Trump, who is also named in the files and has long been scrutinized over [his own relationship with Epstein](https://time.com/7333327/new-jeffrey-epstein-emails-allege-trump-aware-of-conduct/). Following the release of the highly-anticipated testimonies from the Clintons, here are the key moments you should be aware of. ## **Hillary threatens to leave deposition over leaked photo** Roughly an hour into the session, Hillary’s attorney Cheryl Mills interrupted proceedings to question how a photograph of her client, taken inside the hearing room, had ended up online. Upon hearing this, Hillary immediately flagged how this was against the rules they had all agreed to uphold. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, admitted to capturing the photo, which was then [shared](https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2027067846417690630?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2027067846417690630%7Ctwgr%5E5369ddf12e5aea6be0638628334131939001a925%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fhillary-clinton-deposition-photo-epstein-paused-lauren-boebert-11588885) online by right-wing influencer Benny Johnson. “I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done,” Hillary said. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior.” Raising her voice, Hillary told Boebert “we are all abiding by the same rules,” before standing to take a break. “I’m done, for now,” she said. After a short recess, Hillary returned to the room with her counsel. Members of the committee were then advised against further violations of the rules regarding photos and videos. ## **Bill says he discussed Epstein with Trump** Under questioning from House Democrats, Bill said that he once discussed Epstein with Trump during an encounter at a New York golf course. “\[Trump\] somehow knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein's aircraft. And he said, ‘You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out, all because of a real estate deal,’” he claimed. Bill explained he was unsure who brought up the topic of Epstein, and said Trump did not elaborate further on said “great times.” According to Bill, the exchange occurred over two decades ago. Bill also said Trump never told him anything that suggested knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years before his initial conviction in 2008 and has recently claimed he’s been “[totally exonerated](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1976283257101238)” so far as his connection to the disgraced financier. ## **Hillary has heated exchange with Rep. Mace over Howard Lutnick** Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, pressed Hillary about how she knew Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. [Emails released](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01912798.pdf) in the files showed Lutnick planned to visit Epstein’s home in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2012—years after Epstein’s first conviction and notably after Lutnick professed to have cut ties with the financier. While giving testimony on Capitol Hill in February, Lutnick said he and his family had shared a lunch with Epstein on his island during a vacation, “for about an hour.” Tensions grew when Mace asked Hillary about her own connection to Lutnick. Hillary explained she knew Lutnick in her capacity as a New York Senator in 2001 and had encountered him when he was chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald—a financial firm that lost hundreds of personnel on 9/11. As Hillary was detailing the connection, Mace interjected, saying “I know that,” to which Hillary responded: “You asked the question, I’m going to answer your question!” “Now you're going to yell at me?” said Mace, highlighting that she herself is a sexual abuse survivor who is “trying to look out for others survivors.” “Well, I was taking care of the people who lost 3,000 lives at the World Trade Center,” Hillary said, banging her hand on the table. Mace went on to accuse the former presidential candidate of being “defiant” and “indignant.” ## **Bill denies ever visiting Epstein Island** Bill testified that he met Epstein after leaving the White House, following a call from former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who had then been appointed president of Harvard University. According to Bill, Summers told him that Epstein had donated millions to support brain research and wanted to discuss economics and politics, largely focusing on “charitable work.” When asked if he had ever visited Epstein’s island, Bill said “no.” Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico later pressed him on the matter, claiming that a victim of Epstein’s had said she saw Bill on the island. “It's not true,” he responded. Bill was also questioned by the panel on whether he was aware or had taken part in any sexual activity on Epstein’s island. “I was never on the island,” he said. When asked if he had been to the Virgin Islands, he responded: “In the Virgin Islands with Jeffrey Epstein? No.”  House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer speaks during a hearing with photographs of former President Bill Clinton behind him in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2026. Win McNamee - Getty ## **Hillary dismisses “pizzagate” conspiracy** Rep. Boebert raised the conspiracy theory known as “[pizzagate](https://time.com/4590255/pizzagate-fake-news-what-to-know/),” which around the 2016 election falsely claimed that senior Democrats were running a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington, D.C., pizzeria. She asked Hillary whether she had seen anything in the Epstein files which “reference or relate” to the conspiracy. Hillary reacted with disbelief. “Pizzagate was totally made up. It was an outrageous allegation that ended up hurting a number of people that caused a deranged young man to show up with his assault rifle and shoot up a local pizzeria,” she said, referring to an [incident](https://time.com/4712875/pizzagate-edgar-maddison-welch-guilty-comet-ping-pong/) where a man motivated by the conspiracy theory shot at a pizza restaurant. “I expected a lot of interesting questions today, but pizzagate was not on my list,” she told the room. ## **Bill faces tough questions over “hot tub” photo** Lawmakers asked Bill about a [photograph](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%202/EFTA00003170.pdf) showing him reclining in a hotel hot tub beside a woman whose identity has been redacted, and another (see [image 60](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00247851.pdf)) of him in a swimming pool with Maxwell. “I don’t know who that is,” Bill said of his hot tub companion, adding that others were present in the pool area. When asked if they were “under 18,” he responded “no,” and confirmed, to the best of his recollection, that everyone there was part of the travelling party. He said he “believes” there was also a Secret Service agent in attendance, “at the other end of the pool.” Asked directly whether he had sexual contact with the woman, Bill denied it, saying he only stayed in the hot tub for about five minutes before going to bed. When asked whether the committee should demand accountability for the photos of Bill in the hot tub, Hillary, in her own deposition, said: “Swimming in a pool, sitting in a hot tub, there are millions of people who do that without any improper behavior or committing any crimes.” ## Transcript Have you ever communicated with any of the following people relating to Jeffrey Epstein or Glenn Maxwell? Richard Kahn no. Darren and ****. No. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew. No. Peter. Mandelson. No. Howard. Lutnick. No. Not. Not that I recall. Steve Bannon. I don't know if I've ever met him. You all have to introduce me. I have photos that are being released of the secretary as she is testifying from inside this room. Can you please advise me as to whether or not that's permissible and consistent with the rules, particularly given that we have asked for a public hearing? If there are photos that are being released of the Secretary as she is testifying. Can you please explain how? I'm done. With this. If you guys are doing that, I am done. You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior. You will go off the record. Oh, for heaven's sake. I'd like to understand how that's permissible. The hearing was. It doesn't matter. We all are abiding by the same rules. I will take that down. Yeah, well. I would like to take a break. At this. Moment. I'd like to. I'm done. For now. How do you know Howard Lutnick? I know Howard Lutnick. Because when I was senator on nine over 11, the firm he headed, Cantor Fitzgerald, suffered the greatest loss of life. As I recall, something like 650 of his employees were murdered by terrorists that day. Howard Lutnick missed being a victim because he was delayed dropping his child off to kindergarten. You asked the question. I'm going to answer your question. This was what I spent my time doing. I spent trying to look out for others. I was trying and I was taking care of the people who lost 3000 lives. And now you're being defiant and indignant today. You asked me about Howard Epstein. So excuse. Me. Your question is about whether or not she has reviewed any emails in the Epstein release files about Pizzagate. Correct? Pizzagate was totally made up. It was an outrageous allegation that ended up hurting a number of people. That caused a deranged young man to show up with his assault rifle and shoot up a local pizzeria. I can't believe you're even referencing it. You should be. There. There are connections to the the language the. QAnon people believe there are. So I don't know what people. Have at. It. Sometime after I left the white House, Either in late 2001 or early in the 2002. I received a call from Larry Summers, who had been on my economic team and was later secretary of treasurer and was then president of Harvard. And he said that, uh, he was calling because a man named Jeffrey Epstein, who had made a substantial commitment of several million dollars, I think it was ten. But whatever it was to brain research and that he was a information hungry person, and he wanted to spend some time talking to me about economics and politics. And he said, he's got this massive airplane. And he said he would take you, your staff, your Secret Service detail and anybody else you wanted to bring on the trips that he knew. I was planning to set up a global network. To provide life saving Aids medicine to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. And so we to get more information for this investigation, was wondering if you also agree that that President Trump should answer questions of this committee. That's for you to decide. But he didn't know him well. And I once had a brief discussion with him about it. Thank you. Thanks for that answer. With that, I'm going to go to Mr. Walkinshaw and we'll go down to series of questions. I hate this, but because I don't believe I should inject anything, but I do not want to leave the impression. But since there was no follow up question, He never. The president. Never. This is 20 something years ago. Never said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything improper with regard to to Epstein, either. He he just didn't. He just said we were friends. And then we had a falling out over a land deal. Property deal. That's all. Thank you. Could I ask very briefly, Mr. President, if you recall, what were the circumstances of that conversation? Or at least let's start with when did the conversation occur? We were it was on his golf course, and there were a couple of years there when Joe Torre, who had been the manager of the Yankees and was a friend and had a tournament, a charity golf tournament called, appropriately for this investigation, the Safe at Home Foundation, and it was designed to combat domestic violence. Donald Trump gave him the golf course in New York to have a tournament on, and I played in it a couple of times. And the day I was there, he would typically, uh, Donald Trump would come out and play a few holes with us. And he somehow knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein's aircraft. And he said, you know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal. And he said, I'm sorry it happened. That's all. So do you recall the details of this photo? Recall the photo being taken? No, I don't think I ever knew the photo was taken. Okay. And, um, for those who can't see it, it's a photo of you in a hot tub. There's a person next to you here. Um, do you remember where it was taken? Where was it taken? I'm almost sure that this taken. I think there's an adjacent photograph, which you probably have, that if people thought they would feel that someone was trying to con them, showing this picture. But anyway, this picture was taken. Uh, in Brunei. And. We flew one night. On a trip to Asia. The last very long leg. He said we is. Who is that including? Well, my whole team that was working on the Aids issue and and Mr. Epstein was there and Miss Maxwell. But anyway, we got to the end of the end of the flight was benign. It's a tiny place, but a very wealthy one. And the Sultan of Brunei was a man that I had gotten to know well in my eight years as president. He wanted when he knew I was coming, and he said he wanted to help me with the my Aids initiative, and he invited me to stay there. And he said, I want you to stay at this hotel and I hope you'll use the the pool. So I did, and then I got out and went to bed exhausted. Were there other people in that pool or hot tub with you as well? I don't think there's anybody in the hot tub. I don't even I didn't forgotten that there was anybody in the hot tub, but it was big. But it was about. Well. He's asking you in the pool. There's a photo. There's a girl over here, or there's someone. Yeah, I don't know who that is. But he's also asking in the pool area whether other individuals. I don't know who that is. Okay. So you don't know? No. And then there were other people in the pool. Okay. So do you remember? Were they under 18? Would, you know? Were they part of your traveling party? He's asking you. Yes, they were, I think. I think everybody there was part of our party. It was late at night and a late Asian. I also believe that there was a Secret Service agent there at the other end of the pool. And was this in public? No, it was a hotel room. And the Sultan wanted us to stay there. And the whole the water. This big pool was on the same floor that there were several suites and that. So we went out, I swam around, I sat in the hot tub for five minutes or whatever it was, and I got up and went to bed. And I have to ask this, did you engage in any sexual activity with this person? 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