WASHINGTON D.C. — Newly released footage from a House Oversight Committee deposition reveals a sharp confrontation between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC). The Feb. 26 session, part of a GOP-led investigation into the associates of deceased offender Jeffrey Epstein, devolved into a heated exchange over Clinton’s ties to current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the legacy of the Sept. 11 attacks.
A Tense Confrontation in New York
The deposition, which lawmakers negotiated to hold in Clinton’s hometown rather than in Washington, turned volatile when Mace questioned Clinton about her relationship with Lutnick. Lutnick, who serves in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, recently admitted to visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012.
Clinton, 78, defended her acquaintance with the Cantor Fitzgerald CEO by invoking their shared history following the 2001 terrorist attacks.
“I know Howard Lutnick because when I was senator on 9/11, the firm he headed, Cantor Fitzgerald, suffered the greatest loss of life,” Clinton testified, noting that roughly 650 of Lutnick’s employees were killed.
As Mace repeatedly interrupted the response, Clinton raised her voice: “You asked the question, I’m going to answer your question. This was what I spent my time doing!”
Mace, 48, fired back by citing her personal history. “You’re going to yell at me?” Mace asked. “I am a [sexual assault] survivor trying to look out for other survivors.”
The exchange peaked with Clinton asserting she was “taking care of the people who lost 3,000 lives,” prompting Mace to label the former First Lady “defiant and indignant.”
The Lutnick Connection and “Epstein Island”
The line of questioning stems from Lutnick’s own recent testimony before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee. Despite previous claims of having a limited relationship with Epstein, Lutnick, 64, admitted last month to visiting Little Saint James—Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lutnick characterized the 2012 visit as a brief stop during a family vacation.
“I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,” Lutnick testified. “I had another couple, they were there as well with their children… we were not apart. To suggest there was anything untoward about that in 2012… I don’t recall why we did it, but we did it.”
While Republicans have used the Clinton deposition to probe these social circles, the House Oversight Committee has not yet moved to seek formal testimony from Lutnick or President Trump regarding their past interactions with Epstein.
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Bill Clinton Defends Wife’s Record
Following his wife’s testimony, former President Bill Clinton sat for his own deposition on Friday, Feb. 27. In his opening remarks, he dismissed the committee’s attempts to link Hillary Clinton to Epstein’s criminal enterprise.
“She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” the former president stated. He addressed a 1993 photograph of the couple with Epstein, dismissing it as a standard photo line at a White House Historical Association fundraiser.
However, Bill Clinton was more transparent regarding his own past, acknowledging that he had traveled on Epstein’s private aircraft. “I do think you should be talking to me,” he told the committee. “I did take those plane trips with him and you have a right to ask those questions.”
What’s Next for the Investigation
The House Oversight Committee’s focus on the “Epstein list” continues to be a point of intense partisan friction. While the committee has successfully secured depositions from high-profile figures like the Clintons, critics argue the investigation is being used for political leverage.
The committee is expected to review the transcripts from both Clinton depositions to determine if further subpoenas are required for members of the current administration.
