CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — House Oversight Committee Republicans released footage Monday of a high-stakes, closed-door deposition where Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton engaged in a series of sharp exchanges over newly declassified photographs of former President Bill Clinton from the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The video release follows a week of intense testimony from both Bill and Hillary Clinton, who were subpoenaed to testify regarding their past associations with the late convicted offender. While the Clintons have consistently denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, the depositions revealed deep-seated tensions between the former First Couple and GOP investigators.
‘Unhinged’ Exchange Over Epstein Files
Representative Nancy Mace, speaking to reporters following the Thursday session, characterized Hillary Clinton’s reaction to questioning as “unhinged.” According to Mace, the former Secretary of State became visibly agitated when pressed on her emotional response to “racy” photographs of Bill Clinton found within the Department of Justice’s massive release of Epstein-related documents.
“She was screaming. She was unhinged,” Mace said, adding that Clinton reportedly retorted, “We’re not here to discuss my feelings,” when asked about the images. One such photo, recently restored by the DOJ, allegedly depicts the former president in a hot tub with an unidentified woman—an image Bill Clinton later testified was taken during a 2002 humanitarian trip to Brunei.
Testimony Paused After Boebert Stunt
The proceedings were further derailed on Thursday when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) allegedly took an unauthorized photo of Hillary Clinton during the confidential deposition. The image was quickly leaked to conservative social media figures, prompting a 30-minute halt to the session.
Footage released Monday shows a frustrated Hillary Clinton threatening to walk out of the room. “I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done,” Clinton told the committee. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior.”
Key Takeaways from the Depositions:
- Denial of Connection: Hillary Clinton testified she “never met Jeffrey Epstein” and had no communication with him, though she admitted to knowing Ghislaine Maxwell “casually as an acquaintance.”
- “Partisan Theater”: Clinton lambasted the committee for asking about “UFOs and the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory,” calling the line of questioning a “fishing expedition.”
- Bill Clinton’s Defense: In his own Friday testimony, the former president insisted he “saw nothing and did nothing wrong,” stating he would have “turned [Epstein] in myself” had he known of the abuse.
- White House Visits: Records confirmed by the committee show Epstein visited the White House 17 times during the Clinton administration, though the former president claimed no memory of those specific interactions.
The Path Ahead
The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY), continues to face criticism from Democrats who argue the investigation is a “partisan distraction” intended to shield President Donald Trump from similar scrutiny. Democratic members of the committee have already begun calling for a reciprocal subpoena for Trump to testify on his own documented ties to Epstein.
As the committee analyzes the hours of testimony and millions of pages of declassified DOJ documents, the focus now shifts to whether any inconsistencies in the Clintons’ statements could lead to further legal jeopardy or if the investigation will pivot toward other high-profile figures named in the files.
