Pizzagate and leaked photos: Hillary Clinton faces tough questions over Epstein files

Former US caput of authorities Hillary Clinton testified for much than six hours down closed doors connected Thursday earlier the Republican-led House Oversight Committee arsenic portion of its probe into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.The deposition, held successful the Clintons’ hometown of Chappaqua, New York, followed months of tense back-and-forth betwixt the erstwhile Democratic powerfulness mates and the committee. The Clintons had resisted the panel’s subpoena, dismissing it arsenic politically motivated, earlier agreeing to attest arsenic imaginable contempt-of-Congress proceedings loomed against them.It was the archetypal clip that a erstwhile president has been forced to attest earlier Congress.

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to look earlier the committee connected Friday.

In an opening connection shared connected societal media, Hillary Clinton said she had nary cognition of the transgression activities of Epstein oregon Maxwell. “I had nary thought astir their transgression activities. I bash not callback ever encountering Mr. Epstein,” she said.“I bash not callback ever encountering Mr. Epstein,” she said successful her prepared remarks. “I ne'er flew connected his level oregon visited his island, homes oregon offices.

I person thing to adhd to that.”“Like each decent person,” she added, “I person been horrified by what we person learned astir their crimes.”

Clinton said Thursday she was assured her hubby knew thing of Epstein’s maltreatment of minors oregon different crimes. “I deliberation the chronology of the transportation that helium had with Epstein ended years, respective years, earlier thing astir Epstein's transgression activities came to light,” she said aft giving what she described arsenic a “long and precise repetitive” deposition.

After her deposition, Hillary said that the questioning shifted aft she repeatedly told House Republicans she did not cognize Jeffrey Epstein.She said the speech became “quite unusual, due to the fact that I started being asked astir UFOs and a bid of questions astir Pizzagate, 1 of the astir vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated connected the internet, that was serving arsenic the ground of a member’s questions to me.”Pizzagate was a 2016 conspiracy mentation built connected the mendacious assertion that members of Clinton’s run squad utilized coded emails to sermon kid enactment slaves allegedly held successful the basement of Comet Ping Pong — a pizza edifice successful Washington, DC, that has nary basement and nary transportation to kid sex-trafficking.The conspiracy mentation was promoted by far-right supporters of Donald Trump, including Jack Posobiec, until precocious 2016 erstwhile a antheral equipped with an battle rifle, who believed the claims were true, entered the edifice to “self-investigate” and fired a changeable inside.Speaking to reporters aft her deposition, Hillary said she answered each question that was asked of her.

Hillary accused the committee of targeting her to distract from Donald Trump.“You person compelled maine to testify, afloat alert that I person nary cognition that would assistance your investigation, successful bid to distract attraction from President Trump's actions and to screen them up contempt morganatic calls for answers,” she said successful her opening statement.She said the committee should inquire Trump “directly nether oath astir the tens of thousands of times helium shows up successful the Epstein files.”Trump was a one-time adjacent person of Epstein but has not been charged with immoderate wrongdoing related to the disgraced financier, who died successful a New York jailhouse compartment successful 2019 portion awaiting proceedings for enactment trafficking.Hillary besides accused the committee of an “institutional failure” that was designed to “protect 1 governmental enactment and 1 nationalist official, alternatively than to question information and justness for the victims and survivors (of Epstein).”

The Clintons and members of the House Oversight Committee agreed to 5 taxable areas for the depositions. They are:

The committee’s probe has besides sought to recognize wherefore the Department of Justice nether erstwhile statesmanlike administrations did not question further charges against Epstein pursuing a 2008 statement successful which helium pleaded blameworthy to authorities charges successful Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage miss but avoided national charges.

The grounds was concisely halted aft Rep Lauren Boebert shared a photograph of Hillary answering questions from wrong the deposition room. The representation was posted connected societal media by Benny Johnson.Hillary’s attorneys instantly asked to intermission the proceedings, noting that she had been denied her petition for a nationalist hearing. The deposition resumed astir 30 minutes later. Rep Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said the archetypal hr of the deposition earlier the interruption had been an embarrassment to Republicans, turning up thing of significance.

“Secretary Clinton is puzzled arsenic to wherefore she's present answering questions,” helium said. “I'm trying to fig retired what other to inquire her. She doesn't cognize much.”

Photos, flights and societal events resurface

Hillary Clinton has antecedently said her hubby flew with Epstein for charitable trips but that she did not callback ever gathering Epstein.Bill Clinton traveled connected Epstein’s backstage level astatine slightest 16 times, according to a CNN review, and was pictured with women successful a jacuzzi successful files released by the US Department of Justice.

Several photos of the erstwhile president were included successful the archetypal tranche of Epstein files released successful January, including a fig of him with women whose faces were redacted. He was besides pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell.Hillary Clinton acknowledged that she had interacted with Maxwell astatine conferences hosted by the Clinton Foundation. Maxwell, a British socialite and Epstein’s erstwhile woman and confidant, besides attended the 2010 wedding of the Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea Clinton.While exiting the lawsuit halfway wherever the deposition was held, Clinton told reporters that Maxwell had travel to the wedding arsenic a impermanent of idiosyncratic other and that she had told the committee she lone knew Maxwell “as an acquaintance.”Epstein survivors and lawyers representing them person said it is important for the Clintons, peculiarly the erstwhile president, to attest arsenic lawmakers proceed to analyse the government’s handling of the case.