The House Oversight Committee on Monday released videos of its interviews last week with former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of its probe into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
NBC News is reviewing the videos, which are about 4½ hours each and show the former first couple tangling with Republican lawmakers at times. The video, which includes numerous redactions, was posted days after the Clintons sat for interviews with the GOP-led committee to answer questions about Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Hillary Clinton answered questions under oath from the committee Thursday, and Bill Clinton answered questions Friday.
In his interview, Clinton recalled a conversation he once had with Donald Trump about Epstein "20-something years ago."
"It was on his golf course," he said. He said they were playing together at a charity game, "and he somehow had known I'd 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,'" Clinton testified. "And he said that I'm sorry it happened."
Clinton told the panel that Trump “never said anything to make me think he was involved with anything improper in regard to Epstein, either.”
The Washington Post first reported in 2019 that Trump and Epstein’s rift was related to a Florida mansion they both wanted to buy.
Trump has said they had a falling-out because he thought Epstein was a "creep." Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing by law enforcement and has denied any wrongdoing involving Epstein.
Bill Clinton has acknowledged having flown on Epstein's plane for Clinton Foundation travel in the early 2000s, before Epstein was hit with criminal charges, and he has denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes at the time. Hillary Clinton has said she doesn't remember ever meeting him but acknowledged that Maxwell, who's serving 20 years in prison for sex trafficking, was an "acquaintance." Neither Clinton has been charged with any wrongdoing.
Bill Clinton was asked whether he believed Maxwell should receive clemency, which she’s seeking from Trump. He answered, “I don’t think I should comment on that.”
He then said, “This was really hard for me when it came out," referring to the charges against Maxwell. "We were friendly with Ghislaine." He didn’t clarify whom "we" referred to.
He added: "I was sad. But it was terrible what she did, and she should be punished. Somebody besides me should make a decision on what it is."
Clinton, asked by Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., whether the Oversight Committee should question Trump, said, “That’s for you to decide, but he did know him well.”
Hillary Clinton was more direct.
“Absolutely,” she said. “He would be on my witness list.”
During her deposition, Clinton got into a testy exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who asked about various pictures of her husband with other women that appeared to have been taken while he was traveling with Epstein. The photos included one in which he was getting a back massage while he was clothed and seated.
“When you saw photos of your husband in a hot tub, laying on a beach and getting massaged by other women, and you knew that Jeffrey Epstein was involved in some of these trips and these things, did it concern you at all?” Mace asked.
“I’m here not to offer my opinions. I’m here to answer specific questions, to the best of my ability,” Hillary Clinton replied.
