Bill Clinton faces a grilling from House Republicans over his relationship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, following weeks of mounting pressure.
The former president and his wife, who have not been accused of wrongdoing, had long resisted calls to testify before a congressional committee, dismissing what they framed as a Republican plot against them.
But in a stunning reversal, they recently agreed to address several lingering questions after it became clear that Congress was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused.
Yesterday, it was the turn of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton to deliver her deposition behind closed doors in the couple’s hometown of Chappaqua, New York.
During a seven-hour appearance, she said that she did not remember ever meeting Epstein and had no information about his crimes. The interrogation later turned to UFOs and conspiracy theories, she said.
The private deposition was briefly paused after a right-wing influencer shared a photo of the former first lady during proceedings, which he said was given to him by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.
Today, Mr Clinton will be pressed to address his documented relationship with Epstein, after the latest dump of case files raised questions about how well they knew each other.
The former president has said he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and ended their acquaintance before the financier’s 2019 arrest on federal charges.
While the Clintons have only agreed to answer questions on set issues, these are the major mentions of Bill Clinton in the files, that led to today’s deposition:
Clinton travelled on Epstein’s jet
The files released by the US justice department includes testimony from Ghislaine Maxwell, saying Mr Clinton had travelled on Epstein’s private jet, but she did not know how many times.
Mr Clinton said in a 2019 statement that he was accompanied on his trips on Epstein’s jet by staff and supporters from his charity, the Clinton Foundation.
The former president appeared on Epstein’s private jet logs at least 16 times between 2002 and 2003 for trips he said were related to Foundation work, according to CNN.
Clinton pictured in a hot tub with a woman
One photo in the files released in December showed the former president in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted.
The files do not say when or where the photos were taken, and there was little context surrounding them.
Gates McGavick, a spokesperson for the justice department, posted the photo on X on 19 December and claimed the black box had been added “to protect a victim”.
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, said Hillary Clinton showed “no curiosity” about the picture when presented with it at her deposition on Thursday.
“We showed her that picture,” the Republican said. “She acted like she had no curiosity, wasn’t concerned who was in the hot tub with him. She really wasn’t concerned.”
Clinton in a pool with Maxwell
Another photo appears to show Mr Clinton in a pool with Epstein’s accomplice and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Hillary Clinton said after her deposition yesterday that she knew Maxwell “casually, as an acquaintance."
Fact-checkers recently identified that another image of the Clintons stood next to a pool with Epstein and several famous faces was falsified, created with AI.
Pictured on plane with woman on his lap
In another photo, Mr Clinton is pictured on a private plane with a woman sitting on his lap. That woman’s face has also been redacted.
Being photographed with Epstein, or appearing in the Epstein files does not mean they participated in Epstein’s crimes or knew of them.
Unusual painting of Clinton in a dress
Also included in the Epstein files was a photo of a painted portrait of Mr Clinton wearing a blue dress and lounging in an armchair.
The portrait was hanging in Epstein’s New York apartment.
Staffer emails discussing dinner plans
In the files, there were a number of files between Maxwell and Mr Clinton’s staff, mostly discussing the logistics of travel and dinner plans.
In one email from 2003, Maxwell wrote to a redacted Clinton office address, saying: “Glad you are coming to the dinner - JE says do you think CLinton would like to come - let me know.”
Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said Mr Clinton has only ever emailed twice, neither to Epstein. She said he “neither had nor shared a device or account or address with anyone”.
Signed picture with Epstein and Maxwell
Another undated photo from Epstein’s personal collection, provided by the Democrats on the committee in December, shows Mr Clinton posing with Epstein and Maxwell.
It was unclear who the two people on the left of the photograph are.
The picture appears to have been signed ‘Bill Clinton’ in gold ink. The file was released as a photograph of the image.
Photographed with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross
Another photograph released in December showed Mr Clinton with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
Again, the context was unclear from the file. Mr Clinton appears to have a hand on the shoulder of Mr Jackson.
Two redacted black squares can also been seen, but it is unclear what they are covering.
In the tranche of files shared in December, there was another photo of Epstein standing next to Michael Jackson.
Mr Clinton was separately pictured alongside Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, standing either side of a woman whose face has been redacted.
Inclusion in the files does not suggest wrongdoing.
Pictured smiling with Epstein
In another photograph released by the justice department, Mr Clinton and Epstein were pictured together smiling in silky patterned shirts.
The photos were shared without context on 19 December. There was no indicated where they were taken or when.
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