\n The appearance saw lawmakers trek to Chappaqua, New York, to avoid the spectacle of a former president testifying under oath in Washington. But Clinton\u2019s deposition behind closed doors was no less historic. He became the first former president compelled to testify under subpoena before a congressional committee, setting a new precedent that could have sweeping ramifications, including for President Donald Trump.\n <\/p>\n
\n Attorneys for the Clintons and the Republican-led panel negotiated behind the scenes \u2013 through email exchanges, letters and phone calls \u2013 for months over the terms of the interview. Ultimately, the pair only agreed to comply with their subpoenas after the House had moved toward a bipartisan vote to hold them in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to appear as scheduled.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think everybody would agree that he\u2019s been very cooperative, and he\u2019s actually answering the questions fairly to the best of his ability. He has not taken a pass on pleading the fifth for any questions,\u201d Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said of Clinton.\n <\/p>\n
\n Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the panel, said Clinton flashed \u201cSouthern people skills.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cHe\u2019s a charming individual, obviously,\u201d Comer said.\n <\/p>\n
\n Unlike his wife, who testified on Thursday that she never met<\/a> Epstein, Clinton has a documented history of interactions with him and Ghislaine Maxwell \u2013 who was convicted in connection with Epstein\u2019s crimes.\n <\/p>\n \n The panel inquired about Clinton\u2019s name appearing in the flight logs of Epstein\u2019s plane, and about Epstein\u2019s name appearing in Clinton\u2019s White House visitors logs, two sources familiar with the testimony told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n Clinton voluntarily recounted to the House investigators that Trump told him in the early 2000s at a golf tournament that he had a falling out with Epstein over a land deal, three sources familiar with the testimony told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n Trump said he was no longer friends with Epstein, Clinton recalled, according to those sources. It was the former president who volunteered his recollection of that conversation, one of the sources said.\n <\/p>\n \n In his opening statement, Clinton said that \u201cno matter how many photos you show (him),\u201d it would not change his assertion that he saw nothing wrong and did nothing wrong.\n <\/p>\n \n And addressing the more than a dozen times<\/a> he traveled with his staffers on Epstein\u2019s private plane between 2001 and 2004, Clinton said: \u201cAs someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing\u2014I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The former president is listed<\/a> on a 2025 FBI document that compiled a list of more than a dozen sexual assault allegations, including against Trump, that appear to be unverified.\n <\/p>\n![\"Then-President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/42-whpo-p08032-08.jpg\")
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