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by MARK POWELL
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What did former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton know about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein – and when did they know it? That was the essence of two days of congressional questioning of the former first couple. And it was filled with all the drama, intrigue, and misdirection that have followed them ever since they left Little Rock, Arkansas, more than thirty years ago.
After months of doggedly defying subpoenas to testify about Epstein’s activities to the House Oversight Committee — pushing that defiance to the brink of being charged with criminal contempt of Congress — the pair abruptly changed their tune.
They suddenly were eager to testify, demanding that their testimony be given in public rather than behind closed doors as planned – a request that committee chair James Comer swiftly rejected.
Their timing couldn’t have been worse. Because their appearances come as the scandal has erupted into meltdown mode across the pond.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (the ex-royal formerly known as Prince Andrew) is now the subject of a criminal probe into his alleged involvement with the late financier’s international nexus – which has connected the rich, famous, and powerful around the world to illegal underage sexual perversion (and worse). The matter is growing so white hot that it’s now threatening the always-shaky foundation of the British monarchy itself. And the fallout isn’t limited to less-than-Merry Olde England, either.
Thorbjorn Jagland, Norway’s former prime minister and ex-Nobel Peace Prize chairman, was hospitalized after trying to commit suicide last week. He reportedly tried to take his own life after being charged with gross corruption linked to his connection to child sex offender Epstein.
Amidst that tense backdrop, the Clintons agreed to talk under oath…
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“No one’s accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing,” Comer said before Thursday’s session began. “They’re going to have due process. But we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.”
Right off the bat, things devolved into a political circus.
Hillary Clinton met on Thursday with committee members in Chappaqua, New York, not far from where she and the former president live. Worth noting to South Carolina readers: Lowcountry Republican congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Nancy Mace serves on that committee.
Sources say the session quickly turned into a raucous partisan affair – including efforts to immediately invoke Epstein’s proximity to the current occupant of the White House, Donald Trump.
“A committee endeavoring to stop human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008,” Hillary Clinton wrote in her opening statement. “But that’s not happening. Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.”
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“As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities,” she continued. “I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.”
Observers quickly focused on the phrase, “I do not recall.” She gave the same answer during her 1995 deposition before independent counsel Kenneth Starr. In his memoir, Starr wrote that Clinton said she did not recall or remember more than 100 times over approximately three hours of questioning.
“This is classic Clinton modus operandi,” a national political strategist shared with us. “Give an exasperated sigh about the unfairness of having to answer questions, proclaim your innocence, and then quickly blame someone else (in this case, Trump). We’ve seen this movie so many times before, we can practically recite the lines along with her.”
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The exact questions posed to the former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state, and Democratic presidential nominee aren’t known yet – although it’s believed a video or a transcript may be released later. Legal experts say Clinton’s opening statement, coupled with her deposition history, suggests her possible line of defense.
“Remember, both Clintons are lawyers,” a retired attorney shared with us. “They understand how the game is played inside and out. They always stall, delay, and avoid responsibility until they’re driven into a corner and compelled to do so. An old legal rule of thumb says that when a defendant is questioned under oath about a dog attack, they reply, ‘I don’t own a dog.’ When pressed, it changes to, ‘If I do own a dog, it isn’t that dog.’ Pressed harder, it turns into, ‘If I do own that dog, he didn’t bite you,’ until it finally ends with, ‘If he did bite you, it wasn’t his fault.’ I suspect something like that may be happening now.”
Bill Clinton’s turn to be questioned comes on Friday.
“I would assume tomorrow will be an even longer deposition,” Comer said.
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as this saga in our nation’s capital continues to unfold.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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6 comments
What I want to hear about more than Trump or the Clintons is Les Wexner’s testimony.
When will Melania testify? Epstein introduced her to Trump.
The Committee has now all but ensured Melania will be testifying after the Democrats retake the House.
Doubtful. They all protect each-other. Trump protected the Clintons throughout his first term despite the “lock her up” chants from his supporters. The Democrats will protect him when they again take the reins. It is a big club, and they are all in it together, despite the Professional Wrestling level taunts and jeers for the benefit of the audience.
You say you want to find out the truth, but you call a person who has never even met Epstein, and then you do not even want to hear from:
1. The guy most mentioned in the Epstein files.
2. The first lady with numerous pictures of her partying with Epstein, Maxwell, Trump, and Prince Andrew.
3. The Secretary of Commerce, who said he cut all ties with Epstein after one visit to his NY home, and then later admitted he took his family to Epstein Island, but only once, and now pictures of him on Epstein Island without his family have surfaced.
4. The guy who first financed Epstein.
5. Two billionaire Republican donors who went to Epstein Island and stayed in communication with Epstein,
etc, etc, etc. Do you think we are all stupid or were you just hoping Clinton Derrangement Syndrome would be enough?
This interview sets the precedent for the Democrats to subpoena Trump and put him under oath to testify. If they are smart they will do it after he leaves office so he can’t claim the veneer of the presidency if he refuses the subpoena or lies under oath.