Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., stated on Friday that the closed-door deposition of former President Bill Clinton in a House committee’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s political and financial network provided evidence that “exoners” President Donald Trump.
However, some House Democrats renewed calls for Trump to answer questions about the late convicted sex offender.
Bill Clinton testified under oath on Friday after months of defying a subpoena by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which Comer chairs. He faced threats of contempt of Congress before ultimately agreeing to sit for transcribed depositions.
The testimony of Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took place Thursday as part of a broader investigation into how Epstein built his global influence and whether government officials responded appropriately to his crimes.
When asked about calls by Democrats for Trump to appear before the committee on Epstein-related questions — an effort led by ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who said Democrats want Trump “to sit for deposition on Epstein ties” — Comer stated that Bill Clinton’s testimony showed there is “no liability” for Trump in the matter.
“Bill Clinton today said under oath that he had spoken to Donald Trump once about Epstein, and he never saw or heard anything about Donald Trump in their conversation that would lead him to believe that Donald Trump had any liability,” Comer said. “There’s no love lost from Clinton to Trump.”
Comer also pointed to a previous deposition by former Attorney General Bill Barr, saying Barr likewise testified there was “no liability with Donald Trump.”
“I think the evidence is clear thus far that Donald Trump has no liability and is exonerated,” Comer said, adding that Democrats “look like fools for only obsessing over Trump.”
When directly asked about efforts by some Democrats to subpoena Trump, Comer emphasized that Trump had already answered questions about Epstein in other settings and suggested that Bill Clinton’s deposition rendered further focus on Trump unnecessary.
Bill Clinton’s deposition represented a rare instance of a former president testifying under subpoena in a congressional investigation, following intense negotiations over terms after Comer and his committee threatened contempt of Congress charges to secure compliance.
