Former President Bill Clinton said he did not know the woman pictured with him in the now-infamous hot tub photo contained in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Jeffrey Epstein files, according to multiple sources familiar with his testimony.
Clinton was questioned about the image during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Friday.
The photo, released as part of millions of pages tied to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, appears to show Clinton in a hot tub alongside a woman whose identity has been redacted.
According to individuals granted anonymity to discuss the private testimony, Clinton told lawmakers he did not know who the woman was and did not have sex with her.
One source told Fox News Digital that Clinton suggested the image depicted a public hotel pool setting and said no one in the room challenged that characterization.
The deposition lasted roughly six hours as lawmakers questioned Clinton about his relationship with Epstein and Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
In prepared opening remarks shared publicly before the session, Clinton stated he had “no idea” about Epstein’s crimes.
“Now, let me say what you’re going to hear from me. First, I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing,” Clinton said.
“No matter how many photos you show me, I have two things that, at the end of the day, matter more than your interpretation of those 20-year-old photos,” he continued.
“I know what I saw and more importantly, what I didn’t see. I know what I did and more importantly, what I didn’t do. I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong.”
Clinton also told lawmakers they would likely hear him say “I don’t recall” in response to certain questions.
“That might be unsatisfying, but I’m not going to say something I’m not sure of,” he said. “This was all a long time ago, and I’m bound by my oath not to speculate or to guess.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said after the deposition that it was “very productive.”
“He answered every question, or attempted to answer every question,” Comer said.
Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) described Clinton as “quite candid, probably more candid than his attorneys were comfortable with.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) suggested after the hearing that Epstein may have been running an intelligence-linked “honeypot operation.”
“I do believe that President Clinton, as well as the Secretary, were potentially targets of that operation,” Luna said.
Comer noted that Epstein visited the Clinton White House 17 times and that Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane at least 27 times, Fox News reported.
Clinton told lawmakers he would not have flown on the plane had he known about Epstein’s illicit conduct.
“As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I have not flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing — I would have turned him in myself,” Clinton said.
