A closed-door congressional deposition erupted into chaos when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stormed out after learning a Republican lawmaker had taken and circulated a photo of her inside the room.
The dramatic moment unfolded during testimony before the House Oversight Committee, where Clinton was answering questions about her knowledge of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
According to a video released by the committee, Clinton became visibly furious after her attorney informed lawmakers that an image of her seated at the deposition table was already circulating online — a direct violation of closed-session rules.
“I’m done with this,” Clinton said sharply, standing up from her seat. “If you guys are doing that, I am done. You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) admitted she had taken the photograph before proceedings formally began. She told Clinton she would remove it, saying, “I will take that down.”
Clinton was not satisfied.
“It doesn’t matter. We all are abiding by the same rules,” she shot back, banging her fist on the table and pointing toward Boebert before exiting the room. Cameras were quickly cut off. The deposition resumed roughly an hour later.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) acknowledged that members are prohibited from taking or releasing photos during closed testimony. However, he argued the image had been captured before the official start time.
Clinton’s legal team rejected that explanation, noting she was already seated and proceedings were effectively underway.
The deposition marked a historic moment, as both Hillary and former President Bill Clinton were summoned to testify about their past associations with Epstein. It was the first time Congress had deposed a former or sitting president.
Lawmakers questioned Hillary Clinton about a $20,000 political donation from Epstein in 1999. She said she had no recollection of knowing about the contribution at the time and was surprised to learn of it during preparations for her testimony.
“I do not recall ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein,” she told lawmakers under oath, adding that she may have been in the same room with him once at a large White House Historical Association event in the 1990s.
She also addressed Maxwell’s attendance at Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding, explaining that Maxwell attended as a guest of someone else and that she had only met her a handful of times, per the Daily Mail.
Bill Clinton, in separate testimony, denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and defended his past travel on the financier’s private jet, stating the trips were tied to charitable foundation work.
Photos released in recent document dumps have shown Epstein and Maxwell interacting with high-profile figures, including images taken at White House events and on private aircraft.
Throughout her testimony, Hillary Clinton repeatedly distanced herself from Epstein, stating he “was not on my radar” and insisting she had no direct relationship with him.
The confrontation over the leaked photo now threatens to overshadow portions of the hearing itself, raising new questions about decorum and rule enforcement during one of the most politically sensitive investigations in recent memory.
