Former President Bill Clinton returned to familiar territory last week: answering questions under oath. But when lawmakers asked him directly whether he had ever lied in a deposition or under oath before, Clinton delivered a confident answer that immediately reignited one of the most infamous scandals in modern political history.
“No,” Clinton reportedly replied during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee led by Chairman James Comer.
The moment became even more tense when investigators presented Clinton with photographs showing him alongside disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to reports, Clinton’s legal team attempted to intercept some of the images before the former president reviewed them himself.
Clinton examined the photos and described Epstein as “odd,” while maintaining that he never witnessed any criminal behavior during their interactions.
The former president also reiterated long-standing claims that he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little St. James — a location prosecutors say served as a central hub in Epstein’s international sex trafficking operation. Clinton further denied any sexual contact with young women connected to Epstein and insisted he had no knowledge of the trafficking network that eventually brought down the financier.
The testimony quickly sparked criticism from observers who pointed out the extraordinary history surrounding Clinton’s past statements under oath.
During the 1990s, Clinton became the second president in American history to be impeached after a scandal involving former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The controversy began with a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in 1994 by Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of misconduct during his time as governor of Arkansas.
While giving sworn testimony in the Jones case, Clinton denied having a sexual relationship with Lewinsky. That claim unraveled as evidence surfaced, including Lewinsky’s own testimony, recorded conversations, and DNA evidence linked to a now-famous blue dress.
The revelations triggered a political earthquake in Washington.
In December 1998, the House of Representatives impeached Clinton on two charges: perjury and obstruction of justice. The perjury charge passed 228–206, while obstruction passed 221–212.
The case then moved to the Senate, where Clinton was ultimately acquitted in early 1999 after both charges failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required for removal from office.
Despite avoiding removal, the legal fallout continued.
U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright later held Clinton in civil contempt of court for providing misleading testimony in the Jones case and ordered him to pay roughly $90,000 in legal penalties and court costs.
Clinton also faced professional consequences. Arkansas suspended his law license for five years, and the U.S. Supreme Court barred him from practicing law before the nation’s highest court.
Independent Counsel Robert Ray ultimately reached an agreement with Clinton to avoid criminal prosecution if the former president admitted to giving misleading testimony and accepted the penalties.
Clinton’s attempts to parse his earlier statements became infamous, particularly his remark during grand jury testimony that “it depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
Now, decades later, the Epstein scandal has again placed Clinton under scrutiny.
Flight logs show Clinton traveled on Epstein’s private jet multiple times in the early 2000s, often for trips connected to charitable work overseas. Records also indicate Epstein visited the White House more than a dozen times during Clinton’s presidency.
Epstein, who had deep connections with wealthy elites, politicians, and celebrities, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on new sex trafficking charges.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
During last week’s deposition, Clinton reportedly clarified another claim tied to Epstein’s travel records. He previously suggested Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had flown on Epstein’s jet, but walked that statement back, saying he may have been mistaken. Pritzker strongly denied ever flying with Epstein.
Clinton also told investigators he rarely handled emails personally during his presidency and typically relied on aides for communication.
The deposition comes as lawmakers continue digging into the broader Epstein network and potential connections involving powerful figures.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also questioned by investigators and denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity. She reportedly urged President Donald Trump to testify under oath as well after his name surfaced in Epstein-related files.
According to Comer, Clinton’s testimony cleared Trump of any connection to Epstein’s crimes. However, Rep. Robert Garcia pushed back, arguing Trump should still testify before the committee.
The investigation continues as lawmakers attempt to untangle the web of relationships surrounding Epstein — a scandal that continues to cast a long shadow across American politics.
