Former President Bill Clinton is pushing back forcefully against questions surrounding his past association with Jeffrey Epstein — and he’s doing it by reaching deep into his own personal history.
Ahead of a congressional deposition tied to the House Oversight Committee’s probe into the late convicted sex offender, Clinton submitted an opening statement recounting his childhood in a home marked by domestic abuse. The statement, later posted to X, framed his upbringing as central to how he would have responded had he known about Epstein’s crimes.
“As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing — I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals,” Clinton wrote.
The former president has long spoken about his difficult childhood. His stepfather, Roger Clinton Sr., struggled with alcoholism and was reportedly violent toward Clinton’s mother, Virginia, and at times toward the family. In his 2004 memoir My Life, Clinton described intervening during a violent episode as a young boy. In later interviews, including a 2014 CNN appearance during the Ray Rice controversy, Clinton said growing up around domestic violence shaped him, making him more empathetic and more sensitive to abuse.
As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing—I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals. pic.twitter.com/0rX8cat5Pu
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) February 27, 2026
Now, he is drawing a direct line between that history and the Epstein scandal.
Clinton insisted in his statement that he “saw nothing and did nothing wrong,” maintaining that even with “20/20 hindsight” he never witnessed inappropriate conduct. He added that by the time Epstein’s guilty plea became public, he had already severed ties with him.
Still, Clinton’s association with Epstein has been well documented. Epstein visited the White House during Clinton’s presidency. The former president took multiple flights on Epstein’s private jet, and photos later surfaced showing the two together. Reports have also indicated Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attended events connected to high-profile gatherings during that era.
Clinton addressed his appearance before Congress by outlining what he called two motivations. First, he cited his belief in the rule of law.
“America was built upon the idea that no person is above the law, even Presidents — especially Presidents,” he wrote.
Second, he said the alleged victims “deserve not only justice, but healing,” adding that he would share whatever information he had if it could prevent similar crimes in the future.
BREAKING: Despite flying on Epstein’s plane 27 TIMES and appearing in COUNTLESS photos with him, Bill Clinton in his opening statement says he had NO IDEA what Epstein was doing
“Even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me pause.”
Yeah, NOBODY believes that. pic.twitter.com/MDb4wiZPEi
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 27, 2026
BREAKING: Despite flying on Epstein’s plane 27 TIMES and appearing in COUNTLESS photos with him, Bill Clinton in his opening statement says he had NO IDEA what Epstein was doingThe deposition follows a bipartisan vote in January approving a measure to hold both Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for previously declining to comply with subpoenas.
Hillary Clinton was deposed one day earlier in Chappaqua, New York, where she stated under oath that she knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal conduct. “I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices,” she said.
Bill Clinton has also repeatedly stated that he never visited Epstein’s private island.
Now, with both Clintons having testified, congressional investigators are continuing their probe into one of the most explosive scandals involving elite power circles in modern history.
