Behind the scenes of a high-stakes congressional deposition, aides to Hillary Clinton were focused on more than just legal strategy.
According to the New York Post, a source familiar with the setup said Clinton’s team pushed for a series of production adjustments ahead of her sworn testimony before the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into Jeffrey Epstein.
The deposition, held Feb. 26 at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New York, reportedly involved detailed planning over lighting, camera angles and background visuals.
Clinton’s team requested “beauty lighting” from the venue and repeatedly asked for the camera to be shifted to the left to capture what they believed was her most flattering angle, the source said.
At one point, white tablecloths were brought in to reflect overhead stage lights and soften shadows on her face.
The team also ordered a customized blue-paneled backdrop from a local vendor after deciding they did not like the original black curtains, which they felt made the setting resemble a “hostage situation.” The backdrop was produced in roughly seven hours, according to the source.
Many of the visual adjustments were also in place for Bill Clinton during his deposition the following day.
A spokesperson for Hillary Clinton dismissed the claims as overblown.
“First, I can assure you Hillary didn’t care what color the tablecloths were,” the representative said.
“Second, yesterday the internet overwhelmingly agreed that the Republicans had their asses handed to them, so I guess as the old lawyer’s adage goes, if you can’t argue the facts, pound the table and make s–t up about tablecloths.
“Finally, whatever 25 year old House staffers leaked this to you, maybe they should spend more time focusing on their investigation into Epstein’s crimes instead of playing production assistant.”
Tensions flared during the deposition when Rep. Lauren Boebert snapped a photo in violation of committee rules.
“I am done with this if you guys are doing this, I’m done,” Clinton said after one of her attorneys objected.
“You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home,” she added, slamming the table. “This is just typical behavior.”
She ultimately returned to complete the session.
The committee released video of both depositions Monday, capturing heated exchanges between Clinton and Republican members, including Boebert and Rep. Nancy Mace.
