Washington DC [US], February 27 (ANI): Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday denied having any knowledge of the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, telling the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that she had 'nothing to add' beyond her previous sworn statement made on January 13.

In a post on X on Thursday, she released her opening statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/2027053057100693779

In her opening statement to the committee dated February 26, 2026, Clinton said the panel had justified its subpoena based on the 'assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.'

'Let me be as clear as I can. I do not,' she said. 'As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.'

Clinton delivered over six hours of closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee regarding her knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The deposition, held in Chappaqua, New York, followed months of legal sparring between the Clintons and the Republican-led committee.

Clinton expressed outrage over the scope of Epstein's crimes, calling it 'unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.'

She sharply criticised the committee's handling of the investigation, accusing it of partisanship and a lack of transparency. 'Too often Congressional investigations are partisan political theatre, which is an abdication of duty and an insult to the American people,' she said.

Clinton noted that eight law enforcement officials were subpoenaed, but only one appeared before the committee, while others were allowed to submit brief statements. She also alleged that the committee had held 'zero public hearings' and refused media access.

'This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter,' she said. 'My heart breaks for the survivors. And I am furious on their behalf.'

Highlighting her record on combating human trafficking, Clinton said her work dated back to her time as First Lady, when she supported the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. As Secretary of State, she said, she appointed former federal prosecutor Lou CdeBaca to strengthen global anti-trafficking efforts and oversaw nearly 170 programs in 70 countries.

'I insisted that the United States be included in the report for the first time ever in 2011. Because we must hold ourselves not just to the same standard as the rest of the world but to an even higher one. Sex trafficking and modern slavery should have no place in America. None,' she said.

Clinton also accused the Trump administration of weakening anti-trafficking efforts. 'The message from the Trump Administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: combating human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House,' she said. 'That is a tragedy. It's a scandal. It deserves vigorous investigation and oversight.'

In her most pointed remarks, Clinton questioned why the committee had not directly subpoenaed President Donald Trump.

'If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein's trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files,' she said.

She concluded her testimony, while challenging lawmakers to prioritise survivors over politics. 'They expect statesmanship, not gamesmanship. Leading, not grandstanding. They expect you to use your power to get to the truth and to do more to help survivors of Epstein's crimes as well as the millions more who are victims of sex trafficking,' she said.

According to CBS News, in a sworn declaration submitted to the committee on January 13, Hillary Clinton denied any 'personal knowledge' of crimes committed by Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell.

She also said she 'never had any responsibility for or involvement with' the Justice Department's investigations into and prosecutions of Epstein and Maxwell during her two decades in public office or as a private citizen. (ANI)