Washington, D.C., Feb 28 (NationPress) Former President Bill Clinton informed House lawmakers that he was completely unaware of Jeffrey Epstein's illicit activities, emphasizing that he "saw nothing and did nothing wrong" during his connections with the disgraced financier.

Clinton's testimony occurred during a closed deposition with the Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Chappaqua, New York. This was a historic event, as it marked the first instance of a former U.S. president being subpoenaed to testify before Congress.

In his prepared remarks, Clinton stated: "I had no idea of Epstein's criminal actions." He further asserted, "I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong."

He remarked, "Even with perfect hindsight, I did not observe anything that raised concerns. We find ourselves here because Epstein concealed his actions effectively for a long period."

Clinton expressed his discontent with the committee's decision to summon his wife, Hillary Clinton, to testify the previous day.

"I must address this personally. You compelled Hillary to testify. She had no involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. None whatsoever," he stated. "Whether you subpoenaed ten individuals or ten thousand, including her, was simply inappropriate."

The deposition was the result of prolonged negotiations between the Clintons and the GOP-led committee, which had previously discussed contempt resolutions before Clinton ultimately agreed to testify. Lawmakers mentioned plans to unveil video footage and transcripts shortly.

Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, mentioned that Clinton was cooperative.

"He answered every question or made a sincere attempt to do so," Comer noted to reporters after the session. He added that once the materials are made public, "not just you, but many Americans will have further inquiries about some of the responses given and the path forward."

Representative Nancy Mace commented that Clinton responded even when his legal advisors advised him to refrain from speaking.

Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the committee, emphasized, "Our focus today is on obtaining substantial answers from former President Clinton during this serious deposition."

Clinton acknowledged taking flights on Epstein's private jet in 2002 and 2003 for foundation-related endeavors, but he has consistently denied visiting Epstein's private island. Justice Department documents released included images of Clinton alongside references to his previous interactions with Epstein, but did not suggest any misconduct.

Former President Donald Trump, who has also been scrutinized for past associations with Epstein, commented on Clinton's deposition: "I don’t like seeing him deposed... but they certainly pursued me vigorously."

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges related to soliciting prostitution from a minor and was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, dying in jail later that same year. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls.