The closed-door hearing of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's testimony in the case of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was temporarily suspended after a photo from inside the meeting was published in the media.
Clinton, in her opening statement to lawmakers of the House Oversight Committee, called the process "partisan political theater" by Republicans and called on them to demand the testimony of President Donald Trump.
She stated that she has no information about Epstein's crimes and that she does not remember ever meeting or speaking to him. "I don't remember ever meeting Epstein," she said, according to reports.
Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton is expected to testify on Friday. He has previously admitted to traveling on Epstein's private jet but has denied any knowledge of or involvement in his criminal activities.
Lawmakers are expected to provide media updates throughout the day on the progress of the testimony. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher notes that Clinton's statement shows she has no intention of backing down from the political fray.
There is no suggestion that the inclusion of a name in the Epstein case documents – millions of pages of investigative material – automatically implies involvement in legal wrongdoing.
