Hillary deposition derailed after photo leak

MXM Exclusive

Hillary Clinton’s long-awaited deposition before the House Oversight Committee hit an unexpected snag Thursday after a photograph from inside the room leaked onto social media — abruptly pausing proceedings and igniting a fresh partisan clash in the middle of the Jeffrey Epstein probe.

The image, posted to X by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, showed a tight-lipped Clinton seated at the witness table. “The first image of Hillary Clinton testifying under oath about Jeffrey Epstein to the Republican Oversight Committee,” Johnson wrote, adding that “Clinton does not look happy.” He said the photo was provided by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert and appeared to be taken from her seat in the room.

Within minutes of the post circulating, Clinton adviser Nick Merrill said the deposition went off the record while officials worked to determine how the image was captured and whether House rules had been broken. Though the testimony is being recorded, it is not public. Chairman James Comer has said video and transcripts will be released only after review by counsel.

Boebert moved quickly to defend the post, writing on X, “Benny did nothing wrong. Proceeding with deposition.” While she stopped short of explicitly confirming she sent the image, she did not deny Johnson’s claim that he had permission to publish it “with credit.” Johnson, for his part, accused Clinton’s team of trying to “weasel out” of tough questioning.

Democrats blasted the episode. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, called the sharing of the photo “unacceptable,” arguing Republicans were violating the very procedures agreed upon with Clinton’s attorneys. He said it was “gracious” for Clinton and her legal team to continue the deposition after the disruption.

Clinton, who has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein and has consistently denied wrongdoing, used her opening statement to draw a bright line between herself and the disgraced financier. “I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices,” she said in remarks later posted publicly. She added that she had “no idea” about the crimes committed by Epstein or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace reportedly pressed Clinton about her husband’s past ties to Epstein, including pointed questions about reports involving young women around former President Bill Clinton. According to CNN, a source in the room said Clinton declined to speculate on matters she did not personally witness and emphasized she was “not there to talk about feelings.”

In prepared remarks, Clinton sought to elevate the discussion beyond political sparring, calling Epstein “a heinous individual” but “far from alone,” and describing sex trafficking as “a global scourge with an unimaginable human toll.” At the same time, she pivoted to challenge President Trump, urging the committee to question him under oath if it is serious about examining all names connected to the Epstein files. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. His name appears in certain records due to a past social relationship, but the two severed ties years before Epstein’s later prosecution in Florida.

Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify Friday as the Oversight Committee continues its investigation. With tempers already flaring over procedure, Thursday’s interruption made clear that this inquiry will be fought not just on the facts, but on optics — and every moment inside that room is likely to carry political weight far beyond it.