Excerpt of fmr Pres Clinton's opening statement ...

... PRESIDENT CLINTON'S OPENING STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY - FEBRUARY 27, 2026

NOTE: ONLY THE COMMITTEE CAN CONFIRM WHAT WAS DELIVERED IN THE ROOM

Good morning. Welcome to Chappaqua.

I'm here today for two reasons. The first is that I love my country. And America was built upon the idea that no person is above the law, even Presidents -- especially Presidents.

Democracy requires every person to play their part, and I hope that by being here today, we can bring ourselves a little further away from the brink and back to being a country where we can disagree with one another civilly- where the search for truth and justice outweighs the partisan urge to score points and create spectacle. I'll do my part, and I hope you'll do yours.

The second reason I'm here is that the girls and women whose lives Jeffrey Epstein destroyed deserve not only justice, but healing. They've been waiting too long for both.

Though my brief acquaintance with Epstein ended years before his crimes came to light, and though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication of what was truly going on, I am here to offer what little I know so that it might prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

But before we start, I have to get personal. You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing. She has no memory of even meeting him. She neither traveled with him nor visited any of his properties. Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right.

We began this hearing with me raising my hand and taking an oath to tell the truth.

But everyone has a responsibility to be honest with those they represent. Whether you raised your right hand or not, each and every one of us owes nothing less than truth and accuracy to the American people. ...