Summary

  1. A full day of testimony, and another still to come...published at 00:36 GMT

    That's one Clinton down, and one more to go.

    After a full day of testimony from Hillary Clinton, her husband, Bill, is due to testify to the Oversight Committee tomorrow.

    The former secretary of state referred many questions to her husband - the former Democratic president - when asked about Epstein in today's closed-door meeting with lawmakers.

    The Clintons had criticised the hearings, calling them a distraction from Trump's own connection to Epstein, and the investigation into the late paedophile's other former friendships.

    A transcript of today's hearing, and a video of her testifying, are expected to be released by the committee in the coming days.

    After today's meeting, Chairman James Comer said he was "confident" that tomorrow's deposition with Bill Clinton "will last even longer than this one".

    We're closing our live coverage now, but join us again tomorrow.

    You can catch up on the full story of today's proceedings here.

  2. Clintons just the latest to be questioned by Oversight committeepublished at 00:20 GMT

    Nardine Saad
    US reporter

    Ghislaine Maxwell raises her right hand while wearing a prison uniform during a virtual appearance in front of the House Oversight CommitteeImage source, GOP Oversight / PA Media
    Image caption,

    Disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell appeared before the committee virtually earlier this month.

    Hillary Clinton today and former US President Bill Clinton tomorrow are the latest people to to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee in regards to Jeffrey Epstein.

    Last week, US billionaire Les Wexner, who is alleged to have played a key role in helping Jeffrey Epstein build his wealth, also appeared in a closed-door deposition. The former CEO of Victoria's Secret lingerie brand accused Epstein of stealing "vast sums" of money from his family when working as his financial adviser.

    Wexner, who was described as a potential co-conspirator of Epstein's in a 2019 FBI document, has denied any wrongdoing. No charges were ever brought against him

    On 9 February, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and convicted associate, appeared virtually from the Texas prison where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. But she refused to answer questions, invoking her right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment.

    In August, former US Attorney General Bill Barr - who served in the first Trump administration - sat for a deposition before the bipartisan committee and said he had limited knowledge of the Epstein investigation and could not exonerate President Trump of wrongdoing, the committee said.

    Earlier in August, committee chair James Comer announced that the committee issued deposition subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as other senior officials, including former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller and former US Attorneys General Barr, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales "for testimony related to horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein".

    Holder, Garland, Gonzales and Sessions have either said or sent letters saying that they have no memory of decisions involving Epstein or no knowledge and information relevant to the committee’s investigation into Epstein-related matters.

    The committee has withdrawn its subpoena for Mueller citing his health issues. It is unclear if Lynch has responded.

  3. Clinton appeared calm after hours of questionspublished at 00:10 GMT

    Pratiksha Ghildial
    Reporting from Chappaqua, New York

    Hillary Clinton behind a lecternImage source, Pratiksha Ghildial / BBC

    At the end of Hillary Clinton’s hours’ long deposition, the Republicans on the Oversight Committee briefed the media.

    Believing that was all we would hear, we were about to leave the stake-out area when word came that Hillary Clinton was going to come out to speak to us.

    Within minutes, she walked towards the podium and made her remarks, as we have been bringing to you.

    Her demeanour appeared relatively calm after a long day of questioning.

  4. Could Trump be forced to testify?published at 23:45 GMT 26 February

    The focus of today and tomorrow's hearings is the Clintons, but questions keep arising about Trump's connection to Epstein.

    Democrats say that forcing the high-profile Democrats to testify before the Republican-led committee means that Trump should also now be made to appear for a deposition.

    Trump is mentioned thousands of times in the unredacted Epstein documents. The president, who used to consider Epstein a friend, has repeatedly said he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

    Republicans say Trump already has answered many questions about Epstein, and Trump claims to have been "totally exonerated" by the release of the files.

    New questions have arisen about Trump's relationship with Epstein. The released documents also include a list compiled by the FBI last year of allegations made against Trump by callers to its national Threat Operation Center tip line.

    The list includes numerous allegations of sexual abuse made against Trump, Epstein and other high-profile figures. Many of these appear to be based on unverified tips and often no supporting evidence is included.

    US media have reported that multiple witness interviews are missing from the released files, including some relating to a woman who accused Trump of sexual assault. Democrats who have viewed the unredacted files allege three witness interviews with the accuser have been withheld.

    In a statement, the justice department denied wrongdoing and said it was reviewing the withheld documents. It said it would publish any that are found to have been improperly removed.

    Read more:

  5. Watch: Clinton: 'I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein'published at 23:44 GMT 26 February

    Media caption,

    Hillary Clinton says she didn't know Epstein

  6. Committee prepares for Bill Clinton testimony on Fridaypublished at 23:35 GMT 26 February

    Former President Bill Clinton is due to appear before the Oversight Committee on Friday, for a hearing that should be equally lengthy.

    The former Democratic president appears several times in Epstein file photos, including some of the two men together.

    Committee members say that they expect that deposition to take even longer than the one held today, in which Hillary Clinton referred several questions to her husband.

  7. Transcript of questioning should be released quickly, Clinton sayspublished at 23:15 GMT 26 February

    Hillary Clinton waves while turning away from a lecternImage source, Getty Images

    The former secretary of state ends her short comments to reporters saying she wants the transcript and video of her deposition to be released as soon as possible.

    The committee previously pledged to release the transcript ASAP.

  8. Why was Ghislaine Maxwell at daughter Chelsea's wedding?published at 23:13 GMT 26 February

    Clinton is asked why Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell was at her daughter, Chelsea's wedding in 2010.

    She says Maxwell, currently serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, was a plus-one of another guest, repeating an explanation she has given in earlier statements.

    In a statement to the committee last month, she said Maxwell had a personal relationship with a mutual friend.

    Media caption,

    Clinton addresses Maxwell's attendance at daughter's wedding

  9. Clinton asked about husband Bill Clinton's testimony tomorrowpublished at 23:10 GMT 26 February

    Hillary Clinton is asked if she is confident about her husband's planned testimony tomorrow.

    She reiterates that Bill Clinton's relationship with Epstein ended long before he was charged and before he was given a "sweetheart deal" after being arrested in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

    Like most people who knew him, she says, Bill Clinton was unaware of his evil deeds.

    She adds that some of Epstein's crimes could have been prevented if he did not receive that plea deal.

    Hillary Clinton Closeup at microphoneImage source, REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
  10. This is it, says Clinton - no more committee hearings for herpublished at 23:05 GMT 26 February

    Clinton says the hearing was very repetitive and that the committee has missed its chance for her to testify publicly.

    She will not be doing this again, she says.

  11. UFOs and 'Pizzagate' came up, Clinton sayspublished at 23:04 GMT 26 February

    Hillary Clinton says the deposition got unusual at the end when she was asked about UFOs and the Pizzagate conspiracy theory which she describes as "vile".

    The conspiracy came up during the 2016 presidential election and involved falsehoods about a paedophilia ring linked to members of the Democratic Party being run out of a Washington, DC pizza restaurant.

    She says, in her opinion, the best exchange came at the end of the deposition: She criticised the Republican members for not asking any other person they have deposed about Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

    Hillary Clinton outside a large white pillared buildingImage source, Getty Images
  12. 'I want to see the truth come out', says Clintonpublished at 22:59 GMT 26 February

    Clinton says she commends Chairman James Comer for raising a series of significant questions about the nature of the investigation, and for hearing her out about the areas she thinks need to be explored.

    "I appreciated that. I want to see the truth come out, so that was a reassuring way to end a very long, repetitive deposition."

    Hillary Clinton in ChappaquaImage source, REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
  13. Clinton criticises photo taken early in the day during depositionpublished at 22:55 GMT 26 February

    Clinton says that she was "disappointed" that the testimony was not made public, "so I wouldn't have to be out here characterising it for you".

    She also criticises the rule violation, after a congresswoman took a photo of Clinton, which was posted on social media shortly afterwards.

    She said this led her team to pause the hearing, to ensure that lawmakers would not violate other rules

  14. Clinton says she answered every questionpublished at 22:53 GMT 26 February

    We are now hearing from Clinton.

    She says she answered every one of their questions as fully as she could based on what she knew, which she also wrote about in her opening statement shared ahead of the hearing.

    She adds that she never knew Epstein, and only knew Maxwell as a casual acquaintance.

  15. Hillary Clinton speaks after depositionpublished at 22:51 GMT 26 February

    Dusk is falling on Chappaqua Performing Arts Center and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is speaking to the press after marathon session with the US House Oversight Committee.

    Hillary Clinton speaking at a lecternImage source, Getty Images
  16. Comer: 'We have a lot of questions for her husband'published at 22:49 GMT 26 February

    Chairman Comer is asked whether the Clinton Global Initiative was the focus today.

    He says questions for Hillary Clinton were specific and that she was a senator at the time the Global Initiative was established.

    He reiterates that Clinton told the committee that they would have to ask her husband.

    "We have a lot of questions for her husband tomorrow, and I'm confident the deposition will last even longer than this one," he says about tomorrow's plan to interview former president Bill Clinton.

  17. Lawmakers defend President Trump after Clinton depositionpublished at 22:46 GMT 26 February

    Rep Anna Paulina Luna says Republicans asked the victims about any allegations against President Trump and they exonerated him.

    Rep John McGuire jumps in to laud Trump's efforts at closing the border and reducing human trafficking.

  18. Committee chairman says they are watching developments in UKpublished at 22:45 GMT 26 February

    Republican lawmakers are taking questions now.

    Asked why they won't call Trump to testify, committee chairman James Comer says Trump has answered hundreds or thousands of questions about Epstein and was part of the release of the files.

    He emphasises that this was a bipartisan effort and repeats that it took seven months to get the former president and first lady to come.

    Comer also adds that the committee is watching developments in UK as it relates to fallout from the Epstein saga.

  19. Hillary Clinton referred several questions to Bill Clinton, lawmakers saypublished at 22:44 GMT 26 February

    Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry says one thing he learned today is that if you want to know anything about the Clintons' relationship with Epstein, or about the Clinton Global Initiative, you have to ask Bill Clinton.

    Another lawmaker chimed in to add: "The number of times that she said, 'I don't know, you'll have to ask my husband' was more than a dozen".

  20. Rep Nancy Mace: Committee has 'a lot more work to do'published at 22:41 GMT 26 February

    Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who questioned Clinton today, says there are more people "we need to haul to the Oversight Committee".

    The committee has "a lot more work to do", and the list of names of people to be interviewed includes "potential witnesses or victims or potential predators", she says.

    She adds that she wants all perpetrators to be held accountable to the full extent of the law.