Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton abruptly ended an exchange with reporters Thursday after being pressed about why convicted sex offender associate Ghislaine Maxwell attended her daughter’s 2010 wedding.
Clinton had just completed a closed-door deposition before the House related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein when a reporter posed a direct question about Maxwell’s presence at Chelsea Clinton’s July 31, 2010 wedding in Rhinebeck, New York.
“Can I ask, why was Ghislaine Maxwell invited to your daughter Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?” the reporter asked, noting that Maxwell had already been mentioned in a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre before that date and that Epstein had already been convicted.
Clinton offered a brief response before shutting down the exchange.
“She came as the plus one, the guest of someone who was invited,” Clinton said. “Thank you all.”
With that, she ended the interview and declined to take any additional questions.
Multiple media outlets have previously reported that Maxwell was among the guests at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Photographs from the event show Maxwell in attendance. Maxwell later said she was present as the guest of her then-boyfriend, technology billionaire Ted Waitt.
At the time of the wedding in 2010, Epstein had already been convicted, and Giuffre had already brought forward civil allegations. In 2009, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Epstein under the pseudonym “Jane Doe 102,” alleging that she had been trafficked as a minor. In that lawsuit, she claimed that Maxwell recruited and groomed her for Epstein.
Years later, Giuffre sued Maxwell directly for defamation in 2015, arguing that Maxwell’s public denials of her accusations were false. That case concluded in 2017 with a settlement in Maxwell’s favor.
Thursday’s deposition comes as scrutiny continues over prominent figures connected to Epstein. The Clintons agreed to appear on Feb. 2 to answer questions regarding their ties to the convicted financier.
Just one day before their scheduled appearance, the Department of Justice released a new batch of records referencing former President Bill Clinton. Among the materials made public was an image depicting him in a hot tub with Epstein. Federal officials have been releasing documents in stages under the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation enacted in November by President Donald Trump.
The renewed focus on the Epstein case and the individuals who moved in his social circles has drawn significant public attention. Clinton’s brief and tightly controlled response — followed by her decision to walk away from further questioning — is likely to add to that scrutiny as lawmakers and the public continue examining the extent of high-profile connections to Epstein and his associates.
For now, Clinton’s explanation stands: Maxwell attended as someone else’s guest. But with records continuing to be released under federal transparency requirements, the broader story surrounding Epstein’s network remains a matter of ongoing inquiry.
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