Deposition of Hillary Clinton Paused After Rep. Lauren Boebert Shares Unauthorized Photo

The House Oversight Committee’s deposition of Hillary Clinton was briefly paused on Thursday after Rep. Lauren Boebert shared a photograph of the closed-door meeting with a right-wing influencer.

“This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy,” Benny Johnson posted. “Photo provided by Rep. Lauren Boebert.”

Clinton adviser Nick Merrill told reporters outside the deposition that at the beginning of the deposition, those present were given rules, including that there should be no photographs.

Merrill said Johnson’s post prompted the testimony to go off the record to investigate “where the photo came from and why possibly members of Congress are violating House rules.”

Boebert’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the lawmaker posted about the incident on X.

“Benny did nothing wrong,” she wrote. “Proceeding with deposition.”

The former secretary of state was facing questions over Jeffrey Epstein, whom she told the committee she does not recall meeting. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled for a deposition on Friday.

House Democrats told reporters later Thursday that they were disappointed at how Republicans were handling the hearing.

“We are sitting through an incredibly unserious clown show of a deposition where members of Congress in the Republican Party are more concerned about getting their photo op of Secretary Clinton than actually getting to the truth and holding anyone accountable,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari said.

Democrats said Clinton asked for the media to be allowed into the hearing during her deposition. The Clintons previously pushed back against sitting for the closed-door depositions, arguing for a publicly televised hearing. The couple, who had first been subpoenaed in August, were almost held in contempt of Congress earlier this month for their efforts to evade testifying.

“She is more than happy to have all of you come in there, into this deposition, and hear her out,” Rep. Wesley Bell told reporters. “But there are those on the other side of the aisle who don’t want that for whatever reason.”

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, called for the majority to release the full, unedited transcript of Hillary Clinton’s deposition within 24 hours.

“She herself requested that the press and the public be allowed into her deposition. That was denied,” Garcia said. “So at the very minimum, they need to immediately release the full transcript and we’re hopeful that tomorrow, for the former president, that the press will be allowed in.”

This article has been updated with additional comments.