Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has spoken out about sharing a picture of Hillary Clinton during a closed-door congressional deposition on Thursday after her photo sparked controversy.
The former first lady sat with congressional investigators on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday to testify behind-closed doors about her connections to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Clintons wrangled with the committee over when, where and how the deposition would take place – and part of the conditions settled on with the lawmakers was that the session would take place away from the public eye.
However, Boebert, 39, a Republican representative from Colorado, snapped a picture from inside the former first lady’s deposition, an apparent violation of the agreement and of House rules.
Boebert’s picture of Clinton was then shared with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, who published the picture all over his social media profiles.
The breach caused the deposition to be halted as Clinton’s team expressed dismay at the link. It was quickly determined that Boebert had sent Johnson the picture.
When pressed by the the Daily Mail about whether she had comment about the leaked photo, Boebert texted back a dubious response.
‘I don’t recall,’ she responded without sending further context.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stirred controversy by posting a picture of Hillary Clinton’s private congressional deposition on Thursday
The picture Boebert took of Hillary Clinton from within the deposition that was later published by conservative pundit Benny Johnson
The answer seems curious given the controversy the picture stirred, though it may be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Clintons.
The response is an obvious echo of a classic phrase used by witnesses under congressional scrutiny — most famously by Clinton herself during previous Benghazi and email server hearings.
Clinton repeatedly answered investigators questions during her 2015 testimony on Benghazi with ‘I don’t recall.’
When Daily Mail pressed her for additional details, the Colorado lawmaker sent on a statement she had posted on X.
‘Benny did nothing wrong,’ the post said. ‘Proceeding with deposition.’
‘No U.S. Ambassadors were harmed in the taking of today’s photo,’ she said in another post, referencing at the Benghazi attack, in which an US Ambassador and two CIA operatives were killed.
Clinton’s lawyers asked that the proceedings be halted after the photograph began circulating on social media.
It is strictly prohibited for lawmakers or witnesses to take pictures inside a closed-door congressional testimony.
A Clinton spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s against chamber rules that were read at the top of the meeting. So the hearing has been paused briefly while they figure out where the photo came from and why, possibly, members of Congress are violating House rules.’
The former secretary of state repeatedly used the phrase ‘I don’t recall’ when asked by congressional investigators about the 2012 attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya
Boebert at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday
The former secretary of state is being deposed at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center near the Clintons’ home in Westchester County, New York, while Bill Clinton will testify on Friday.
The closed-door session is being filmed, though any footage will be reviewed by Hillary’s lawyers before release. The deposition resumed within an hour.
Hillary later asked James Comer, the top Republican overseeing the deposition, if the press could be allowed in the hearing after Boebert’s shocking leak. Comer reportedly replied, ‘No.’
Clinton has said that she has ‘no information on Epstein’s criminal activities and never recalls meetings.’
Boebert was pictured outside the deposition with what appears to be her grandson.
She is a mother of four and has one grandson.
