Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sharply rebuked Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace during a congressional deposition last Thursday, defending her acquaintance with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick amid questions about Jeffrey Epstein connections.

Tense Exchange During Epstein Probe

The confrontation unfolded as part of an investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A video released on Monday captures Clinton growing visibly agitated when Mace interrupted her response. “You asked the question, I’m going to answer your question. This was what I spent my time doing!” Clinton declared, wagging her finger.

Clinton explained her familiarity with Lutnick stems from the 9/11 attacks. As a senator at the time, she noted that Lutnick’s firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, endured the heaviest casualties, losing around 650 employees to terrorist attacks. Lutnick himself avoided the tragedy by delaying his arrival to drop his child off at kindergarten.

Mace Highlights Emails on Fundraiser

Rep. Nancy Mace addressed the moment on social media, stating that Clinton denied seeking funds from Epstein during the deposition, though emails indicate Lutnick approached Epstein for contributions to Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Mace provided no evidence that Clinton directly solicited Epstein.

“She lost her sh*t when I asked about it,” Mace added in her post.

Clinton maintained she never met Epstein personally and encountered his associate Ghislaine Maxwell only a few times.

Details of the Invitation

Lawmakers referenced an email from the Epstein files showing Lutnick, now serving as Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary, contacting Epstein regarding Clinton’s campaign. In November 2015, Epstein’s assistant forwarded an invitation from Lutnick to a “very intimate fundraising event” at his firm for the presidential candidate.

It remains unclear if Epstein attended the event. Federal Election Commission records confirm Epstein made no donations to Clinton’s campaign, while Lutnick contributed the maximum allowed amount of $2,700 at the time.

The deposition occurred in Chappaqua, New York, with Clinton testifying on Thursday and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, following on Friday. Representatives including Anna Paulina Luna, Nancy Mace, and James Comer participated in related proceedings.