Hillary Clinton team demands ‘beauty lighting’ for Epstein deposition

CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s team allegedly made pointed demands about the visual setup of her House Oversight Committee deposition tied to financier Jeffrey Epstein.

According to a source familiar with the situation, Clinton’s aides requested “beauty lighting” and ordered a custom blue-paneled backdrop so she would not appear to be in a “hostage situation” during her sworn testimony on February 26.

The deposition was conducted at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New York.

Hillary Clinton team demands beauty lighting and camera adjustments

The source claimed that Clinton’s team carefully reviewed nearly every visual detail of the setting ahead of the deposition.

They reportedly asked the venue, which controlled the lighting, to provide what was described as “beauty lighting.” On multiple occasions, they also pushed to have the camera shifted slightly to the left to capture what they believed was a more flattering angle of Clinton’s face. 

At one point, staffers brought in white tablecloths with the goal of reflecting overhead stage lighting. The intent, the source said, was to reduce shadows on her face and soften the harsh contrast created by the lights.

A staffer allegedly even sat in Clinton’s chair before the testimony began, calling out instructions and asking for repeated adjustments to the set.

Custom blue-paneled backdrop replaces black curtains before testimony

The original backdrop reportedly consisted of black curtains. However, Clinton’s team was said to be unhappy with how it looked on camera.

Within roughly seven hours, a local specialized vendor developed a customized blue-paneled background. The new backdrop replaced the original curtains after aides concluded they did not like the overall look.

According to the source, many of the visual changes made for Clinton’s deposition on February 26 also benefited her husband, Bill Clinton, who gave his sworn testimony the following day under the same setup.

A spokesperson for Clinton dismissed the claims that she was concerned about aesthetic details.

“First, I can assure you Hillary didn’t care what color the tablecloths were,” the representative told The Post.

“Second, yesterday the internet overwhelmingly agreed that the Republicans had their asses handed to them, so I guess as the old lawyer’s adage goes, if you can’t argue the facts, pound the table and make s–t up about tablecloths.”

The spokesperson added, “Finally, whatever 25-year-old House staffers leaked this to you, maybe they should spend more time focusing on their investigation into Epstein’s crimes instead of playing production assistant.”

Tensions flare during closed-door Oversight Committee deposition

Both Clintons had initially resisted appearing before the GOP-led Oversight Committee, which is probing Epstein’s network and associations. Back in January, they rejected an August subpoena to testify. But after the panel moved to hold them in contempt, with support from some Democrats, they agreed to appear.

Clinton’s team had reportedly preferred a public hearing instead of the closed-door format insisted upon by the committee.

During her deposition, tensions boiled over at times. After Rep Lauren Boebert snapped a photo of Clinton and shared it with a conservative influencer, allegedly violating the rules, Clinton nearly walked out.

“I am done with this if you guys are doing this, I’m done,” she said after one of her attorneys raised concerns about the photo.

“You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home,” she added, slamming the table at one point. “This is just typical behavior.”

Despite the heated exchange, Clinton ultimately returned to complete the questioning.

Videos of both Hillary and Bill Clinton’s depositions were released Monday. The footage shows Hillary, dressed in bright blue, engaging in sharp back-and-forth exchanges with Republican lawmakers including Boebert and Rep Nancy Mace.

The Clintons have also challenged the panel to seek testimony from Donald Trump, who has previously said he had a falling out with Epstein decades ago.