(TJV NEWS) Chaos briefly halted Hillary Clinton’s private congressional deposition Thursday after a Republican lawmaker allegedly took a photo inside the closed session and shared it publicly, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the Daily Mail, Rep. Lauren Boebert snapped a photograph of Clinton and her legal team while the former secretary of state was answering questions about her past connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The image was later circulated online and reportedly provided to conservative commentator Benny Johnson.

Clinton’s attorneys immediately objected once the image began appearing on social media, requesting that the proceedings be paused. As the Daily Mail reported, House rules strictly prohibit photography or recording by members or witnesses during closed-door congressional testimony. The hearing was temporarily suspended while officials worked to determine how the image was taken and disseminated.

The deposition is taking place at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in Westchester County, New York, near the Clintons’ home. The Daily Mail reported that while the session is being officially recorded, any video released publicly will first be reviewed by Clinton’s legal team. After roughly an hour-long interruption, questioning resumed.

During the break, Clinton asked Rep. James Comer, the Republican leading the deposition, whether members of the press could be admitted following the leak. Comer declined the request, responding “No,” according to the Daily Mail.

A spokesperson for Clinton told the Daily Mail that the interruption stemmed from a possible violation of chamber rules. “It’s against chamber rules that were read at the top of the meeting,” the spokesperson said, adding that the pause was necessary to determine how the photograph was taken and whether House rules had been breached.

Before the disruption, Clinton delivered a forceful opening statement criticizing Republicans for focusing on her while, she argued, failing to scrutinize President Donald Trump’s past association with Epstein. The Daily Mail reported that Clinton said she had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct and did not recall meeting him in connection with any wrongdoing.

She also accused Republican lawmakers of overlooking Trump’s relationship with Epstein, referencing allegations raised by survivors. Clinton did not directly address questions regarding her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to testify separately on Friday.

The closed-door proceedings remain ongoing as lawmakers continue their inquiry into Epstein’s network and associations, with tensions heightened following the unexpected leak.