Former US president Bill Clinton testified under oath that he was unaware of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes and that Donald Trump never implicated himself.
WASHINGTON: Former US president Bill Clinton stated under oath that he had no knowledge of the sex crimes committed by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In testimony released by a US congressional committee, Clinton also said former president Donald Trump “never said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything improper with regard to Epstein either.”
Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, were deposed last week by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. The committee is investigating Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, with videos of the approximately four-and-a-half-hour testimonies made public.
Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private plane several times in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation work. He stated he broke ties with Epstein before the financier’s crimes became public in 2008.
“There’s nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realize he was trafficking women,” Clinton told the panel. He also denied ever having sexual contact with any young women or girls introduced by Epstein or Maxwell.
Clinton recalled a golf course conversation with Trump around 2002 or 2003. He quoted Trump as saying about Epstein, “You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal.”
During her deposition, Hillary Clinton called for the committee to depose Trump about his relations with Epstein. She angrily threatened to end her testimony after a Republican lawmaker released a photo in violation of the rules.
“I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done. You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home,” she said before pounding the table.
Both Clintons had initially rejected subpoenas but agreed to testify after House Republicans threatened contempt of Congress charges. Democrats argue the investigation is politically motivated to attack Trump’s opponents.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from a minor and died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.