Chappaqua, United States. Former President Bill Clinton told lawmakers in closed-door testimony that he saw no warning signs when he spent time with Jeffrey Epstein and said he did nothing wrong. He said he would not have flown on Epstein’s plane if he had known of alleged sex trafficking of underage girls.
Clinton’s statement to the House panel
In a prepared statement to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Friday, Clinton said he “saw nothing that gave me pause” in his interactions with Epstein. He said he would have reported Epstein if he had known about the alleged sex trafficking.
“We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Clinton said.
Clinton said, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Flights and Justice Department records
Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office and before Epstein’s 2008 conviction of soliciting prostitution from a minor. A tranche of millions of documents released by the Justice Department includes photos of Clinton with women whose faces are redacted.
Hillary Clinton’s testimony and additional topics
Clinton’s testimony followed that of his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who told the panel on Thursday that she did not remember ever meeting Epstein and had nothing to share about his sex crimes. She said she was also asked about UFOs and a 2016-era conspiracy theory during the seven-hour session.
Committee plans and leadership comments
The panel’s Republican chairman, Representative James Comer of Kentucky, said he would ask the former president about the photos released by the Justice Department. The committee is also expected to quiz Clinton about Epstein’s involvement with the couple’s charitable foundation.
Comer said video of Hillary Clinton’s testimony could be released as soon as Friday. Comer has said the Clintons are not accused of wrongdoing.
Agreement to testify
The Clintons agreed to testify near their main residence in Chappaqua, New York, after the House threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate. Some Democrats supported the move.
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