Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton have publicly distanced themselves from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to video recordings released Monday by the House Oversight Committee.
The depositions, conducted behind closed doors last week, show Bill Clinton saying he ended his relationship with Epstein years before the financier pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from a minor. Hillary Clinton said she never recalled meeting Epstein. Both gave testimony under oath.
Bill Clinton told lawmakers he first met Epstein in 2002, when he flew on Epstein’s private jet for Clinton foundation’s humanitarian work. He said they parted ways the following year.
According to Clinton, former Harvard president Larry Summers introduced him to Epstein. Summers described Epstein during a 2001 or 2002 phone call as an “information-hungry person” who had donated several million dollars to brain research, Clinton testified.
“I thought Mr. Epstein was an interesting man, but I didn’t think he was really interested in what I was doing,” Clinton further said.
“We were friendly, but I didn’t know him well enough to say we were friends,” he added.
“Well, at first, he really seemed to be like a vacuum cleaner. He really wanted information,” the former president said. But over time, Epstein seemed be “just checking a box” with the conversations, Clinton said.
Clinton said he never saw anything to indicate Epstein was involved in sex trafficking. “There’s nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realise he was trafficking women,” he told the committee, according to news agency Associated Press.
Lawmakers pressed him on photographs in the case files, including one showing him in a pool with a woman whose face was redacted. Clinton said he did not know the woman and denied any sexual activity, adding that the photo was from a charity trip to Brunei. He described his dealings with Epstein as largely “cordial,” noting Epstein sometimes provided his plane for humanitarian trips in exchange for discussions on politics and economics.
The former US president also addressed his interactions with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate, saying his connection was through mutual contacts and adding, “she has to be punished” for her conviction.
Questions turned to president Donald Trump, whom Clinton said he briefly discussed Epstein with at a charity golf tournament more than 20 years ago.
“Somehow Trump knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein’s aircraft,” Clinton told the committee. “He said, ‘You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal,'” he added.
Clinton said Trump never indicated any involvement in improper activities and that their falling-out related to a real estate deal. Democrats said it contradicts Trump’s later explanations about their falling-out.
Hillary Clinton appeared before the same committee last week. A video of her testimony shows a tense exchange after someone off camera said that photographs of the former first lady’s ongoing deposition had been leaked, in violation of the panel’s rules.
“I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done,” she said. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behaviour,” she said.
