Bill Clinton to Epstein investigators: "I saw nothing"

Former President Bill Clinton told congressional investigators on February 27 that he “saw nothing that gave me pause” during his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, offering closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender.

Clinton’s appearance marked the first time a current or former president has been compelled to testify before Congress, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

According to lawmakers present, Clinton said he would not have flown on Epstein’s private plane in the early 2000s had he known about the alleged sex trafficking of underage girls, and that he would have reported any wrongdoing if he had been aware of it.

“We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Clinton said, speaking near his main residence in Chappaqua, New York.

Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times after leaving office. A tranche of millions of documents released by the Justice Department includes photos of Clinton with women whose faces are redacted. He told the committee: “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”

Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He died in jail in 2019 while facing federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

The investigation has taken on a partisan tone, with Democrats pressing for President Donald Trump to be subpoenaed. Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, said that would not happen.

Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia argued the inquiry would lack credibility without examining Trump’s role. “President Clinton’s presence here today under oath highlights the Donald Trump-sized gaping hole in Chairman Comer's investigation,” Walkinshaw said.

Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s and has said he broke off ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. At the White House, Trump expressed sympathy for Clinton.

“I don't like seeing him deposed,” Trump said. “But they certainly went after me more than that.”

Democrats have also accused Trump’s Justice Department of withholding records related to a woman who accused Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor. The department has said it is reviewing the material and will publish it if appropriate, while warning that it includes unfounded accusations about Trump.

Clinton told the committee it should not have subpoenaed his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She testified that she did not remember ever meeting Epstein and had nothing to share about his sex crimes. She also said she was questioned about UFOs and a 2016-era conspiracy theory during the seven-hour session.

Comer described Bill Clinton’s testimony as cordial and said he was cooperative. “He's a charming individual, obviously,” Comer said.

The committee has not ruled out calling additional witnesses. Comer said some of Hillary Clinton’s answers had been inconsistent and would be examined for possible perjury, and he did not rule out the possibility of subpoenaing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who visited Epstein’s Caribbean island after his 2008 conviction.

The Clintons agreed to testify near their home after the House threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate. Both have accused Republicans of conducting a partisan exercise designed to protect Trump from scrutiny, noting that others in the inquiry were allowed to submit written statements rather than appear in person.

By Aghakazim Guliyev