Hillary Clinton tells committee: 'I had no idea about Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activities'

"I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr Epstein. We have a very clear record that we've been willing to talk about. She added that her husband had flown with Epstein for charitable trips and that she did not recall meeting Epstein but had interacted with Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and confidant, at conferences hosted by the Clinton Foundation."

"The closed-door depositions to legislators from the House of Representatives, being held in the Clintons' home town of Chappaqua in upstate New York, come after months of tense back-and-forth between the former high-powered Democratic couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee. It will be the first time that a former president has been forced to give evidence before Congress."

"The Clintons agreed to give evidence after their offers of sworn statements were rebuffed by the Oversight panel and its chairman James Comer threatened criminal contempt of Congress charges against them. The demand for a reckoning over Epstein's abuse of under-age girls has become a near-unstoppable force on Capitol Hill and beyond."

The Clintons provided testimony to the House Oversight Committee regarding their connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Hillary Clinton stated she had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and did not recall meeting him. Bill Clinton had flown with Epstein for charitable trips. Hillary acknowledged interacting with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, at Clinton Foundation conferences and at their daughter Chelsea's 2010 wedding. The depositions occurred in Chappaqua, New York, following months of tension between the Clintons and the Republican-controlled committee. The Clintons initially offered sworn statements but agreed to testify after the committee rejected this and threatened contempt charges. This marked the first time a former president was compelled to give evidence before Congress regarding the Epstein investigation.

Read at Irish Independent