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. My husband had flown with Epstein for charitable trips and I did not recall meeting Epstein but had interacted with Maxwell 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 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 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."

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton provided closed-door depositions to the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, marking the first time a former president was forced to give evidence before Congress. Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and stated she did not recall meeting him. She acknowledged that her husband flew with Epstein for charitable trips and that she had interacted with Ghislaine Maxwell at Clinton Foundation conferences and at their daughter Chelsea's 2010 wedding. The Clintons agreed to testify after refusing to provide only sworn statements, with the committee chairman threatening contempt of Congress charges. The investigation reflects ongoing pressure to hold accountable those connected to Epstein's abuse of underage girls.

Read at Irish Independent