Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she does not recall ever encountering Jeffrey Epstein.
"I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices," Clinton said during an opening statement for a deposition related to the panel’s investigation into the convicted sex offender.
Clinton also sharply criticized the Republican-led committee, accusing it of engaging in partisan politics rather than focusing on accountability for Epstein’s crimes and justice for survivors.
RELATED STORY | New Mexico DOJ investigating claims of burials near Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch
"This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors," the former first lady stated. "And I am furious on their behalf."
Clinton argued that the committee has failed to call key figures mentioned in documents released by the Justice Department and has not subjected President Donald Trump to similar scrutiny.
RELATED STORY | Poll: Half of Americans believe Trump is tied to alleged Epstein crimes
"If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files," Hillary Clinton said.
Clinton also maintained that she has no information relevant to the committee’s investigation and suggested her testimony was being used as a distraction from other matters.
Former President Bill Clinton, who is named and pictured multiple times in documents related to Epstein, is scheduled to testify before the committee on Friday.
Being named in the files is not, by itself, an allegation of wrongdoing. Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has said he ended his relationship with the financier before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea in Florida.
