Former US President Bill Clinton told lawmakers that President Donald Trump once mentioned having “some great times” with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before their relationship ended, according to video testimony released Monday.
In a videotaped deposition before the House Oversight Committee, Clinton said the conversation took place at a golf tournament in 2002 or 2003, after he had left office and more than a decade before Trump was elected president.
“Somehow he knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein’s aircraft,” Clinton said under oath. “He said, ‘You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal.’”
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Details of Clinton’s ties to Epstein
In his testimony, Clinton said he was introduced to Epstein by former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who described Epstein as a donor willing to support Clinton’s charitable initiatives.
Clinton said he flew on Epstein’s jet on trips to Asia, Africa and Europe, as well as once from Florida to New York, but ended the association after 2003.
{{/usCountry}}Clinton said he flew on Epstein’s jet on trips to Asia, Africa and Europe, as well as once from Florida to New York, but ended the association after 2003.
{{/usCountry}}“I thought Mr. Epstein was an interesting man, but I didn’t think he was really interested in what I was doing,” Clinton said.
Clinton also said he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island and was unaware that Epstein had visited the White House 17 times during his presidency from 1993 to 2001.
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He denied any sexual contact with individuals introduced by Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Did Trump's remark raise concerns?
Clinton told lawmakers that Trump’s comment did not lead him to believe the then-businessman was involved in any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
Both Clinton and Trump associated with Epstein prior to the financier’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and later died in jail. Authorities ruled his death a suicide.
Neither Clinton nor Trump has been accused by authorities of criminal activity tied to Epstein. Both have repeatedly said they saw no evidence of sex trafficking during their interactions with him.