Hillary Clinton on Thursday urged the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to call President Trump to testify about his ties to Epstein, accusing lawmakers of attempting to shield the president
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday urged the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to call President Donald Trump to testify about his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, accusing lawmakers of attempting to shield the president.
Appearing for a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, Clinton said the panel had compelled her testimony despite her having no relevant knowledge.
“You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers,” AFP quoted Clinton as saying.
She added that the committee should question Trump “directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.”
Clinton said she had no connection to Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that,” Reuters quoted her as saying.
Trump’s Epstein links
Trump, who was once socially acquainted with Epstein, has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to the financier, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Clinton also alleged that Trump’s administration had “gutted” a State Department office focused on international sex trafficking.
Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is scheduled to testify before the committee on Friday.
The couple had initially resisted appearing but agreed after lawmakers moved toward holding them in contempt of Congress.
Bill Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s but has denied any wrongdoing.
Committee Chairman James Comer rejected claims that the inquiry was politically motivated, saying, “No one is accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing.”
He said the panel would examine any interactions Clinton may have had with Epstein and his links to the Clinton Foundation.
Representative Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should also testify.
Lutnick has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island years after he says he cut ties.
The US Justice Department has released more than three million pages of documents related to Epstein in recent months.
The files detail his connections with prominent political and business figures, including Trump, Lutnick and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Internationally, the disclosures have prompted investigations involving Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York.
With inputs from agencies
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