Bill Clinton has pleaded his innocence over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in his opening statement to the House of Representatives investigative body.
The former president said in his opening statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that he "would've turned him" himself if he was aware of the paedophile financier's crimes.
In his opening statement, published on X on Friday, Mr Clinton said he had "no idea" of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, saying he "saw nothing" and "did nothing wrong".
He said: "As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his place if I had any inkling of what he was doing - I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals."
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Mr Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, who ran for President in 2016, but lost to Donald Trump, were called to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to discuss Jeffrey Epstein and any connections they had with him.
On Thursday, Mrs Clinton, former Secretary of State, went through a six-hour-plus deposition, in compliance with the subpoena issued to the pair as part of the House of Representative’s panel’s ongoing investigation into the late paedophile financier’s sex crimes.
In Mr Clinton’s opening statement, he referenced “democracy” being the reason why he attended, with “no person is above the law, even Presidents - especially Presidents”.
He also said: “The second reason I’m here is that the girls and women whose lives Jeffrey Epstein destroyed deserve not only justice, but healing.
Bill Clinton said he had a 'brief acquaintance' with Epstein
|GETTY
“They’ve been waiting long for both.”
He described his relationship with Epstein as a “brief acquaintance” which “ended years before his crimes came to light” and he had “limited interactions” with him.
Mr Clinton’s spokesman Angel Ureña said on social media in 2019 that the former president had travelled on Epstein’s plane four times in 2002 and 2003, adding that the Secret Service were in attendance of “every leg of the trip”.
In the 42nd president’s opening statement to the committee, he got defensive over his wife’s involvement in the subpoena, saying he needed to “get personal” as they “made Hillary come in”.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The former president said in his opening statement he was there because 'the girls and women whose lives Jeffrey Epstein destroyed deserve not only justice, but healing'.
|WHITE HOUSE / WIKIMEDIA
He said: “She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing.
“She has no memory of even meeting him.
He continued by saying that Mrs Clinton “never travelled” with Epstein and didn’t visit any of the late sex offender’s properties.
Mr Clinton concluded: “Whether you subpoenaed 10 people or 10,000, including her was simply not right.”
Both the Clintons deny any wrongdoing.
More From GB News