'I didn't know anything!' Hillary Clinton unleashes at Donald Trump after being hauled to testify over Jeffrey Epstein relationship

Mrs Clinton said in a statement to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee: "The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

"Let me be as clear as I can. I do not.

"As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities.

"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.

"Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes."

Mrs Clinton went on to say it was "unfathomable" that Epstein, who she described as a "heinous" individual" had "initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade".

She accused the committee of calling on her to testify "in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers".

Mrs Clinton said: "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."

Mrs Clinton's statement came as she was due to deliver a closed-door deposition to the committee in Chappaqua, New York.

She and her husband, Democratic former President Bill Clinton, initially refused to testify before the committee, but relented when lawmakers moved to hold them in contempt of Congress.

Mr Clinton is scheduled to testify to the committee on Friday.

The 42nd US president flew on Epstein's plane several times in the early 2000s after he left office.

He has denied wrongdoing and expressed regret for his association.

Before the hearing, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, a Republican, denied that the probe was a partisan effort targeting President Trump's 2016 presidential rival, noting that several Democrats had pushed for the Clintons to testify.

"No one is accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing," Mr Comer said.

President Trump's Justice Department has released more than three million pages of Epstein-related documents over the past several months to comply with a law passed by Congress.