Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a congressional committee on Thursday that she doesn’t remember ever meeting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and has no information about his criminal activities.
In a statement released while she was giving closed-door deposition before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, Clinton said, “I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein.” I never flew on his plane, never went to his island, home or office.”
The session reportedly lasted for almost seven hours.
Addressing reporters afterward, Clinton said that throughout the day she was asked the same questions over and over again.
She added that she gave suggestions as to how the investigation could be done but did not give any details about those proposals.
Clinton also called some of the questioning unusual. She said that late in the proceedings that she was asked about UFOs and “Pizzagate,” which she declared one of the most vile and baseless conspiracy theories.
There was a debunked 2016 conspiracy alleging falsely that a specific Washington, D.C., pizzeria was a front for a child sex ring for her and other democrats.
In her prepared testimony, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee accused the Republican-led panel for trying to create “a distraction” from the links between President Donald Trump and Epstein.
Epstein had committed suicide in 2019 while waiting to go to trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Clinton also criticised the Trump administration, saying it had weakened a State Department office focused on combating the issue of international sex trafficking.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer had rejected the suggestions that Trump should testify, saying the President had already answered numerous questions about Epstein and been transparent in releasing documents.
Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton initially refused to testify but agreed after lawmakers moved to put them in contempt of Congress.
Bill Clinton is set to testify in front of the committee on Friday.
Also read: Jeffrey Epstein investigation deepens as Clintons refuse to testify
