WASHINGTON, March 3 — Former President Bill Clinton told lawmakers that President Donald Trump told him he had "some great times" with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before their relationship soured, according to a video released yesterday.
In a videotaped deposition to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, the former Democratic president said under oath that Trump brought up Epstein at a golf tournament in 2002 or 2003, after Clinton left office and more than a decade before Trump was elected president.
"Somehow he knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein's aircraft," Clinton told the committee. "He said, 'You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal.'"
Trump has said the relationship soured after Epstein hired young women who worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.
Clinton said the exchange did not lead him to believe Trump was involved with anything improper involving Epstein.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
No evidence of sex trafficking
Both Clinton and Trump associated with Epstein before the well-connected financier pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Both have repeatedly said they did not see any evidence of sex trafficking, and neither has been accused by authorities of criminal activity related to Epstein, who entertained a long list of business and financial leaders at his lavish residences in New York, Florida and the Caribbean.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 and died in prison while facing federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
Under Trump, the Justice Department has released millions of records from its investigations into Epstein, including photos of Clinton with women whose faces have been redacted.
Clinton has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he regrets his association with Epstein.
