Former US President Bill Clinton on Friday testified in private before the congressional panel about his relationship with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffry Epstein.
Clinton, whose name has repeatedly appeared in the now-infamous Epstein Files, is being questioned by President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans.
"First, I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. No matter how many photos you show me, I have two things that at the end of the day matter more than your interpretation of those 20-year-old photos. I know what I saw, and more. importantly, what I didn't see. I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong," Clinton said in his opening statement.
ALSO READ: Bill Clinton's Full Statement On Jeffery Epstein Ties: Here's What Ex-US President Told House Panel
Clinton told the house that since he is under oath, he will not falsely state that he is looking forward to their questions, but he is ready to answer to the best of his abilities, consistent with the facts as he know them: the legitimate, the logical, and even the outlandish.
"You'll often hear me say that I don't recall. That might be unsatisfying. But I'm not going to say something I'm not sure of. This was all a long time ago. And I am bound by my oath not to speculate, or to guess. This is not merely for my benefit, but because it doesn't help you for me to play detective 24 years later," the former President added.
Clinton's testimony is taking place a day after his wife and former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, testified.
She has already told the House of Representatives Oversight Committee that she does not “remember ever meeting `Epstein” and had nothing to share about his sex crimes.
Also Read: Hillary Clinton Denies Links To Epstein, Accuses GOP Of Political Theatre' At House Deposition
The millions of documents released by the Department of Justice have established that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's plane several times in the early 2000s, soon after he left the White House.
The “files” include photos of Bill Clinton with women whose faces are redacted. Clinton has denied any wrongdoing while regretting his association with the convicted sex offender.
Clearing the air on the testimony of the Clintons, the panel's Republican Chairman, Representative James Comer of Kentucky, has said that they (the Clintons) are not accused of any wrongdoing. “But they must answer questions about Epstein's involvement with their charitable foundation,” he said.
Succumbing to the threats by the House of Representatives to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate, the Clintons agreed to testify near their main residence of Chappaqua, New York. Even some Democrats have supported the move.
Also Read: Trump Mentioned In 'Censored' Epstein Files, 'Over A Million Times'
Bill Clinton had, however, accused the Republicans of conducting a partisan probe which is “designed to protect President Donald Trump” from scrutiny. He noted that others in the inquiry were allowed to submit their written statements rather than testify in person.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are demanding that the panel also subpoena the President, who has his name appearing in files frequently. Trump is believed to have socialised with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Democrats have also accused Trump's Justice Department of withholding records of a woman who accused Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor. The Justice Department has assured that the material in question was being looked at and will be published, if appropriate.
The Justice Department had previously said that the material it has released includes unfounded accusations and sensationalist claims against President Trump, and the authorities have not accused him of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
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