Hillary Clinton is accusing the Trump administration of running a “cover-up” on the Epstein files, claiming the Justice Department is deliberately “slow-walking” the release of documents while her family gets hauled before Congress as a distraction.
“Why do they want to pull us into this? To divert attention from President Trump,” Clinton told the BBC at the Munich security conference. “This is not complicated.”
Despite Congress mandating the release of Epstein files late last year, the Justice Department is still sitting on approximately 3 million documents. The files that have been released mention Trump thousands of times.
Trump, naturally, claims he’s been “totally exonerated” and diagnosed Clinton with “Trump derangement syndrome” from Air Force One.
Both Clintons are scheduled to give sworn depositions before the House oversight committee later this month—Hillary on February 26, Bill the following day. It’ll be the first time a former president has appeared before a congressional panel in over 40 years.
Hillary Clinton says the couple offered to provide written testimony under oath, the same treatment given to other witnesses. Committee chair James Comer refused, insisting on filmed behind-closed-door depositions instead. The Clintons only agreed after Comer threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress.
“I want everybody treated the same way,” Clinton said. “That’s not true for my husband and me.”
Bill Clinton appears in the released files too, including photos showing him in a hot pool with Epstein and a person the Justice Department identified as a victim. He’s denied wrongdoing and says he cut off contact with the disgraced financier after information emerged about his crimes against minors.
Hillary Clinton said she never met Epstein but did meet his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell “on a few occasions.” Maxwell is currently serving time for her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
“We have nothing to hide,” Clinton said. “We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly. We think sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
The Clintons have asked for their hearings to be held in public. Comer says he’s open to public hearings—in addition to the closed-door testimony he’s already demanding.