- Former President Bill Clinton said in a statement that he "knows nothing about the terrible crimes" that financier Jeffrey Epstein was charged with in New York.
- Clinton said in the statement he has not spoken to Epstein in "well over a decade."
- In 2002 and 2003, he took four trips on Epstein's plane and met with him in New York. He also briefly visited Epstein's apartment.
- Epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking of minors in New York on Monday.
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Former President Bill Clinton said in a statement that he "knows nothing about the terrible crimes" that financier Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida in 2005, nor the recent charges against him in New York.
In the statement released by Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña, the former president said he had not spoken to Epstein in "well over a decade." Epstein was arrested on Saturday for sex trafficking of underage girls in the early 2000s. He was charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking and could face up to a 45-year sentence if found guilty, according to NBC News.
News: President Clinton has issued a statement on Jeffrey Epstein pic.twitter.com/LlTZC8j6pv
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 8, 2019
Read more: Jeffrey Epstein has reportedly been arrested and charged with sex trafficking of minors
Following an investigation by the Palm Beach Police Department in 2005, Epstein previously pleaded guilty to two state charges on both the solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors for prostitution.
However, in a 2007 deal with former US Attorney Alex Acosta — who is now Trump's secretary of labor — granted Epstein immunity from federal prosecution. He served a 13-month sentence but was allowed to leave the jail six days a week to work in his Palm Beach office due to a work arrangement, according to The New York Times.
As a well-known financier, he was involved in high-profile social circles that included Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, actor Kevin Spacey, and Clinton, as well as current US President Donald Trump, who denied any knowledge of Epstein's charges, according to the Associated Press.
In Clinton's statement, he said his involvement with Epstein was limited to four trips on Epstein's plane in 2002 and 2003, which included stops "in connection" with the work of Clinton Foundation — one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, as well as one meeting with Epstein in Harlem and a "brief" visit to his New York apartment.
During his travels on Epstein's plane, Clinton said "staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of every trip." He also added that he was accompanied by a staff member and his security detail during his visit to Epstein's apartment in New York.
Epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking of minors in his arraignment in federal court in New York on Monday.
SEE ALSO: Financier Jeffrey Epstein once flew Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey to Africa
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