Bill Clinton insists he had no idea about Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘terrible crimes’

Bill Clinton denies knowing about alleged crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein while insisting that he only flew on his plane four times – refuting reports that the former president jumped aboard the sex offender’s ‘Lolita Express’ more than two dozen times.

‘President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York,’ the former president said in a statement on Monday.

‘In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.

‘Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of every trip.

In this courtroom artist’s sketch, defendant Jeffrey Epstein (center) listens as Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller, right, addresses the court during Epstein’s arraignment on Monday

Bill Clinton is denying that he had any knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes

Jeffrey Epstein

Bill Clinton is denying that he had any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged crimes

The former president released a statement on Monday saying that he flew on Epstein's jet four times

The former president released a statement on Monday saying that he flew on Epstein’s jet four times

‘He had one meeting with Epstein in his Harlem office in 2002, and around the same time made one brief visit to Epstein’s New York apartment with a staff member and his security detail.

‘He’s not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.’

Epstein, the American financier, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of sex trafficking as prosecutors accused him of luring dozens of girls as young as 14 to his luxury homes in New York and Florida and paying them for sex acts. 

An indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan accused Epstein, 66, of arranging for girls to perform nude ‘massages’ and other sex acts, and paying some girls to recruit others, from at least 2002 to 2005.

‘The alleged behavior shocks the conscience, and while the charged conduct is from a number of years ago, it is still profoundly important to the many alleged victims, now young women,’ U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said at a press conference.

‘They deserve their day in court.’

Epstein was known for socializing with politicians and royalty, with friends who have included President Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew, legal eagle Alan Dershowitz, and others.

None of those people was mentioned in the indictment.

The episode is likely to cause embarrassment to Prince Andrew, who was an associate of Epstein but has now severed ties. 

Wearing dark blue jail scrubs, Epstein entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman to one count of sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking conspiracy. 

Epstein faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, the former hedge fund manager ‘intentionally sought out minors and knew that many of his victims were in fact under the age of 18, including because, in some instances, minor victims expressly told him their age.’

In 2016, it was reported that Clinton spent enough time aboard Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ airplane that he should be eligible for frequent flyer miles.

Flight logs reviewed by Fox News show Clinton took 26 trips aboard Epstein’s Boeing 727 jet, more than double the 11 flights previously known.

Epstein’s jet was reportedly set up with a bed where guests had group sex with young girls.

One of them, Virginia Giuffre, has claimed she was lured into joining Epstein’s harem when she was just 15 years old and was then known as Virginia Roberts.

The former teen prostitute has said she was used as a ‘sex slave.’

Roberts, 35, claimed she saw Clinton in 2002 on an Epstein junket to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

But according to Fox, flight logs don’t show the former president aboard a flight headed there. St. Thomas has a landing strip long enough to accommodate the jet.

The logs do show the former president jetting to such exotic locales as Brunei, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the Azores, Africa, Belgium, China, New York, and Belgium – all on Epstein’s plane.

Traveling with Epstein was New York socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, whom Roberts has accused of pimping her out.

If nothing else, Clinton brought protection. 

Flight logs filed with the Federal Aviation Administration show Clinton brought as many as 10 U.S. Secret Service agents along with him on some trips.

But a journey to Asia in 2002 didn’t list any Secret Service protection. As a former president, Clinton still gets a taxpayer-funded security detail for life.

The cable network reported that Clinton would have been required to file an official form to leave his protective forces behind, although the Secret Service hasn’t responded to formal document requests.

Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008, and served just 18 months in jail for the offense despite outrage from victims advocates.    

Epstein, who registered as a sex offender under a 2008 plea deal in Florida, has said in earlier court filings that his encounters with alleged victims were consensual and that he believed they were 18 when they occurred.

Epstein will remain in jail until at least July 15, when a judge has scheduled a bail hearing.

Prosecutors have said Epstein should be denied bail, arguing he poses an ‘extraordinary risk of flight’ because of his wealth, private planes and significant international ties. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk