The relationship between Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein has been a matter of controversy since Epstein's crimes were made public. Clinton is just days from releasing a new book called "Citizen" and, in it, he talks about meeting Epstein and his desire to never have done so in the first place.
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Reported by The Sun, Clinton writes how he flew on Epstein's private plane, commonly known as the Lolita Express. In 2002 and 2003, Clinton used Epstein's plane to support the Clinton Foundation, and, according to the outlet, both of them talked about politics and economics. He completely denies ever visiting Little Saint James, also known as Epstein Island.
"I had always thought Epstein was odd but had no inkling of the crimes he was committing," Clinton wrote. "He hurt a lot of people, but I knew nothing about it, and by the time he was first arrested in 2005, I had stopped contact with him. I've never visited his island."
Outside of the flights mentioned by Clinton, he also met with Epstein on two separate occasions: at Clinton's Harlem office and Epstein's New York apartment. Ghislaine Maxwell also said that Clinton never visited the island during a deposition in 2016.
"The allegation that Clinton had a meal on Jeffrey's island is 100 per cent false," Maxwell said, "I'm sure he had a meal on Jeffrey's plane."
"I Wish I Had Never Met Him"
Despite the help he received from Epstein, Bill Clinton reflects upon all the backlash and questioning he received throughout the years. "The bottom line is, even though it allowed me to visit the work of my foundation, traveling on Epstein's plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward," he wrote. "I wish I had never met him"
Clinton's writings seem to coincide with a 2019 statement he released via a spokesperson. "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," the statement reads. "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."
In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein died in his jail cell on August 10. While authorities ruled his death a suicide, Epstein's lawyers contested the ruling, fueling an ongoing debate surrounding the convicted criminal.
