Posted: Jul 25, 2019 1:38 am
Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, explained
Jeffrey Epstein’s indictment on sex trafficking charges is notable for many reasons: the scope of his alleged crimes, his wealth and influence, and the controversial non-prosecution agreement the Justice Department struck with him a decade earlier.
But it’s also gotten a good deal of attention because of Epstein’s past ties to two particularly prominent people: former President Bill Clinton and current President Donald Trump.
In the years before Epstein’s 2007 guilty plea to solicitation of prostitution with a minor, he was known for “collecting” friendships with many noteworthy or influential people — including Clinton and Trump, who were social acquaintances. Clinton took international trips on Epstein’s plane in the early years of his post-presidency, including a trip to several African countries with Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.
Trump, meanwhile, reportedly attended Epstein-hosted events in New York and Florida, as Epstein patronized the Mar-a-Lago Club. In 2002, Trump even gave a remarkable on-the-record comment about Epstein to a New York magazine journalist, calling him “terrific” and adding that he “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
So, at the very least, Trump and Clinton were friendly with someone who turned out to be a very bad guy