Longtime Clinton aide walks back claim former U.S. president visited Epstein’s island

This undated photo released by U.S. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee shows former President Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, with Clinton's signature at the top of the photo. (House Oversight Committee via AP)

A longtime aide to Bill Clinton walked back a prior claim that the former U.S. president visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island, according to GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who questioned him, and two sources familiar with closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill.

Doug Band, the former Clinton aide, is the 17th person to testify behind closed doors as part of the House Oversight Committee’s sprawling probe into Epstein’s orbit and how previous investigations were handled. The panel sought Band’s voluntary testimony after Clinton testified before the committee in February.

The former president told lawmakers at the time that Band worked for him for years and that the aide knew both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the late sex offender’s accomplice.

In 2020, Band told Vanity Fair that Clinton visited Epstein’s private island in 2003. In February, however, Clinton testified that he was never on Epstein’s island — and on Tuesday, Band amended his previous assertion during his own interview with the panel, the sources said.

“He turned out to clearly not know the difference between the truth and a lie,” Mace told CNN. “He contradicted his Vanity Fair interview from a couple of years ago. He testified today that he had no knowledge of Clinton going to Epstein island, but he used some very vague language in how he did it. It was all very obtuse and obstructive language when he did answer.”

Band stated he had no evidence that Clinton went to Epstein’s island, and he doesn’t remember why he told Vanity Fair that he did, one of the sources told CNN.

“He was the worst witness we’ve ever had,” Mace told CNN. “He just said, ‘I do not recall’ on damn near every answer and he contradicted himself multiple times.”

Mace said she has asked House Oversight Chair James Comer to subpoena Band.

According to one of the sources, Band told lawmakers that he did not recall ever engaging with Epstein on any of the flights he took with Clinton on Epstein’s private jet, and he did not recall having conversations with Epstein.

Band stated he took steps to distance Clinton from Maxwell as he became aware of allegations, the source said.

“He did say that he took Maxwell and Epstein out of Clinton’s circle, like they weren’t allowed to be communicated with when that information came out and came to light publicly,” Mace said.

CNN has reached out to a lawyer for Band for comment. CNN has also reached out to a Clinton spokesperson.

Ahead of the interview, Comer told reporters that Band’s comments to Vanity Fair would “obviously be a question.”

“We know that Mr. Band set up several meetings between Clinton and Epstein. We know Mr. Band accompanied Mr. Clinton on several flights on Epstein’s jet,” Comer said. “We know that Mr. Band had a lot of communication with Ms. Maxwell. So that’ll be a topic of several questions.”

The Justice Department’s release earlier this year of Epstein case files offered fresh insight into how Band, a top aide to the former president, communicated with Maxwell.

In one email released as part of the files, Band appears to tell Maxwell that he shared an email account with Clinton.

Despite that, Band denied on Tuesday that he shared a Blackberry with Clinton, Mace told CNN.

In Clinton’s deposition with the panel, the former president could recall only sending two emails in his life and added that he didn’t send emails on the account mentioned by Band. Clinton said he thought Band “thought it would increase his cache if he had an email with WJC on it,” referring to his initials.

In some messages released as part of the Epstein files, the initials “WJC” are shown in the recipient or sender line while the full email address is often redacted.

In another exchange, Maxwell appears to send a message to a redacted email address, which has the initials WJC associated with it, and says, in part, “I could not help myself - there was one juicy little tit bit I did let out - the one about what a supper stud you are and how I have a crush on you and how you are hung like a horse.”

Clinton told lawmakers that he believed that message was sent to Band and added that he only learned about it while preparing for his testimony.

“I did not know nor did I need to know that they had a personal relationship for a while,” Clinton said of Band and Maxwell.

Band told lawmakers he did not recall sending the individual emails to Maxwell but admitted the WJC email address is his and no one else had access to it, one of the sources said.

“He couldn’t recall a single email he sent to Ghislaine Maxwell,” said Mace, who added that Band also testified he could not recall ever being alone with Maxwell.

Band also said he never had sexual contact of any kind with Maxwell and did not recall ever being introduced to any woman or girl associated with her, the source said.

Much of the communications between Maxwell and the WJC email address reviewed by CNN pertain to travel and dining logistics, and sometimes last-minute invites to the former president himself. It’s unclear whether the communications were related to the business of the foundation or personal dealings of Clinton or his staff.

Clinton has denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes during what he said was the pair’s “brief acquaintance.”

By Annie Grayer, CNN