Jenny Goldsberry

Washington Examiner

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) recommended that former President Bill Clinton “address” his photos with late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Kaine appeared on NBC News’s Meet the Press on Sunday, days after the Department of Justice released its first phase of documents, which included Clinton photographed with Epstein and several women whose faces were redacted.

“Now, to be very clear, NBC News does not know the full context behind these images,” host Kristen Welker said. “And simply being in the Epstein files doesn’t imply any criminal wrongdoing. But does Clinton owe the public an explanation about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein?”

You know, I actually haven’t tracked what President Clinton has said. And if there are unanswered questions, you know, he should address them, and I suspect he will,” Kaine said.

As of Sunday morning, Clinton had not issued a statement on the matter. Kaine’s suggestion to the former president comes years after Kaine was former first lady Hilary Clinton’s choice as a running mate for the 2016 presidential election.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said he had “no idea” about any connection between Clinton and Epstein when asked on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.

“This is why we want to get to the bottom of it and get all of the facts out to us, you know, to the public,” Raskin said. “And you know, look, there are clearly lots of people that are in photographs with Jeffrey Epstein. And in addition to being a child sex predator and an international child sex abuse trafficker, he was very much of a socialite and a sycophant and a panderer to different people.” 

“So there’s lots of people who‘ve appeared in those contexts, and we shouldn‘t be covering up for anybody if they were actually involved in criminality and otherwise,” Raskin added. 

Since leaving the White House, Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s private jet but has denied any wrongdoing and said he severed ties with Epstein well before Epstein’s 2019 arrest.

These released pictures included Clinton in a swimming pool with Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and an anonymous woman and Clinton seated at a table with Epstein, Maxwell, and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.