Doug Band testifies he cannot recall Clinton island visit

A former aide to President Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee this week, reversing a previous claim that Clinton had visited Jeffrey Epstein's private island. Doug Band, a longtime adviser who helped establish the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative, told lawmakers he had no evidence Clinton ever went to Little St. James and could not recall why he had asserted otherwise in a 2020 interview.

Band's closed-door testimony on Tuesday came as part of the committee's ongoing investigation into Epstein's network and the handling of prior investigations. According to sources familiar with the session, Band repeatedly stated he could not recall details about his interactions with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted accomplice. Republican Representative Nancy Mace described Band as the worst witness the committee had encountered, accusing him of obstruction by frequently answering "I do not recall" and contradicting earlier statements.

The committee's probe has intensified following the Justice Department's release of thousands of documents related to Epstein earlier this year. Those files included emails between Band and Maxwell from...