Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned a Republican-led panel investigating links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, accusing congressional lawmakers of trying to "protect one political party and one public official".

Clinton was subpoenaed to testify before the House panel on Thursday but published her opening statement online beforehand, criticizing an "institutional failure" in the US government to "seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors".

Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is set to testify before the same panel on Friday. Both are Democrats and maintain they had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activity and have provided all relevant information.

In her statement, Clinton accused Republicans of using the hearings as a red herring to divert blame from the Trump administration. She questioned why other subpoenaed individuals could provide written answers and why hearings are held behind closed doors.

Epstein, convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution, was charged in 2019 with running a sex-trafficking ring but died by apparent suicide in custody. His social circle included both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

In January, the Department of Justice released nearly 3.5 million documents related to Epstein. Clinton stated that if the panel were committed to a fair investigation, "it would ask Trump directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he appears in the Epstein files".

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for further action, while House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer denied the investigation is a "witch hunt".

Source: www.aljazeera.com