Hillary Clinton told a congressional panel she "had no idea" about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and called for lawmakers to question former President Donald Trump under oath about his past association with the late sex offender.

"I want to see the truth come out," the former US secretary of state said after testifying behind closed doors for hours to a committee investigating Epstein.

Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will testify on Friday. The couple initially resisted the panel's subpoena, dismissing it as politically motivated, before agreeing to testify as potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings loomed.

In her opening statement, Clinton said, "I do not recall ever encountering Mr Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices." She also pressed the committee to summon Trump for questioning under oath.

The testimony was paused due to a photo leak from the closed-door session. Democrats called it "completely against the rules."

Democratic committee members characterized the proceedings as a waste of time and demanded that Trump also testify.

Source: www.bbc.com