Hillary Clinton called President Trump an “admitted sexual assaulter” in an interview with the BBC on Friday, but dismissed rape allegations made against her husband, saying that they have “all been litigated” and were “clearly in the past.”
Clinton made the comments after being asked about the sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, a Hollywood mogul and major Democratic donor.
“It was just disgusting and the stories that have come out are heartbreaking,” Clinton told BBC’s Andrew Marr. “And I really commend the women who have been willing to step forward now and tell their stories.”
“It’s important that we not just focus on him and whatever consequences flow from these stories about his behavior but that we recognize this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere, whether it’s in entertainment, politics,” continued Clinton, a friend of Weinstein’s.
“After all, we have someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office,” she added, referring to Trump’s comments in 2005 during filming for an “Access Hollywood” segment.
Clinton’s comment about Trump prompted Marr to ask the former secretary of state about her own dismissive response to women who have accused her husband of sexual misconduct. Marr pointed to the Oct. 10, 2016, presidential debate to which Trump invited three of Bill Clinton’s accusers, Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick, and Paula Jones.
“The three women brought onto stage by Trump attacking your husband, and you kind of dismissed them. Was that the right thing to do? Are you sure about that?” Marr asked Clinton.
“Well, yes because that had all been litigated,” the former secretary of state responded.
“That was subject of a huge investigation, as you might recall, in the late 90s and there were conclusions drawn. That was clearly in the past,” she added.
Broaddrick has accused Clinton of raping her in a Little Rock hotel room in 1978, when he was Arkansas’ attorney general. Willey, a former White House volunteer aide, has claimed that Clinton sexually assaulted her in 1993, during his first term in office. Jones claimed in a lawsuit that Clinton exposed himself to her in a Little Rock hotel room in 1991, when he was governor.
Despite Clinton’s comments about all of those cases having been litigated, Broaddrick’s allegations were never investigated. She came forward only after Jones filed a lawsuit against Clinton. He settled the case by paying Jones $850,000.
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