Ex-president traveled 26 times on accused billionaire’s ‘Lolita Express’

The Clinton Library refused to respond to a request from a television news network for information regarding former President Bill Clinton’s relationship with billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested Saturday on charges of abusing dozens of underage girls as young as 14.

In addition, the Washington watchdog Judicial Watch asked the Department of Homeland Security in 2015 for records of Clinton’s Secret Service expenses while he traveled with Epstein on the hedge fund manager’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express.” But the department never handed over the records, reported OAN, the One America News network.

According to flight logs, Clinton traveled 26 times on Epstein’s Boeing 727 from 2001 to 2003, Fox News reported in 2016. Epstein allegedly offered sex to underage girls aboard the jet. An air hostess testified the “Lolita Express” had a bed where passengers had group sex.

In 2008, Epstein was prosecuted for soliciting sex with underage girls. But in a plea deal, he served only a 13-month sentence in a county jail in which he was allowed to go to his office during the day to work.

Only the first names of the female passengers were listed on the jet’s flight logs, Fox News reported in 2016. Clinton ditched his Secret Security detail on five of the trips.

On one of the flights, Clinton was with actor Kevin Spacey, who has been accused of sexual misconduct with an underage boy.

Clinton was on as many as 11 flights with Epstein assistant Sarah Kellen, who has been accused of grooming underage girls to perform sex acts with Epstein and his friends.

Epstein flew friends to his 72-acre island in the Virgin Islands where a team of human traffickers allegedly rounded up girls as young as 12 to service Epstein and his friends.

It’s unclear if Clinton ever visited the island.

On Monday, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment accusing Epstein of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them at his homes in Florida and New York from 2002 through 2005.

Epstein “intentionally sought out minors and knew that many of his victims were in fact under the age of 18,” prosecutors said.

They also allege he paid some of his victims to recruit additional girls, creating “a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit in locations including New York and Palm Beach.”

Trump’s labor secretary oversaw 2008 plea deal

The once-secret 2008 plea deal was overseen by Alexander Acosta, the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time and now Trump’s labor secretary. Epstein faced a potential federal indictment for sexually abusing dozens of girls between 1999 and 2007. He also was accused of directing others to abuse girls and paying employees to bring victims to him.

In the deal, he pleaded guilty to a lesser Florida state felony prostitution charge of soliciting and procuring a person under 18 for prostitution, avoiding a possible life sentence.

Acosta has defended the agreement, but the White House said in February it was reviewing his handling of the case.

In April, House Democrats confronted Acosta about his role in the case during a routine budget hearing.

The labor secretary said human trafficking was “an in­cred­ibly important issue” and his office did the best it could to ensure Epstein was punished.

“I understand the frustration,” Acosta said. “It’s important to understand that he was going to get off with no jail time or restitution. It was the work of our office that resulted in him going to jail.”

Prominent friends

Along with Clinton, Epstein’s prominent friends have included President Trump and Britain’s Prince Andrew.

Trump’s praise of Epstein in an interview with New York magazine in 2002 has drawn attention since the hedge-fund billionaire’s arrest Saturday.

“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump said. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”

Epstein was a member of Trump’s South Florida club, Mar-a- Lago. But a court filing says the club dumped Epstein after he approached an underage girl there.

Meanwhile, Christine Pelosi, the daughter of the House speaker, said some favorite figures likely will be implicated in the Epstein case.

“This Epstein case is horrific and the young women deserve justice. It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated but we must follow the facts and let the chips fall where they may – whether on Republicans or Democrats,” she wrote via Twitter.