2020 presidential candidate John Hickenlooper on the death of Jeffrey Epstein
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper weighs in on the death of accused sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said on Saturday that he had a hard time understanding how someone like Jeffrey Epstein could engage in the sex trafficking crimes he's alleged to have committed.
"He was wealthy, he was powerful, he was handsome. How could he do the things he did and create this web of ... terror for so many women?" the 2020 hopeful asked while appearing on "Cavuto Live."
Epstein, who pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, was found unresponsive and died in his New York City cell. Life-saving measures were initiated but by the time he reached New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital, he was dead on arrival, according to officials.
Epstein, as Hickenlooper noted, was well connected to a lot of high-profile figures. When Fox News host Neil Cavuto asked about whether they may have known about Epstein's crimes, Hickenlooper indicated it was difficult for public figures to distance themselves from the wide range of people they meet.
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"Who you hang out with becomes part of that identity. Again, sometimes you do something with one person or another and they have -- they get into trouble you couldn't have anticipated. There's nothing you can do about that," he said.
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"Most of us are careful to a certain extent and try to approach our lives -- again, you can't be perfect but you want to make sure you're reflecting the best qualities of America," he said. Celebrities and business executives, Hickenlooper said, had an "aggregation of values" they represented and that included the company they kept.
President Trump was one of the high-profile figures whose connections to Epstein came under scrutiny. After Epstein's indictment, Trump claimed that he had a falling out with Epstein and wasn't a "fan."
“I don’t think I’ve spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan. I was not a fan of his. That I can tell you. I was not a fan," he said. He also reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because he allegedly assaulted an underage girl.
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Hickenlooper, on Saturday, suggested that Epstein's case showed how justice was not applied equally under the law. "You don't have to look very far to find places where those who are successful and wealthy and powerful -- they get a better deal when they get in trouble than people that are working hourly jobs," he said.
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