Former President Bill Clinton is expected to be named as one of several John Does in previously redacted documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, following a leaked video in which an ABC News anchor expressed frustration over the network’s decision not to air her Epstein reporting.
The leaked hot mic tape led to industry criticism and raised concerns about ethical journalism.
ABC News downplayed the significance of the video, but a federal judge’s order to unseal documents has led to the expectation of Clinton’s identification. (Trending: Obama Judge Issues Shock Ruling Against Democrats)
“I’ve had the story for three years… we would not put it on the air,” anchor Amy Robach said.
“It was unbelievable what we had, Clinton, we had everything.”
“I tried for three years to get it on to no avail. And now it’s all coming out and it’s like these new revelations and I freaking had all of it,” Robach said.
“I’m so pissed right now.”
“There will come a day when we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known. I had it all, three years ago.”
“First of all, I was told, who’s Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is. This is a stupid story,” Robach said.
“Then, the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will, that also quashed the story.”
“As a journalist, as the Epstein story continued to unfold last summer, I was caught in a private moment of frustration. I was upset that an important interview I had conducted with [Epstein accuser] Virginia Roberts didn’t air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence to meet ABC’s editorial standards about her allegations,” Robach said in 2019.
“Not all of our reporting met our standards to air, but we have never stopped investigating the story. Ever since, we’ve had a team on this investigation and substantial resources dedicated to it,” an ABC News spokesperson stated.
Analysts believe that the Clintons are now seen as expendable, and the media is increasingly willing to cover negative aspects of their history.
“What changed is there isn’t a Clinton who is the Democratic nominee for president like there was in 2016. Now the Clintons are expendable,” Fox News’ Joe Concha said.
“It’s really that simple.”
“It is really difficult now for the establishment media, including ABC, to continue to run cover for Bill Clinton once the court documents are released,” DePauw University professor Jeffrey McCall said.
“The press has long had a tradition of providing favorable coverage for the Clintons, both Bill and Hillary. But it’s hard to look the other way when material shows up in officially released documents,” he added.
“The media is pretty much cornered into having to cover the document release. Besides, it is okay now in the broader news sphere for establishment media to throw some negative coverage at Bill Clinton.”
“He is largely old news by now and not a major player in political circles,” McCall said.
“Thus, there is no need to worry about his reputation or what tarnishing his image might mean for Democrat politics more generally.”
Robach left ABC News in 2023 after an extramarital affair with a co-host became public.
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