Media

ABC News’ Amy Robach claims network ‘quashed’ Jeffrey Epstein coverage on hot mic

By
Lia Eustachewich
Published Nov. 5, 2019
Updated Nov. 11, 2019, 10:26 a.m. ET

ABC News anchor Amy Robach was caught on a hot mic griping about how the network allegedly “quashed” her exclusive coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal before it exploded years later.

Undated clips showing Robach slamming ABC were made public Tuesday by right-wing group Project Veritas.

“I’ve had this story for three years. I’ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts,” Robach says to someone off-camera, referring to Epstein’s most vocal sex abuse victim. “We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told, ‘Who’s Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is. This is a stupid story.'”

The “20/20” co-host then rails about how “the Palace” found out about Roberts’ accusations that she was underage when she had sex with Prince Andrew. The Palace, Robach says, “threatened us in a million different ways.”

“We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will that we — that also quashed the story,” Robach adds.

She also says that Roberts’ interview included allegations involving former President Bill Clinton.

“We had everything,” Robach says, shaking her head. “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. I’m so pissed right now. Every day I get more and more pissed ’cause I’m just like, oh my god. What we had was unreal.”

Both Prince Andrew and Clinton have denied Roberts’ allegations.

In a statement Tuesday, Robach said the network never intentionally killed an Epstein piece and called the recordings “a private moment of frustration.”

“I was upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts didn’t air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence to meet ABC’s editorial standards about her allegations,” her statement said. “My comments about Prince Andrew and her allegation that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein’s private island were in reference to what Virginia Roberts said in that interview in 2015. I was referencing her allegations – not what ABC News had verified through our reporting.

“The interview itself, while I was disappointed it didn’t air, didn’t meet our standards,” she continued. “In the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, and we have continued to aggressively pursue this important story.”

The network issued a similar statement.

“At the time, not all of our reporting met our standards to air, but we have never stopped investigating the story,” it said. “Ever since we’ve had a team on this investigation and substantial resources dedicated to it. That work has led to a two-hour documentary and 6-part podcast that will air in the new year.”

For more on the drama at ABC, listen to this episode of the Page Six podcast, “We Hear”: