Former US President Bill Clinton will face a congressional panel on Friday (local time) over his well-documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier who was also a convicted sex offender.
Bill Clinton appeared before the panel days after his wife, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, testified before the panel and said she had “no idea” about Epstein’s crimes, adding: “I have no recollection of ever meeting Mr. Epstein. I have never flown on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add.”
According to a BBC report, the newly released material is expected to play a crucial role in the questioning of the former Democratic president.
What do the Epstein files reveal about Bill Clinton?
The released documents feature Clinton’s name prominently in the latest revelations; however, the former US president insists he cut ties with Epstein before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution, AFP reported.
According to the report, the files revealed never-before-seen photos, including one of him in a hot tub; however, part of this image was obscured by a black rectangle.
This undated, redacted photo released by the US Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton in a hot tub with an unidentified person. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)(AP)
In another photo, Clinton was shown swimming alongside a woman who appeared to be Epstein’s longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton has admitted in the past that he flew the disgraced financier’s private jet in the early 2000s for humanitarian work related to the Clinton Foundation.
File photo of Bill Clinton(Photo: US DOJ)
Another captured Clinton smiling backstage at a Rolling Stones concert in Hong Kong alongside Epstein.
This undated photo released by the US Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)(AP)
It is worth noting that the mere mention of a person’s name does not imply any wrongdoing unless proven otherwise. Clinton has not been charged with any wrongdoing and has not been formally investigated. But it does suggest how Clinton’s world collided with Epstein’s in the early 2000s, when the former redefined himself as a former president on a philanthropic mission.
Read also | Did the DOJ remove Howard Lutnick’s picture from the Epstein files? Here’s what we know
While there is no direct communication between Clinton and Epstein, the two men have been the subject of frequent correspondence between Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton’s top aide, Doug Band.
Maxwell and Band bonds
Emails exchanged between Ghislaine Maxwell and Doug Band between 2002 and 2004 indicate a warm and familiar relationship, characterized by praise and flirtatious undertones. Band referred to her as his “social matchmaker” and “lover”, while Maxwell praised his social skills and presence.
The volume of their correspondence offers insight into Clinton’s closeness to Epstein and the apparent efforts of associates on both sides to preserve that relationship. No allegations of wrongdoing have been brought against Banda. According to the documents, Maxwell and Band coordinated meetings related to the Clinton Global Initiative and helped arrange flights for Clinton aboard Epstein’s private jet. Flight records indicate that Clinton traveled on the plane at least 24 times.
Read also | Ghislaine Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment; is asking for a pardon from Donald Trump
A Clinton spokesman said the trips included stops related to Clinton Foundation work.
Wish I’d Never Met Him: Clinton
In his 2024 memoir, The Citizen: My Life After the White House, the former president expressed “deep regret.” He wrote that he always thought Epstein was weird, adding that he had no idea about the crimes he committed. “He hurt a lot of people but I didn’t know about it and when he was first arrested in 2005 I stopped contacting him,” he wrote.
“Bottom line, even if it allowed me to visit my foundation’s work, traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning,” he wrote. “I wish I had never met him.
The Epstein Papers: Financial deals, sex offender contacts in focus
On January 30, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released what is believed to be the final tranche of files related to Epstein, a convicted sex offender. With millions of pages of documents, 180,000 images and more than 2,000 videos, the Justice Department release, one of the most extensive disclosures in the case, sheds light on Epstein’s financial dealings, contacts and activities in the years before his arrest.
In addition to Epstein’s dealings, the documents also shed light on several high-profile figures, including the Clintons, US President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and many others.
