Former US President Bill Clinton had a long and well-documented relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that lasted from the early 1990s to the early 2000s, a period during which Epstein moved easily between political, philanthropic and celebrity roles. The relationship has resurfaced under renewed scrutiny after the US Department of Justice released thousands of Epstein-related files, including photos showing Clinton in social settings associated with Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Clinton is among several high-profile figures known to have been associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton was photographed with Epstein several times in the 1990s and early 2000s, moving in social and philanthropic circles during this period.
Early photos and campaign donations
According to BBC Verify, the photos place Clinton with Epstein as early as the early 1990s. In September 1993, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were photographed speaking with Clinton after an event for donors to the White House Restoration Project.
Public records reviewed by the investigative report also show that Epstein made two $1,000 contributions to Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992.
Public comments and social links
In the early 2000s, Clinton and Epstein remained in contact, the report said. In a 2002 New York Magazine article cited by BBC Verify, a Clinton spokesman described Epstein as “a highly successful financier and dedicated philanthropist.”
Around the same time, Clinton traveled on Epstein’s private jet, trips that later came under public scrutiny.
Private Jet Tours and Encounters
After Epstein’s arrest on sex-trafficking charges in July 2019, a Clinton spokesman said the former president took four trips on Epstein’s jet between 2002 and 2003, including stops related to Clinton Foundation work. As BBC Verify reports, the statement also confirmed a meeting at Epstein’s Harlem office in 2002 and a brief visit to his New York apartment. An archived Vanity Fair article shows a photo of Clinton and Epstein together in Brunei in 2002.
Epstein’s 50th Birthday Book
Both Clinton and several dozen other prominent figures reportedly contributed messages to Epstein’s 50th birthday book in 2003. BBC Verify notes that Clinton’s name appeared alongside a message extolling Epstein’s “curiosity” and “drive to make a difference”. Clinton has not publicly commented on the alleged report.
End of relationship
Clinton’s relationship with Epstein appears to have ended in the mid-2000s. In a 2019 statement cited by the report, his spokesman said Clinton “has not spoken to Epstein in over a decade.” Clinton said in his memoirs that he had “no idea” about Epstein’s crimes and stopped associating when Epstein was first arrested in 2005.
Read also | A list of the main things missing from the new Epstein files released by the Trump team
Several photos show Bill Clinton
The US Justice Department on Friday released thousands of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a release long sought by politicians and the public for what it could reveal about Epstein’s connections to powerful figures. The material — which is dominated by photographs but also includes call logs, court records and other documents — was released under what the department described as “DOJ Disclosures,” with many of the files heavily redacted.
Among the most discussed materials are several photographs depicting Clinton. The images include photos of Clinton on a private jet, including one with a woman with her face redacted sitting next to him with her arm around him. Another photo shows Clinton in a pool with Epstein’s longtime associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, alongside another person whose face has also been doctored.
Other images show Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face has been redacted. The files do not specify when or where the photos were taken, and the Justice Department did not provide context explaining how the images relate to the broader criminal investigation.
No allegations of wrongdoing
Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse and has denied knowledge of Epstein’s sexual harassment.
Epstein was first convicted of sex offenses in 2008 and died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Read also | From Michael Jackson to Trump’s condoms: Shocking revelations from the Epstein Files
