A spokesman for Bill Clinton has responded to the latest Epstein Files release, accusing Donald Trump of scapegoating the former Democratic President.
Newsweek has reached out to the Clinton Foundation via a contact form on its website for comment.
Why It Matters
The release of thousands of pages of documents and photographs from the Justice Department’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reignited scrutiny of high-profile figures linked to the late financier.
Clinton appears prominently in a batch of undated and heavily redacted photographs, including images of him at a swimming pool alongside Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
What To Know
The Justice Department released a trove of files concerning Epstein on Friday, following bipartisan congressional legislation known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated public disclosure of records related to the Epstein investigation.
Among the newly published documents were multiple photographs of Clinton, including one where he is swimming in a pool with Epstein, his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and a redacted woman.
Other images show Clinton in the company of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, with at least a dozen photographs featuring the former president appearing in the release.
The files do not include contextual information, dates, or background details for the photographs and do not explicitly link Clinton, or other individuals pictured, to criminal conduct.
Clinton’s chief of staff, Angel Ureña, issued a statement addressing the former president’s appearance in the files.
He said: “This is not about Bill Clinton. Even [White House chief of staff] Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton.”
He added: “Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”
The Justice Department stated it found no evidence to predicate further investigations against uncharged public figures, including Clinton, and noted the extensive use of redactions to protect victims’ privacy.
Despite this, the prominence of Clinton in the released photographs drew public and media attention.
By contrast, Trump appeared in just a few images and was not featured as extensively in the initial release.
Lawmakers, such as Trump supporter-turned-critic Marjorie Taylor Greene, criticized the incomplete nature of the release and accused the DOJ of over-redaction and excluding key files, while the DOJ has promised potential additional releases as its review continues.
What People Are Saying
Ureña’s full statement reads: “The White House has not been hiding these files for months, only to dump them late on a Friday afternoon to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they will try and hide forever.
“So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this is not about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be. Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton.
“There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continues relationships with him after. We are in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.
“Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”
White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson said: “By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have.” She also said the Trump administration is the “most transparent in history.”
Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, commented in Vanity Fair that “there is no evidence” Clinton made repeated trips to Epstein’s private island, countering earlier claims made by Trump on social media. She also said Trump “is in the file” but that “he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”
What Happens Next
The Justice Department faces mounting demands from Congress and survivor advocates to provide a less redacted, more complete release of the Epstein files
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