“I wonder why the Biden administration refused to release these files…” Chad Gilmartin, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, wrote on his private account on the X platform. He included a partially anonymized photo of Clinton in a pool with an unidentified woman. In another pool photo shared by Gilmartin, Clinton poses with Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime Epstein associate who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking.
However, Trump and the Department of Justice also did not want to release the documents, until Congress passed appropriate legislation. Trump signed it last month.
Clinton has long been associated with Epstein, which contributed to him becoming a favorite “bogeyman” in the MAGA community. Some prominent members of the movement used his example to demand the release of the records, and continued that message after the Justice Department released a package of documents from the government's investigation into Epstein.
“@BillClinton in his element, as if he had no worries. He had no idea what awaited him…” Steven Cheung, White House communications director, wrote on the X platform.
“Here's Bill Clinton in a hot tub next to an anonymous person. Pursuant to the Epstein Records Transparency Act, The Department of Justice only had the right to blur the faces of victims and/or minors. It's time for the media to start asking real questions,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on her profile.
The act also allowed the Justice Department to anonymize materials related to active investigations.
“They can post as many blurry photos from over 20 years ago as they want.”
It is not known when the previously unpublished photo was taken or where the pool is located. In the photos, Clinton poses with Epstein in matching shirts, interacts with a dancer, holds an unnamed woman on his lap on an airplane and socializes with someone resembling the late Michael Jackson. The pop music legend already faced accusations of molesting minors in 1993but she was never convicted. The former president is also seen at the dinner, sitting next to Mick Jagger, accompanied by Maxwell and Epstein.
For more than two decades, Epstein faced allegations at the state and federal level that he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls, some as young as 14. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in Florida to charges including soliciting a person under 18 to engage in prostitution. He was awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking chargeswhen he committed suicide in custody in New York in 2019.
His ties to wealthy and influential people and attempts to conceal information about him have become a regular feature of the national political debate — inflaming mutual accusations and deepening divisions among Trump supporters.
The files have been heavily anonymized. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Friday that the initial release would be partial, a even hundreds of thousands of additional documents will be disclosed in the following weeks.
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A Clinton spokesman said Friday was the deadline for the documents to be released “an attempt to protect themselves from what is to come, or from what they intend to hide forever”. “They can publish as many blurry photos from over 20 years ago as they want, but this is not about Bill Clinton,” wrote Angel Urena, Clinton's deputy chief of staff, in a statement posted on won't change.”
Clinton and Epstein have had contact since the early 1990s.moving in the same social circles. They posed for photos together several times. Clinton used Epstein's plane in the early 2000s to travel to Europe, Asia and Africa. According to Urena, the purposes of these trips were, among others: projects related to the Clinton Foundation.
The former president was never charged with any crime related to Epstein and insisted he had no knowledge of his activities, something his spokesman repeated in a social media post six years ago.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee this month released additional photos from Epstein's estate showing Clinton. Trump for a long time suggested that Clinton repeatedly visited Epstein's private island, one of the US Virgin Islands. It is where the financier hosted many famous people that alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation took place.
However, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, in an interview with Vanity Fair published this week, said that Trump was “wrong” to link Clinton to Epstein's criminal activities.
Trump and Epstein were long friends before, according to Trump, A few years ago, they broke up their friendship. The president has denied any connection to the allegations against Epstein and there is no evidence that he was involved in his human trafficking operation.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
