The release of tens of thousands of pages from U.S. Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein has reignited political controversy, drawing a sharp response from former President Bill Clinton and his representatives as attention returns to high-profile figures linked to the disgraced financier.
Among the newly disclosed materials are photographs showing Clinton with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including images from social settings more than two decades ago. The documents were published as part of a congressionally mandated transparency law requiring the release of Epstein-related records, many of which remain heavily redacted.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton stands with Jeffrey Epstein in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 19, 2025 as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY.
Clinton Camp Accuses White House of Scapegoating
In a statement issued after the release, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña accused the White House of attempting to shift blame amid growing scrutiny over the Epstein files.
“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Ureña said, adding that the release was aimed at shielding others “from what comes next.”
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) December 19, 2025
Ureña reiterated Clinton’s long-standing position that he severed ties with Epstein around 2005, before Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor. “There are two types of people here,” the statement said. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”
The spokesperson also went on to emphasize Clinton’s support to the release of all the files, with no redactions.
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) December 22, 2025
Photos, Politics and Public Reaction
The photographs released include images of Clinton at a dinner attended by Epstein and other public figures, as well as a picture showing Clinton in an underground swimming pool with Maxwell and a woman whose face was redacted. Some of the images were later reposted on social media by White House officials, drawing further attention and criticism from Clinton’s allies.
Dear @AGPamBondi and Deputy White House Press Secretary @ATJackson47: Was the below picture actually part of the Epstein Files? Or did you instead insert this picture? If the latter, your malicious conduct would at a minimum be an abuse of power, which can be a crime. https://t.co/FcPWwCXzEv
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 20, 2025
Clinton has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. His representatives have repeatedly acknowledged that he traveled on Epstein’s private jet after leaving office in 2001, on trips linked to the Clinton Global Initiative, but maintain that those ties ended years before Epstein’s criminal case.
Broader Fallout From the Epstein Files
The latest document release comes amid heightened political tension following disclosures that also reference President Donald Trump, including an email from a prosecutor stating that Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet eight times in the 1990s. The Justice Department has said some claims contained in the files are unfounded and emphasized that no allegation of criminal conduct was made against Trump.
Trump has dismissed the significance of the Epstein files, calling them a political distraction, while Republican lawmakers have clashed over the scope and redactions of the releases ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
