US releases new Epstein files as House weighs contempt vote against Clintons

The US Justice Department on Friday released more than 3 million documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, including records detailing communications between Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and staffers linked to former President Bill Clinton, as the House of Representatives prepares to vote on whether to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress.

The release comes days before the Republican-led House is expected to vote on contempt resolutions after the Clintons declined to testify in a bipartisan congressional investigation into Epstein. House Oversight Committee Republicans, joined by several Democrats, voted last month to advance the contempt measure to the full House, says CNN.

The newly released files include email exchanges between Maxwell and Clinton staffers from 2001 to 2004, a period during which Clinton traveled aboard Epstein's private plane at least 16 times, according to a CNN analysis. Maxwell is currently serving a prison sentence following her conviction for sex trafficking.

Many of the emails concern travel, dining arrangements and invitations involving Clinton or his staff. The identities of the staffers are frequently redacted, with messages often listing only "WJC" as the sender or recipient, a designation that appears to refer to Clinton's post-presidency office.

In one April 2003 email, Maxwell wrote to a redacted Clinton office address: "Glad you are coming to the dinner - JE says do you think CLinton would like to come - let me know."

In another email from December 2001, a Clinton staffer requested Prince Andrew's phone number to coordinate a golf outing during a trip by Clinton to Scotland. Maxwell replied: "Just spoke to Andrew. He is not currently in Scotland but is going to m. He says if I give him a no. he will ring Clinton. Doug, do you want him to call you ?"

It was unclear who "Doug" referred to, though Doug Band was a senior adviser to Clinton at the time.

Some emails show flirtatious language from Maxwell. In one exchange, she wrote to a Clinton staffer that she told a tabloid what a "supper stud you are and how I have a crush on you and how you are hung like a horse and- well you get the picture. Hope you don't mind!"

In another 2002 email sent from a Clinton office address, a redacted individual wrote: "Went home with someone I have before, a 40 year old blonde big boobby widow if you can believe that. I really need to stop drinking."

There is no evidence in the files that Maxwell and Clinton personally exchanged emails. In one unredacted message, Band said he and Clinton shared a Blackberry account.

Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the former president did not send any of the emails included in the files.

"I can't confirm whose it was, I can only tell you whose it wasn't: Bill Clinton's," Ureña said. "I'd say he has never emailed but in truth he has done so twice in his life, both as President. Once to former astronaut and Senator John Glenn while he was orbiting the Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, and another to the US troops serving in the Adriatic."

The release follows an earlier batch published in December that included photographs of Clinton and Epstein together, as well as an image showing Clinton shirtless in a hot tub with a person a Justice Department official described as a "victim" of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse.

The latest files also contain a list of unverified sexual abuse accusations against President Donald Trump compiled by the Justice Department last summer. The list also references allegations involving Clinton. Both men have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Asked about the Trump allegations, the White House referred to a Justice Department statement cautioning that "this production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos."

Clinton has said he severed ties with Epstein before the financier was charged in 2006 with soliciting prostitution and has denied ever visiting Epstein's private island.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Congress mandated the release of the Epstein files last year after the Justice Department initially declined to publish them.

Separately, House Republicans have pressed the Clintons for months to testify in the Epstein investigation. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer insisted on in-person interviews, while attorneys for the Clintons said the subpoenas were "invalid and legally unenforceable."

After negotiations collapsed, neither Clinton appeared for scheduled depositions. Nearly half of the Democrats on the committee joined Republicans in advancing the contempt resolutions, citing the need to protect congressional subpoena authority.

If approved by the full House, the contempt vote would be largely symbolic but could be referred to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Comer said last week that "there is an opportunity" for the two sides to reach an agreement before the vote.