Gov. Pritzker Responds After Clinton Names Him in Epstein Deposition

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a statement Wednesday after former President Bill Clinton named him during a recent deposition related to the Epstein case, according to WAND-TV.¹

The disclosure came after Clinton provided testimony in an ongoing congressional investigation connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.¹ The specific context in which Clinton referenced Pritzker during his deposition was not disclosed in available reporting.¹

Pritzker’s office responded to the reference, though WAND-TV did not detail the specific content of his statement.¹ The governor, a member of the prominent Pritzker family and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, has served as Illinois’ chief executive since 2019.

Pritzker Family Epstein Connection

The reference to Gov. Pritzker comes one month after his brother, Hyatt Chair Thomas Pritzker, resigned over ties to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.² The billionaire stepped down from his position in February 2026 after being named in documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act.

Clinton’s recent testimony follows a congressional subpoena issued for his deposition seeking information about his interactions with Epstein.³ The former president has previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private aircraft on multiple occasions in the early 2000s for humanitarian work related to the Clinton Foundation.

Congressional Investigation Expands

The deposition is part of broader congressional efforts to examine Epstein’s network of associates following the release of millions of pages of documents earlier this year. Lawmakers have issued numerous subpoenas, including to Hillary Clinton for closed-door testimony.⁴

Epstein died in August 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner.

Court documents and flight logs released in recent years have identified numerous individuals who had contact with Epstein. Presence in such records does not indicate knowledge of or participation in criminal activity.

The Illinois governor’s office has not released additional details about the nature of any connection between Pritzker and Epstein beyond the initial statement responding to Clinton’s deposition testimony. WAND-TV reported the governor’s response on Wednesday following the disclosure.

Federal authorities have faced ongoing criticism for their handling of Epstein’s case, particularly regarding a 2008 non-prosecution agreement that allowed him to plead guilty to state charges of soliciting a minor rather than face federal prosecution.

References

1. WAND-TV — “Gov. Pritzker responds after Bill Clinton names him in Epstein deposition”
2. Epstein Transparency Act — “Hyatt billionaire Thomas Pritzker resigns over Epstein ties”
3. Epstein Transparency Act — “Bill Clinton Scheduled for Deposition in Epstein Probe”
4. Epstein Transparency Act — “Hillary Clinton Subpoenaed for Closed-Door Epstein Testimony”