Hillary Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a former U.S. Secretary of State (2009–2013), former U.S. Senator for New York, former First Lady, and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. Her name surfaces in the Jeffrey Epstein case largely in connection with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, whose documented contacts with Epstein have been widely reported. Being named in or adjacent to these documents is not, on its own, evidence of wrongdoing.

According to a January 2024 report by Newsweek, Hillary Clinton’s name appears in the unsealed Epstein litigation records in “a single line” within a 2016 document filed by Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys, concerning Virginia Giuffre’s request for “all communications with thirteen specific witnesses.” Newsweek reported that Clinton “does not feature anywhere else in the documents that have been released” and stated plainly that “the appearance of Clinton’s name is not evidence of any illegal activity by the former secretary of state or by anyone else listed.” Reporting on the broader set of individuals named in the Epstein files contains only an incidental reference to her — noting that financier Howard Lutnick once invited Epstein to attend a Hillary Clinton 2015 fundraiser — and being named in such a compilation neither establishes wrongdoing nor should be interpreted as evidence that the people listed are guilty of misconduct.

Most of the documented Clinton-Epstein connection involves Bill Clinton’s air travel rather than Hillary Clinton. FactCheck.org reported in 2019 that Bill Clinton took trips on Epstein’s plane between February 2002 and November 2003 that, counting individual segments, “accounted for a total of 26 flights,” with companions on a 2002 Africa trip including actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker; FactCheck.org also noted “there is no evidence that Clinton visited Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean,” and that “none of the flight logs list Clinton as a passenger on a Virgin Islands-bound plane.” Reporting on the released files similarly records Bill Clinton’s name on at least 17 legs of Epstein’s flights during 2002–2003 — described by his spokesman as four distinct trips — adding that he was accompanied by staff, foundation supporters, and Secret Service agents on all legs. The available sources do not state that Hillary Clinton flew on Epstein’s aircraft. Reporting on the files notes she and Bill Clinton hosted a 1993 White House donors’ reception that Epstein attended alongside Maxwell, and that Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding as a plus-one.

In a more recent development, Axios reported on February 3, 2026, that Bill and Hillary Clinton “agreed to testify before Congress about Jeffrey Epstein after the House threatened to hold them in criminal contempt.” Axios stated that “Hillary Clinton does not appear to have been mentioned in the Epstein files,” that “the Clintons denied any wrongdoing tied to Epstein and have advocated for more transparency over the files,” and quoted a spokesperson questioning “what the hell Hillary Clinton has to do with” the House investigation.

Is Hillary Clinton in the Epstein files?

Hillary Clinton’s name appears in the Epstein-related court records only marginally — Newsweek identified a single reference in a 2016 defense filing listing potential witnesses, and the broader compilation of individuals named in the files mentions her only incidentally. The substantive documented links between the Clinton family and Epstein concern Bill Clinton’s flights on Epstein’s private jet between 2002 and 2003, not Hillary Clinton. The sources reviewed here consistently state that she has not been accused of any wrongdoing, that her name appearing in the documents is not evidence of illegal activity, and that the Clintons have denied any wrongdoing tied to Epstein. As with everyone named in these files, being mentioned is not the same as being implicated in any crime.

Documents

Primary-source records that reference Hillary Clinton. Inclusion in these documents is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing; the Clintons have denied any wrongdoing tied to Epstein and Hillary Clinton has not been personally accused.

• Giuffre v. Maxwell — unsealed court records (Jan. 2024) — Hillary Clinton’s name appears marginally in this civil case (U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y., No. 1:15-cv-07433). A 2016 submission by Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys concerning search terms lists “Bill and Hillary Clinton” among thirteen witnesses for whom the plaintiff had requested all communications; the document does not otherwise feature her, and no allegation attaches to the listing.