Following the release of thousands of emails from the estate of the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton issued a response. The emails have reignited scrutiny of high-profile figures linked to Epstein, with President Donald Trump calling for a Department of Justice investigation into Clinton and other noted Democrats mentioned in the emails.
The House Oversight Committee disclosed the emails from Epstein’s estate, which referenced Trump, Clinton, and other influential individuals. The documents included a 2015 email from Epstein stating that Clinton had “never ever” visited his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, despite allegations suggesting otherwise. The documents also contained a 2018 communication between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein, containing a cryptic phrase about “Trump blowing Bubba,” which sparked speculation on social media.
“These emails prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing,” stated Angel Urena, Clinton’s spokesperson, in a post on X. The statement was made as Trump announced intentions to have Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice investigate the relationship and dealings between Epstein, Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and banking giant JPMorgan Chase.
In a bid to clear up the confusion over the “Bubba” reference, widely interpreted as a nickname for Clinton, Mark Epstein spoke with NewsNation’s anchor Chris Cuomo. In the phone interview, Mark issued an apology to Clinton, insisting the reference was unrelated to the former president. Mark’s spokesperson, Ali Clark, supported this stance, stating that “Bubba” is a private individual, not a public figure.
The controversy over the emails grew as House Democrats highlighted other correspondence in which Epstein made allegations about Trump. One email mentioned a supposed victim spending “hours” at Epstein’s house with Trump, while another suggested Trump “knew about the girls.” In an email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein referred to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked.”
Trump dismissed the focus on the Epstein emails as a politically motivated diversion. He called for the DOJ investigation, accusing Democrats of using the so-called “Epstein Hoax” to divert attention from other issues. Attorney General Bondi confirmed the initiation of the investigation and assigned Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead the probe with “urgency and integrity.”
Flight logs revealed both presidents had traveled on Epstein’s private planes, although under markedly different circumstances. Records show that Clinton took a minimum of 17 international flights on Epstein’s planes, while Trump used Epstein’s aircraft at least eight times. The logs did not show either man visiting Epstein’s island, however, flight records indicated Clinton flew from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Palm Beach, Florida, on one occasion.
The documents released form only a segment of the materials related to Epstein’s criminal case. His associate, Maxwell, was later convicted on related charges. Epstein’s extensive ties to influential figures in politics, business, and entertainment have kept public interest in the case alive.
Apart from Clinton and Trump, the emails revealed that Epstein maintained communication with several prominent individuals. Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, corresponded with Epstein as per the released documents. Hoffman was also mentioned in communications involving Epstein. JPMorgan Chase, which served as Epstein’s banker, had previously settled lawsuits from victims and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The White House asserted that the emails proved Trump did nothing wrong, contrary to the bipartisan pressure in Congress for the release of all remaining Epstein-related documents.
Republican allies have shown concern that Trump’s focus on the issue may draw more, not less, public attention to his past association with Epstein. Trump and the financier were friends for many years before a reported disagreement led to a fallout.
Former President Bill Clinton refused to comply with a congressional subpoena on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, choosing not to appear for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its inquiry into Epstein.
Committee Chairman James Comer initiated a vote on contempt of Congress proceedings against Clinton after the former president failed to attend his 10 a.m. deposition. The charges passed the committee and will now proceed to the full House of Representatives for a vote. Hillary Clinton, who was scheduled to testify on Wednesday, January 14, also did not appear.
“I think everyone knows by now Bill Clinton did not show up,” Comer told reporters Tuesday morning. “And I think it’s important to note that this subpoena was voted on in a bipartisan manner by this committee.”
In a letter released earlier, the Clintons argued that the subpoenas were invalid and unenforceable. Their attorney, David Kendall, claimed that the subpoenas served no true legislative purpose and constituted an unprecedented breach of the separation of powers.
The Clintons offered to provide written responses to the committee’s inquiries. They criticized the committee’s approach to the investigation, noting that despite the probe lasting several months, only two individuals—former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and former Attorney General William Barr—had been interviewed.
They pointed out that seven former officials were subpoenaed but were never questioned, and that five former attorneys general were excused from testifying entirely, a point they stressed in their response to the committee.
“No one’s accusing Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing,” Comer said. “We just have questions. And that’s why the Democrats voted, along with Republicans, to subpoena Bill Clinton.”
