Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a sharp critique of President Donald Trump on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, accusing his administration of carrying out a “cover-up” involving records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her comments surfaced as she and her husband prepare to appear before Congress later this month.
“Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” Clinton told the BBC in an interview taped in Berlin. “They are redacting the names of men who are in it. They are stonewalling legitimate requests from members of Congress.”
Clinton referenced a law passed by Congress requiring the full release of documents connected to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. “What we’re witnessing, I think it’s fair to say, is an ongoing cover-up by the Trump Administration,” she said.
Her forceful remarks come ahead of her closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 26. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify the following day. The couple had initially declined to appear, leading the committee to vote on Jan. 21 to recommend holding them in contempt of Congress. They reversed course on Feb. 2, just as the House was preparing to move forward with contempt proceedings.
Neither Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein, who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In January, both Clintons submitted sworn statements outlining their limited interactions with Epstein and Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20‑year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.
Clinton directed pointed criticism at Attorney General Pam Bondi, who appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11 in a tense, marathon hearing. She described Bondi’s testimony as “quite a scene,” alleging Bondi “refused to answer questions, diverted attention away from the matter at hand, and refused to look at the survivors.” Several Epstein survivors attended the hearing, and Democrats pressed Bondi to turn and apologize to them—something she did not do.
The Justice Department released more than three million documents, photos, and videos related to its Epstein investigation on Jan. 30, following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, some lawmakers argue the release remains incomplete. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a co-author of the transparency law, has urged that internal memos and prosecution decision notes also be made public.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday evening, President Trump brushed off Clinton’s accusations. “I have nothing to hide, I have been exonerated, I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said, adding about the Clintons: “They’re getting pulled in and that’s their problem.”
Clinton insisted that she and her husband are being used as a political diversion. She said officials want to drag them into the matter to shift attention away from President Trump, adding that the tactic is obvious.
The former secretary of state told the BBC she does not recall ever meeting Epstein, though she acknowledged encountering Maxwell “on a few occasions” through the Clinton Global Initiative. Bill Clinton has said Epstein offered his private jet for charity trips between 2002 and 2003, but that he severed all ties more than 20 years ago.
When asked whether former Prince Andrew should testify before Congress about his relationship with Epstein, Clinton replied: “I think everybody should testify who is asked to testify. I just want it to be fair. I want everybody treated the same way.”
Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with the late Virginia Giuffre in February 2022 that did not include an admission of liability. Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most widely known accusers, died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41.
The Clintons have repeatedly urged Congress to hold their testimony publicly instead of behind closed doors. “We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public,” Clinton said. “We think sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has suggested that open testimony may be possible after the private depositions conclude. If Bill Clinton appears as scheduled, he would be the first former U.S. president to testify before a congressional committee since Gerald Ford appeared in 1974 regarding his pardon of Richard Nixon.
Clinton warned that lawmakers won’t “like what I have to say” during her appearance. “I have very strong opinions about what it is they’re hiding and who they are protecting,” she said, again accusing the Trump administration of redacting names in the released files.
