In the aftermath of thousands of Jeffrey Epstein’s emails being exposed, former President Bill Clinton’s representative responded. The emails have rekindled scrutiny of high-profile individuals connected to Epstein. President Donald Trump has demanded a Department of Justice investigation into Clinton and other prominent Democrats mentioned in the correspondence.
The House Oversight Committee unveiled the emails from Epstein’s estate, which referred to Trump, Clinton, and other powerful individuals. Among the revealed documents was a 2015 email from Epstein claiming that Clinton “never ever” visited his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, contradicting some allegations. The documents also included a 2018 message between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein, containing an enigmatic phrase about “Trump blowing Bubba,” which ignited speculation on social media.
“These emails verify Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing,” Angel Urena, Clinton’s spokesperson, posted on X. Urena’s statement was issued as Trump declared his plan to have Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice investigate the interactions and transactions between Epstein, Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and banking behemoth JPMorgan Chase.
In an attempt to settle the confusion over the “Bubba” reference, widely seen as a moniker for Clinton, Mark Epstein had a phone conversation with NewsNation’s anchor Chris Cuomo. Mark apologized to Clinton during the interview, maintaining that the reference had no connection to the former president. Mark’s representative, Ali Clark, backed this claim, stating that “Bubba” is a private individual, not a public figure.
The controversy surrounding the emails intensified as House Democrats underscored other emails in which Epstein made claims about Trump. One email cited a supposed victim spending “hours” at Epstein’s house with Trump, while another implied that 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 Epstein’s emails as a politically driven distraction. He called for the DOJ investigation, accusing the Democrats of employing the so-called “Epstein Hoax” as a diversion from other matters. Attorney General Bondi confirmed the start of the investigation and appointed Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to spearhead the probe with “urgency and integrity.”
Flight logs disclosed that both presidents had traveled on Epstein’s private planes, albeit under significantly different circumstances. Records indicate that Clinton took at least 17 international flights on Epstein’s planes, while Trump flew on Epstein’s aircraft a minimum of eight times. Although the logs did not show either man visiting Epstein’s island, flight records showed Clinton traveled from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Palm Beach, Florida, on one occasion.
The documents released are only a portion of the materials related to Epstein’s criminal case. His associate, Maxwell, was subsequently convicted on related charges. Epstein’s extensive connections to influential figures in politics, business, and entertainment have kept public interest in the case alive.
Besides Clinton and Trump, the emails disclosed 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 maintained that the emails confirmed Trump did nothing wrong, despite bipartisan pressure in Congress for the release of all remaining Epstein-related documents.
Republican allies have expressed concern that Trump’s focus on the issue may attract 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.
On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, former President Bill Clinton declined to comply with a congressional subpoena, choosing not to appear for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its inquiry into Epstein.
After Clinton failed to attend his 10 a.m. deposition, Committee Chairman James Comer initiated a vote on contempt of Congress proceedings against him. The charges passed the committee and will now proceed to the full House of Representatives for a vote. Hillary Clinton, who was due 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 lawyer, David Kendall, claimed that the subpoenas served no real legislative purpose and represented an unprecedented breach of the separation of powers.
The Clintons offered to provide written answers 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 highlighted that seven former officials were subpoenaed but were never questioned, and that five former attorneys general were excused from testifying entirely, a point they emphasized 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.”