Newly disclosed records from the US Department of Justice have shed light on how Ghislaine Maxwell served as the primary conduit between former president Bill Clinton and the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The cache of images and emails has surfaced ahead of a Republican-led congressional committee hearing on Friday, where the former Democratic president is expected to face rigorous questioning.
The materials include photographs of Clinton taking a night-time swim with Maxwell, and another showing him backstage at a Rolling Stones concert in Hong Kong with Epstein.
A third image depicts the former president in a hot tub alongside an individual whose identity has been obscured. While the files do not implicate Clinton in criminal activity, they illustrate the intersection of his philanthropic efforts with Epstein’s social circle during the early 2000s.
At the time, Clinton was seeking wealthy donors for the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). Maxwell, then Epstein’s partner, reportedly nurtured these high-level connections.
In a 2025 deposition, Maxwell stated that the two men “met because of me” and claimed she was the one who asked Epstein to provide his private jet for Mr Clinton’s travel.
Flight logs reveal that Clinton travelled on Epstein’s aircraft at least 24 times between February 2002 and November 2003, visiting Europe, Africa, Asia, and Russia. Clinton’s spokesperson maintained these trips were for foundation work and noted that flight logs support the assertion that contact was severed before Epstein’s 2006 indictment.
In a sworn statement, Clinton clarified that the plane was used because it was “large enough to accommodate me, my staff, and my US Secret Service detail”.
The documents also highlight an extensive and “cosy” correspondence between Maxwell and Doug Band, Clinton’s top aide and “key architect” of his post-presidency office. Emails from 2002 to 2004 show the pair exchanging flattery and sexual innuendo, with Band referring to Maxwell as his “social matchmaker” and “lover”.
Band has since told The New York Times that Maxwell is a “monster” and denied any physical relationship, noting the emails were sent when he was in his 20s.
Maxwell also facilitated connections for the CGI, including introducing Band to events mogul Richard Attias, who described Maxwell as a “catalyst” for the project.
Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, told the BBC that the former president “knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes and has nothing to hide”.
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has similarly testified she had “no idea” of Epstein’s misconduct. In his 2024 memoir, Citizen: My Life After the White House, Clinton expressed deep regret over the association, writing: “I wish I had never met him”.
Maxwell is currently serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking teenage girls for Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
