Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The former U.S. Secretary of State accuses the administration of “slow-walking” the release of the files.
Jeffrey Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, but even now, seven years after his death, his name is making headlines all over the world.
During his campaign for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Donald Trump promised to release everything regarding the disgraced financier, and in November 2025, the president signed af bill ordering the release of the Epstein-files.
Since then, millions of files have been released, but the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
Because even though, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on saturday, that all the files have been released, some people are stille not convinced.
And one of them is the former first lady, U.S. Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.
“Cover-up”
Speaking to the BBC in Berlin during the World Forum, the former US secretary of state accused the Trump administration of withholding material related to the Epstein investigation, describing it as a “cover-up”.
“Get the files out. They are slow-walking it.”
The Department of Justice earlier this month published millions of pages tied to Epstein after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Officials said roughly three million pages were withheld due to sensitive medical records, explicit material involving minors and information that could affect ongoing inquiries.
Trump: “I’ve been exonerated”
Trump, who is also named in the files and denies misconduct, told the BBC: “I’ve been exonerated. I had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. They went in hoping that they’d find it, and they found just the opposite.”
He added: “They’re getting pulled in. And that’s their problem… Clinton and many other Democrats have been pulled in.”
In a statement, the White House said the administration had done “more for the victims than Democrats ever have” by releasing documents and cooperating with Congress.
Push for testimony
Clinton said anyone requested by Congress should appear before lawmakers. “I think everybody should testify who is asked to testify,” she told the BBC.
Prince Andrew, listed in the documents but denying wrongdoing, has faced calls to give evidence. The congressional committee cannot compel his attendance.
The same committee had threatened to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt before they agreed to testify. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear on 26 February, with the former president set for 27 February.
It will mark the first time a former U.S. president has testified before Congress since Gerald Ford in 1983.
Sources: BBC, US Department of Justice, House Oversight Committee
