Hillary Clinton has accused US President Donald Trump’s administration of a “cover-up.” She criticized their handling of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” the former US secretary of state told the BBC. She was in Berlin, where she attended the annual World Forum.
The White House insisted that by releasing the files they had done “more for the victims than Democrats ever have”.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) released millions of new files earlier this month. These files relate to the late sex offender Epstein.
At the time, the deputy attorney general said three million pages were not released. Personal medical files were one reason for the non-release. Graphic depictions of child abuse also contributed. Other material could jeopardise investigations.
When asked whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should go before a congressional committee, Hillary Clinton said: “I think everybody should testify. Anyone who is asked to testify should do so.”
Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
The committee does not have the power to compel him to appear. However, they put pressure on the Clintons to do so. The Clintons agreed to this last month.
Bill Clinton will make his appearance on 27 February and Hillary Clinton will appear the day before.
A planned vote to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress for initially refusing to appear was shelved. The pair agreed to testify. The pair agreed to testify. It will be the first time a former US president has testified to a congressional panel. The last time this happened was when Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
Hillary Clinton reiterated the couple’s call for their congressional committee hearing to be in public rather than a closed-door deposition.
“We will show up. However, we think it would be better to have it in public,” Hillary Clinton told the BBC.
Republican committee chair James Comer had accused the Clintons of “delay”, saying the pair “caved” as a contempt vote loomed.
“I just want it to be fair,” said Hillary Clinton. “I want everybody treated the same way.”
“We have nothing to hide. We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly. We think sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
The former presidential candidate argued that she and her husband were being used to divert attention away from Trump.
“Look at this shiny object. We’re going to have the Clintons, even Hillary Clinton, who never met the guy.”
Hillary Clinton said she had met Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein’s convicted associate – “on a few occasions”.
Bill Clinton was featured in the Epstein files. He was acquainted with Epstein. However, he said he cut off contact two decades ago.
Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse. Both have denied knowing about his sex offending at the time.
Millions of new files relating to Epstein were made public by the US justice department. This occurred earlier this month. Congress passed a law requiring the agency to release material related to investigations of Epstein.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has now announced the release of all files required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, lawmakers have argued the release is insufficient. Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie co-wrote the law. He called for the DoJ to release internal memos outlining past decisions. These memos involve whether to charge Epstein and his associates.
Epstein died in a New York prison cell on 10 August 2019. He was awaiting his trial on sex trafficking charges without the chance of bail. His arrest came more than a decade after he was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was registered as a sex offender for this crime.
Andrew, the former prince, has faced growing pressure from some US officials. Virginia Giuffre’s family, his prominent accuser, is also urging him to testify. They want him to speak before the Oversight Committee about his links to Epstein.
Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 containing no admission of liability. Giuffre died by suicide in 2025.
Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. He says he severed contact decades ago. He has not been accused of any crimes by Epstein’s victims.
When asked about Hillary Clinton’s comments in the interview, Trump told the BBC he had nothing to hide.
“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 said aboard Air Force One.
“They’re getting pulled in. And that’s their problem… Clinton and many other Democrats have been pulled in.”
In relation to the allegations against Trump, the DoJ has previously said: “Some docs contain untrue and sensationalist claims against Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear the claims are unfounded and false and if they have any shred of credibility they certainly would have been weaponised against Trump already.”
The White House said: “We have released thousands of pages of documents. We have cooperated with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request. Recently, President Trump called for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends. The Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have.”
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