THE EPSTEIN CLASS
‘Get the files out’: Hillary Clinton slams Trump's Epstein cover-up
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton accused President Donald Trump of staging a "cover-up" over files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Days before her scheduled deposition before a Congressional committee, Clinton said the Republicans probing her are trying to deflect attention away from President Donald Trump, whose name is also mentioned in the files.
Issued on: 17/02/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton accused President Donald Trump of staging a "cover-up" over files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Days before her scheduled deposition before a Congressional committee, Clinton said the Republicans probing her are trying to deflect attention away from President Donald Trump, whose name is also mentioned in the files.
Issued on: 17/02/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton speaks at "The World Forum 2026" in Berlin on February 16, 2026. © Carsten Koall, AP
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has accused President Donald Trump of orchestrating a "cover-up" over files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an interview with the BBC published Monday.
"Get the files out. They are slow-walking it," Clinton, who is due to testify before a Congressional committee on the issue, told the British broadcaster in an interview in Berlin.
The Justice Department last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files – more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into sex criminal Epstein, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019.
Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, features regularly in the files, but no evidence has come to light implicating either Clinton in criminal activity.
The couple has been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing the deceased financier's connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled.
"We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public," Hillary Clinton told the BBC.
"I just want it to be fair," she said. "I want everybody treated the same way."
The former secretary of state said she and her husband "have nothing to hide. We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly."
The Department of Justice has said it has no more files to release, though lawmakers have criticised it for not publishing internal government memos, notes and emails on Epstein.
Clinton said the Republicans probing her are trying to deflect attention away from Trump, whose name is also mentioned in the files many times.
"Look at this shiny object. We're going to have the Clintons, even Hillary Clinton, who never met the guy," she said.
Trump denies any wrongdoing. Mere mention in the files is not proof of having committed a crime.
Former president Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein's plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work, but said he never visited Epstein's private island.
Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump for president in 2016, has said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island.
In the interview with the BBC, she said she had met Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate who was convicted of conspiring with him to sexually abuse minors, "on a few occasions".
Responding to Clinton's comment that the congressional testimony was a bid to create a distraction, Trump denied it, telling reporters Monday evening he had been "totally exonerated".
Hillary Clinton will appear for her deposition on February 26, while Bill Clinton will appear on February 27.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has accused President Donald Trump of orchestrating a "cover-up" over files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an interview with the BBC published Monday.
"Get the files out. They are slow-walking it," Clinton, who is due to testify before a Congressional committee on the issue, told the British broadcaster in an interview in Berlin.
The Justice Department last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files – more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into sex criminal Epstein, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019.
Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, features regularly in the files, but no evidence has come to light implicating either Clinton in criminal activity.
The couple has been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing the deceased financier's connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled.
"We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public," Hillary Clinton told the BBC.
"I just want it to be fair," she said. "I want everybody treated the same way."
The former secretary of state said she and her husband "have nothing to hide. We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly."
The Department of Justice has said it has no more files to release, though lawmakers have criticised it for not publishing internal government memos, notes and emails on Epstein.
Clinton said the Republicans probing her are trying to deflect attention away from Trump, whose name is also mentioned in the files many times.
"Look at this shiny object. We're going to have the Clintons, even Hillary Clinton, who never met the guy," she said.
Trump denies any wrongdoing. Mere mention in the files is not proof of having committed a crime.
Former president Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein's plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work, but said he never visited Epstein's private island.
Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump for president in 2016, has said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island.
In the interview with the BBC, she said she had met Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate who was convicted of conspiring with him to sexually abuse minors, "on a few occasions".
Responding to Clinton's comment that the congressional testimony was a bid to create a distraction, Trump denied it, telling reporters Monday evening he had been "totally exonerated".
Hillary Clinton will appear for her deposition on February 26, while Bill Clinton will appear on February 27.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
INTERVIEW
Epstein files: ‘Releasing documents in their raw state can be counterproductive’
The release by the US administration of more than 3 million documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has put dozens of high-profile figures under scrutiny over their correspondence with him. RFI spoke to Frédérique Sandretto, a professor of American civilisation at Sciences Po university, who says while this move was meant to dispel doubts, it has instead enabled conspiracy theorists.
Issued on: 14/02/2026
Epstein files: ‘Releasing documents in their raw state can be counterproductive’
The release by the US administration of more than 3 million documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has put dozens of high-profile figures under scrutiny over their correspondence with him. RFI spoke to Frédérique Sandretto, a professor of American civilisation at Sciences Po university, who says while this move was meant to dispel doubts, it has instead enabled conspiracy theorists.
Issued on: 14/02/2026
A press conference to discuss the Epstein Files Transparency bill on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, 3 September, 2025.
REUTERS - Jonathan Ernst
The United States Justice Department on 30 January published nearly 3 million government documents related to Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died by suicide in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
The mention of a name in the files does not, in itself, imply wrongdoing by that individual. However, the material has shown how Epstein embedded himself in elite international circles – through introductions, group emails and investment activity.
While some of the public figures named have stepped down from their positions, others have downplayed or denied ties to Epstein.
For Frédérique Sandretto, a professor of American civilisation at Sciences Po university in Paris, the release of such a large number of documents could do more harm than good without proper analysis.
RFI: How has the publication of these documents by the US administration been received by the public?
Frédérique Sandretto: It was eagerly awaited. It was something [US President Donald] Trump had announced, but he had always backed down, fuelling conspiracy theories that there was something to hide. Finally, the Transparency Act was passed in 2025, with unprecedented consensus between Republicans and Democrats. When you see the documents, there are more than 3 million of them. And you don't know where to start. You feel like you have access to declassified data, which is true. So the gesture is good, but the question is: what do we do with this material?
RFI: How has their publication reignited conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case?
FS: It's very visible on social media. We are seeing a resurgence of old conspiracy theories, such as "Pizzagate", which claimed that the campaign manager of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had organised child sex trafficking in a pizzeria.
On platforms such as Reddit, if you type in the word "pizza" you'll see all sorts of conspiracy theories pop up based on the idea of a network of elites working together against the people and a paedophile ring.
Why? Because in the files leaked in recent days, the word "pizza" appears 911 times. It is indeed strange. Some see it as a code word. And that's enough to revive “pizzagate”, a conspiracy theory that emerged nearly 10 years ago, leading some to say, ‘we told you so, that's what it was'.
RFI: What are the particulars of the Epstein case that fuel such conspiracy theories?
FS: Conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein really began after his death. Many people said to themselves: this man knew too much, he could have blown up the planet, he couldn't have committed suicide, it must have been a disguised suicide...
Added to this are his connections with powerful figures in Silicon Valley, Bill Gates, [the former] Prince Andrew and politicians in Europe. This fuels the idea of a transnational conspiracy, led by powerful elites against the people – especially since the victims were often young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Here we see classic conspiracy theory patterns: the idea of a deep state, a radical opposition between elites and the people, and an anti-Semitic narrative superimposed on top of it all. This has led to theories claiming that Epstein was a Mossad agent.
Finally, the mass declassification of documents gives the impression of a vast web of connections, with new names emerging every day, further fuelling the conspiracy sphere.
RFI: Has the release of the documents, without full context, fuelled conspiracy theories, even if it was intended as a move towards transparency?
FS: There is a very strong desire for transparency, with the declassification of 3 million documents, which is a first in the United States. But what we are seeing is that releasing documents like this, in their raw state, can be counterproductive. It has also reignited all the conspiracy theories.
At the same time, everyone wanted these files and it is very good that the US Department of Justice has published them. They should have been sorted through. Now, anyone can log on and do a search. There are photos that may be shocking, and people whose names are mentioned who are not necessarily connected to Epstein. This can create an association between the name referenced and Epstein. And that can quickly turn into a witch hunt.
The fact that certain passages have been redacted also fuels the conspiracy theory: we are being given information, but not all of it. So we are really on the borderline between the US Congress's desire for transparency and the conspiracy theorists who say, ‘see, these documents prove we were right'. It's all very well to have a right to information, but we also have a right to be cautious. The question remains: what do we do with all this?
RFI: Is it still possible to dispel the climate of suspicion surrounding the Epstein case?
FS: Trump said that now that he has given everything he had, he hoped we could turn the page. I don't think that's the case.
On the contrary, I think this is the beginning of something much bigger. Everyone wants to find out, to tell themselves that it's not possible that all this has been published without there being something to discover.
I just think that what we're seeing is the tip of the iceberg, and that there will be many more names that will be [thrown about], much more evidence that will come out. It's just a matter of time. All these documents need to be analysed.
This article was adapted from the original version in French by Aurore Lartigue.
The United States Justice Department on 30 January published nearly 3 million government documents related to Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died by suicide in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
The mention of a name in the files does not, in itself, imply wrongdoing by that individual. However, the material has shown how Epstein embedded himself in elite international circles – through introductions, group emails and investment activity.
While some of the public figures named have stepped down from their positions, others have downplayed or denied ties to Epstein.
For Frédérique Sandretto, a professor of American civilisation at Sciences Po university in Paris, the release of such a large number of documents could do more harm than good without proper analysis.
RFI: How has the publication of these documents by the US administration been received by the public?
Frédérique Sandretto: It was eagerly awaited. It was something [US President Donald] Trump had announced, but he had always backed down, fuelling conspiracy theories that there was something to hide. Finally, the Transparency Act was passed in 2025, with unprecedented consensus between Republicans and Democrats. When you see the documents, there are more than 3 million of them. And you don't know where to start. You feel like you have access to declassified data, which is true. So the gesture is good, but the question is: what do we do with this material?
RFI: How has their publication reignited conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case?
FS: It's very visible on social media. We are seeing a resurgence of old conspiracy theories, such as "Pizzagate", which claimed that the campaign manager of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had organised child sex trafficking in a pizzeria.
On platforms such as Reddit, if you type in the word "pizza" you'll see all sorts of conspiracy theories pop up based on the idea of a network of elites working together against the people and a paedophile ring.
Why? Because in the files leaked in recent days, the word "pizza" appears 911 times. It is indeed strange. Some see it as a code word. And that's enough to revive “pizzagate”, a conspiracy theory that emerged nearly 10 years ago, leading some to say, ‘we told you so, that's what it was'.
RFI: What are the particulars of the Epstein case that fuel such conspiracy theories?
FS: Conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein really began after his death. Many people said to themselves: this man knew too much, he could have blown up the planet, he couldn't have committed suicide, it must have been a disguised suicide...
Added to this are his connections with powerful figures in Silicon Valley, Bill Gates, [the former] Prince Andrew and politicians in Europe. This fuels the idea of a transnational conspiracy, led by powerful elites against the people – especially since the victims were often young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Here we see classic conspiracy theory patterns: the idea of a deep state, a radical opposition between elites and the people, and an anti-Semitic narrative superimposed on top of it all. This has led to theories claiming that Epstein was a Mossad agent.
Finally, the mass declassification of documents gives the impression of a vast web of connections, with new names emerging every day, further fuelling the conspiracy sphere.
RFI: Has the release of the documents, without full context, fuelled conspiracy theories, even if it was intended as a move towards transparency?
FS: There is a very strong desire for transparency, with the declassification of 3 million documents, which is a first in the United States. But what we are seeing is that releasing documents like this, in their raw state, can be counterproductive. It has also reignited all the conspiracy theories.
At the same time, everyone wanted these files and it is very good that the US Department of Justice has published them. They should have been sorted through. Now, anyone can log on and do a search. There are photos that may be shocking, and people whose names are mentioned who are not necessarily connected to Epstein. This can create an association between the name referenced and Epstein. And that can quickly turn into a witch hunt.
The fact that certain passages have been redacted also fuels the conspiracy theory: we are being given information, but not all of it. So we are really on the borderline between the US Congress's desire for transparency and the conspiracy theorists who say, ‘see, these documents prove we were right'. It's all very well to have a right to information, but we also have a right to be cautious. The question remains: what do we do with all this?
RFI: Is it still possible to dispel the climate of suspicion surrounding the Epstein case?
FS: Trump said that now that he has given everything he had, he hoped we could turn the page. I don't think that's the case.
On the contrary, I think this is the beginning of something much bigger. Everyone wants to find out, to tell themselves that it's not possible that all this has been published without there being something to discover.
I just think that what we're seeing is the tip of the iceberg, and that there will be many more names that will be [thrown about], much more evidence that will come out. It's just a matter of time. All these documents need to be analysed.
This article was adapted from the original version in French by Aurore Lartigue.
Former French culture minister's offices raided in Epstein files fallout
French investigators raided the offices of former Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, on Monday, as prosecutors step up efforts to examine potential links between French nationals and the crimes of US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Issued on: 16/02/2026 - RFI
Former French Culture minister Jack Lang in Paris on 26 March, 2024
. AFP - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN
The national financial prosecutor’s office said it had opened a preliminary investigation into alleged aggravated tax fraud and money laundering involving Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang.
Lang resigned earlier this month as president of the Arab World Institute, a position he had held for over a decade, after it was revealed that he had corresponded numerous times with the sexual predator.
Lang had previously requested favours from Jeffrey Epstein, including use of the financier’s car or private plane for himself or family members.The former minister's name also appeared in the statutes of an offshore company founded by Epstein in 2016.
Lang has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was “shocked” to learn of the news. The former minister has insisted that he had known nothing of Epstein’s 2008 conviction of "procuring a girl below the age of 18 for prostitution".
In a recent interview with a French newspaper, he described himself as “white as snow” and denounced what he called a “tsunami of lies.”
The national financial prosecutor’s office said it had opened a preliminary investigation into alleged aggravated tax fraud and money laundering involving Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang.
Lang resigned earlier this month as president of the Arab World Institute, a position he had held for over a decade, after it was revealed that he had corresponded numerous times with the sexual predator.
Lang had previously requested favours from Jeffrey Epstein, including use of the financier’s car or private plane for himself or family members.The former minister's name also appeared in the statutes of an offshore company founded by Epstein in 2016.
Lang has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was “shocked” to learn of the news. The former minister has insisted that he had known nothing of Epstein’s 2008 conviction of "procuring a girl below the age of 18 for prostitution".
In a recent interview with a French newspaper, he described himself as “white as snow” and denounced what he called a “tsunami of lies.”
Journalists work in front of the Arab World Institute (Institut du Monde Arabe - IMA) as a search is being carried out by French police in connection with an investigation into its former head, ex French Culture Minister Jack Lang, and his ties with the late financier Jeffery Epstein, in Paris, France, 16 February, 2026. © Stephane Mahe / Reuters
Special team of judges
Monday's office raid comes as Paris prosecutors confirmed over the weekend that they are establishing a special team of judges to study material released by US authorities concerning Jeffrey Epstein’s network.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the new team will work closely with the police and with prosecutors from the national financial crimes unit to determine whether any French citizens had committed crimes.
The aim, according to prosecutors, is to extract any piece of evidence from the Epstein files that could be reused in new investigations.
Members of France's political and cultural elite named in Epstein files
French prosecutors have also announced that they will revisit the case of Jean-Luc Brunel, a former modelling agency executive and close Epstein associate who died in custody in Paris in 2022 after being charged with raping minors. The case against him was dropped in 2023 in the wake of his death.
Prosecutors said Brunel had offered modelling jobs to young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds and had engaged in sexual acts with underage girls in multiple locations including the United States, the US Virgin Islands and France.
Ten women have brought accusations against him, including being subjected to forced sexual penetration.
Jeffrey Epstein died in a US prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. US authorities ruled his death a suicide.
(with newswires)
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