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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused President Donald Trump’s administration of a "cover-up" in how it handled files tied to Jeffrey Epstein during a BBC interview in Berlin.
Clinton said the Justice Department was "slow-walking" disclosures and called for full public release of materials as congressional scrutiny intensifies.
A White House spokesperson told the BBC: "By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling 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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Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he had been "totally exonerated" by the files and denied wrongdoing.
A Department of Justice (DOJ) official told Newsweek via email: “This is a tired narrative. Just because you wish something to be true, doesn’t mean it is. This department produced more than 3.5 million pages in compliance with the law and, in full transparency, has disclosed to the public and to Congress what items were not responsive. Our press release and letters to Congress clearly spell this out.”
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Why It Matters
The dispute centers on public access to federal records about Epstein, whose abuse cases spanned years and involved powerful figures, raising questions about accountability and transparency.
What To Know
Speaking to the BBC in Berlin, where she was attending an international forum, Clinton said the government should make all relevant material public.
"Get the files out," she said, arguing that the administration was "slow‑walking" the release of documents related to Epstein.
It comes as the Justice Department released millions of documents this month after lawmakers approved the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but withheld additional material, prompting bipartisan calls for broader disclosure and fueling partisan conflict ahead of high-profile testimony by the Clintons.
Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, are due to testify before a congressional committee examining the handling of the Epstein case.
The White House rejected Clinton’s allegation, insisting it had already gone further than previous administrations in making information available.
Officials said the DOJ had released the files required under a recent law passed by Congress mandating greater disclosure in the Epstein case.
The DOJ has said it has now released all material covered by the legislation, though some members of Congress argue the disclosure remains incomplete.
Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, one of the lawmakers behind the law, has urged the department to go further by publishing internal memos explaining past prosecutorial decisions involving Epstein and his associates.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex‑trafficking charges, years after a previous conviction for soliciting a minor.
His case has continued to fuel political controversy, particularly over how authorities handled investigations into his conduct and connections to prominent figures.
A planned vote to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress was dropped after they agreed to appear before the congressional committee.
The hearings will mark the first time since the 1980s that a former U.S. president has testified before a congressional panel.
Bill Clinton appears multiple times in the released files, but neither he nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims, and both have said they were unaware of Epstein's criminal activity at the time.
What People Are Saying
Hillary Clinton said: "We are more than happy to say what we know, which is very limited…And we want to do it in public. Let’s make this transparent."
She added: "I think everybody should testify who is asked to. I just want it to be fair. 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."
Speaking on Air Force One on Monday, President Donald Trump said: "I have nothing to hide. I have been exonerated. I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. I have been totally exonerated. I watched [Clinton], she seriously has Trump derangement syndrome."
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 weaponized against Trump already."
What Happens Next
Hillary Clinton is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee later this month, followed by Bill Clinton.
Lawmakers will continue pressing the DOJ for internal records, and the department will face ongoing scrutiny over redactions and withheld pages cited for privacy and investigative concerns.
Update, 2/18/26, 3:35 a.m. ET. This article has been updated with a DOJ statement.
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