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How many times does Bill Clinton's name appear in the Jeffrey Epstein flight logs and what do those entries show?
Executive summary
Flight logs and related documents made public in litigation and government releases show Bill Clinton appears repeatedly in Jeffrey Epstein’s flight records — reporting ranges from 17 to 26 flight “legs” between 2001–2003 — and contemporary fact‑checking and news outlets say none of the released logs show him on a flight to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not agree on a single canonical count because some reports count individual “legs” while others count trips made of multiple legs; the logs that have been published list Clinton as a passenger on numerous flights but do not, in currently available reporting, place him on an island‑bound plane [2] [3] [1].
1. How many times does his name appear — conflicting tallies and why they differ
Media outlets report different totals: some say Clinton appears on 17 individual flights, others say he appears on 26 flight legs; congressional and news summaries often cite “up to 26” legs recorded in flight logs unsealed during civil litigation [1] [2] [4]. Those discrepancies come from how reporters and researchers count entries: a multi‑stop international trip can produce several “legs” in a pilot’s logbook (each takeoff–landing segment listed separately), so counting legs yields a higher number than counting distinct trips; sources explicitly note the 26 figure is a legs count covering six trips in 2002–2003 [2] [3].
2. What the flight entries show — destinations, companions, and context
Contemporaneous coverage of the logs indicates Clinton traveled on Epstein’s Boeing 727 on international trips in 2002–2003 to places including Russia (Siberia), China, Morocco, Armenia and parts of Asia such as Bangkok and Brunei; many outlets report those trips were presented as related to Clinton Foundation work or paid speaking engagements [1] [3]. Some reports say Secret Service agents are noted on most of the relevant entries, though a few entries in the logs appear without explicit protective detail entries or are partially illegible [1]. Conservative outlets and some filings emphasize that Clinton sometimes flew with figures tied to Epstein’s network (such as Ghislaine Maxwell and aides who are named in filings), a point used to argue a closer association [5].
3. The single clearest limit: no flight to Epstein’s private island in the published logs
Multiple fact‑checks and mainstream outlets say none of the flight records released in litigation or in government document drops show Clinton as a passenger on a Virgin Islands‑bound plane to Epstein’s private island; reporters and fact‑checkers repeatedly note there is no flight‑log evidence in the releases placing him on the island even as they document multiple other international legs [2] [3] [6]. Epstein himself, in emails released in later tranches, claimed Clinton “was NEVER EVER there,” a claim in the documents that some outlets highlight but which is Epstein’s self‑serving denial contained within the files [7].
4. Allegations beyond the logs — contested witness statements and filings
Some accusers and civil filings have made statements implicating Clinton in encounters connected to Epstein’s network; other sworn testimony, depositions and filings reference Clinton in the context of Maxwell and Epstein litigation, and congressional Republicans have cited those records when seeking subpoenas [8] [4] [9]. At the same time, Clinton and his spokespeople have publicly denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and say the flights were for foundation or official purposes; several outlets emphasize that none of the prominent names appearing in the logs has been convicted in relation to Epstein solely because their names appear [10] [11].
5. How journalists and fact‑checkers frame the evidence — multiple viewpoints
FactCheck.org and mainstream outlets stress a distinction: presence on a flight log shows travel with Epstein but is not by itself proof of criminal conduct; they also stress the absence of island flights in the logs as an important limitation to claims that Clinton visited Epstein’s island [2] [3]. Other commentators and partisan outlets treat the repeated flight entries and related phone‑directory references as evidence of deeper ties deserving investigation; congressional probes and partisan actors have invoked the logs to demand further files and testimony [5] [4] [11].
6. Bottom line for readers — what the published records do and do not show
Published flight logs and related Epstein files unequivocally list Bill Clinton as a passenger on numerous flight legs in 2002–2003 (reported tallies range from 17 flights to 26 legs), with many entries noting Secret Service presence and some listing international destinations [1] [2] [3]. What the available documents and reporting do not show, according to multiple fact‑checks and news reports, is an entry in the released flight logs placing Clinton on a Virgin Islands‑bound plane to Epstein’s private island [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention any definitive proof from the released flight logs that Clinton participated in criminal activity tied to Epstein; claims beyond what the logs show remain contested in public reporting and legal filings [10] [9].