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Did Bill Clinton stay on Jeffrey Epstein's private island or travel on his plane?
Executive summary
Public reporting shows two separate, documented facts: [1] Jeffrey Epstein’s private emails released in November 2025 include statements from Epstein saying Bill Clinton “never” visited Epstein’s private island (Little Saint James) [2] [3]. [4] Independent flight logs and earlier reporting show Clinton flew on Epstein-owned aircraft multiple times in 2002–2003 — estimates in reporting range from four acknowledged trips with staff to 17–27 or 26 flights depending on log-counting methods [5] [6] [7]. Available sources do not present flight logs that show a trip by Clinton to Epstein’s island [8] [7].
1. The straight quote from Epstein: “Clinton was NEVER EVER there”
Emails newly released by congressional sources include private notes where Jeffrey Epstein asserts that Bill Clinton “was NEVER EVER there, never,” referring to his private island; U.S. outlets such as Forbes and NBC News flagged those lines as directly contradicting some public claims [2] [3]. Journalists note Epstein himself repeatedly denied Clinton visited the island in different exchanges, including a 2015 email where Epstein called such allegations “fabrications” [2] [9].
2. Flight logs: Clinton rode Epstein’s planes, but for documented foundation travel
Multiple contemporaneous and later reports say Clinton traveled on Epstein-owned aircraft for several trips in 2002–2003 while out of office, described by Clinton’s team as humanitarian or Clinton Foundation travel with staff and Secret Service present; outlets summarize this as four trips or dozens of flight legs depending on how flights are counted [5] [10] [11]. FactCheck.org reviewed unsealed logs and counted Clinton on Epstein planes 26 times across six trips between Feb. 9, 2002 and Nov. 4, 2003 — noting multiple stops explain the higher flight-leg counts [7].
3. No corroborated evidence in released flight records that Clinton visited Little Saint James
Reporting that reviewed flight logs and litigation documents found no record of Clinton flying to Epstein’s private island; ABC News and FactCheck reported that the available flight records do not indicate trips by Clinton to the island [8] [7]. Where claims of island visits appear, they often trace to third‑party statements or were later disputed in depositions [7] [10].
4. Conflicting claims and political use of the material
Political actors have leveraged the documents differently: some conservatives and the White House highlight flight counts to allege closer ties [12], while Clinton spokespeople and some reporters stress Epstein’s own emails denying island visits and Clinton’s explanation that flights were foundation-related [2] [13]. The Justice Department agreed in 2025 to review Epstein ties after political pressure, which itself reflects how this material is being litigated and politicized [14].
5. Witness statements and later recantations complicate the record
Third-party claims exist — for example, depositions and allegations mentioning a helicopter pickup or island presence — but those accounts have been contested in court papers and depositions; Ghislaine Maxwell and other witnesses later provided testimony that sometimes denied or qualified earlier reports about Clinton’s presence on the island [10] [15]. Where sources explicitly refute specific claims, reporting notes those refutations [15].
6. What the available documentation does — and does not — prove
Available, cited documents prove: Epstein wrote emails saying Clinton never went to his island [2] [3], and flight records show Clinton used Epstein aircraft multiple times post‑presidency for trips described as foundation business [7] [5]. Available sources do not mention flight logs or other contemporaneous official travel records that place Clinton on Little Saint James [8] [7]. They also do not prove criminal wrongdoing by Clinton; both Reuters and NBC note neither Trump nor Clinton have been charged in relation to Epstein’s crimes [3] [14].
7. Bottom line for readers seeking accuracy
If your question is narrowly whether Clinton “stayed on” Epstein’s private island: the newly released Epstein emails assert he did not [2] [3], and independent flight logs publicly available do not show Clinton flying to the island [8] [7]. If your question is whether Clinton traveled on Epstein’s plane: multiple sources and unsealed logs confirm Clinton flew on Epstein‑owned aircraft on several documented trips in 2002–2003 [7] [5]. Policymakers and media continue to dispute the significance of those facts; readers should treat flight-count claims and island‑visit allegations separately and rely on primary records (emails, flight logs, depositions) rather than amplified assertions without documentary citation [7] [2].