How many times did Bill Clinton fly on Jeffrey Epstein's plane?
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Executive summary
Public records and reporting show Bill Clinton appears in Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs and was recorded as a passenger on Epstein’s planes multiple times; different outlets cite different totals — some flight-log compilations list at least 11 appearances, earlier reports cited as many as 17 or 27 depending on which documents and timeframes were counted [1] [2] [3]. The newly released photos from Epstein’s estate confirm social contact but do not by themselves establish criminal conduct or that Clinton visited Epstein’s private island; Secret Service records and emails have been cited to say Clinton denied visiting the island [4] [5] [1].
1. Flight logs: multiple tallies, different document sets
Reporting and public-document releases do not converge on a single number because journalists and document sets have used different sources. The Department of Justice’s released flight logs and related compilations include Bill Clinton’s name repeatedly; one summary said Clinton was listed in flight logs and contact lists made public in February 2025 [3] [6]. Media outlets and archives have counted Clinton’s entries at varying totals — for example, one long-form article reported 17 flights identified in its review [2], while Wikipedia’s summary (drawing on multiple prior disclosures) notes Clinton appeared “at least 11 times” on flight logs and also cites older 2016 records claiming 27 flights on Epstein’s Boeing 727, reflecting different time windows and methods of counting [1].
2. Context matters: staff and Secret Service often accompanied him
When Clinton’s appearances on Epstein’s planes are described in reporting and public filings, outlets stress many flights were tied to Clinton Foundation travel and had staff and Secret Service in attendance. Clinton’s office has said multiple trips in 2002–2003 involved foundation work and official security details [1]. Flight-log entries themselves sometimes use initials or abbreviated names, and pilots’ notes are not always explicit about companions, which complicates precise tallies [2].
3. New photos confirm association, not wrongdoing
The House Oversight Democrats’ release of thousands of photos from Epstein’s estate included images showing Clinton socializing with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell; outlets published and analyzed those images on December 12, 2025 [7] [4] [8]. News organizations and the committee made clear that the photographs are undated and provide context on social contact — they do not, by themselves, document criminal acts or trips to Epstein’s private island [9] [4].
4. Disputed claims about the private island and other allegations
On whether Clinton visited Epstein’s private island, multiple sources report there is no publicly released evidence that he did. A Freedom of Information Act review of Secret Service records and emails has been cited as finding no evidence Clinton visited the island; Epstein himself allegedly sent an email referenced in reporting that bolstered Clinton’s denial [5] [1]. Ghislaine Maxwell has also been quoted saying she did not believe Clinton went to the island and that Clinton’s tie was different from Epstein’s core social circle [10] [1]. Critics say absence of evidence in those records is not proof of absence; proponents of Clinton’s account point to documented travel with staff and agents as corroboration [5] [1].
5. Why counts differ: methodology, timeframes, and redactions
Discrepancies — 11, 17, 27 and other counts — arise because outlets and researchers used different compilations (DOJ flight logs, pilot notes, earlier investigative releases) and different date ranges. Some counts include every logged boarding, others count multi-leg trips or only flights on Epstein’s Boeing 727; redactions, illegible entries, and use of initials in logs further cloud a precise, universally accepted number [2] [3] [1].
6. What the records do and don’t prove — and the political edges
Available documents establish social contact and repeated air travel involving Epstein and Clinton, but they do not by themselves prove criminal conduct by Clinton. Multiple outlets emphasize that individuals named in logs and photos deny wrongdoing and that none has been convicted in Epstein-related criminal prosecutions based on those associations [11] [4]. Political actors are using newly released material to press competing narratives — Democrats are framing releases as overdue transparency and a path to accountability, while Republican and White House sources call the releases “cherry-picked” or misleading, highlighting the partisan stakes around selective document drops [9] [12] [13].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a single definitive, uncontested count tied to one authoritative dataset; they report different totals depending on documents and counting methods [3] [2] [1].