By STEVEN SLOAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the first batch of files released Friday by the Justice Department stemming from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the White House sought to move the focus of the highly anticipated documents from President Donald Trump.
There were several photos of Clinton among the thousands of documents made public. Some showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman whose face was redacted from the photo sitting on his lap. Another photo shows him in a pool with Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and a person whose face was also redacted.
Another photo shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted. The files do not say when the photos were taken and there was little context surrounding them.
Several White House officials, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and top aide Steven Cheung, made social media posts Friday highlighting the photos.
In a statement, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the Epstein investigation “isn’t about Bill Clinton.”
“There are two types of people here,” he said. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships after that. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.”
Clinton has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s known victims.