Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused the Trump administration of a "cover-up" over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying the Justice Department is deliberately slowing the release of millions of documents that Congress ordered made public. Speaking to the BBC in Berlin on Monday, Clinton said: "Get the files out. They are slow-walking it." The remarks came at the annual World Forum in the German capital, days after the department released a new tranche of Epstein records — and as Clinton confirmed that she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will testify before the House Oversight Committee in February 2027.

Key Points

• Hillary Clinton told the BBC in Berlin that the Trump administration is engaged in a "cover-up" over the Epstein files and is "slow-walking" their release.
• The Justice Department released millions of new Epstein files this month under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but says three million pages were withheld for privacy and investigative reasons.
• Clinton will testify before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 26, 2027, and Bill Clinton on Feb. 27 — the first former president to testify to Congress since Gerald Ford in 1983.
• A planned contempt vote against the Clintons was shelved after they agreed to appear; Clinton is pressing for a public hearing.
• The White House says it has done "more for the victims than Democrats ever have"; Trump says he has been "exonerated".

What Happened

Clinton made the accusation in an interview with the BBC on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, while attending the annual World Forum in Berlin. Asked about the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein records, she said the administration was engaged in a "cover-up" and urged it to publish the remaining material without further delay.

Millions of new Epstein files were released by the Justice Department earlier this month, after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act requiring disclosure of unclassified records relating to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. But the deputy attorney general said three million pages were not released, citing personal medical files, graphic depictions of child abuse and material that would jeopardise ongoing investigations. The department says it has released all the files the Act requires; lawmakers say the release is insufficient.

Background: The Epstein Files and the Transparency Act

The fight over the Epstein files has run for years. Epstein, a financier who faced federal sex-trafficking charges, died in a New York jail in 2019 in what officials ruled a suicide, before he could stand trial. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and is serving a prison sentence. Survivors and lawmakers have pressed ever since for the full release of the investigative files, arguing the public deserves to know who enabled Epstein and how he escaped federal prosecution in 2008 under a lenient Florida plea deal.

Congress answered with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the Justice Department to release the unclassified records from the Epstein and Maxwell investigations. The department faces a December 19 deadline for the disclosures. A federal judge in Florida has already ordered the release of Epstein grand jury transcripts under the new law, and the House Oversight Committee released a 137-page report on Tuesday blaming decades of federal failures.

Hillary Clinton, the Epstein Files and the "Cover-Up" Claim

At the centre of the new row is the Clintons' own appearance before the committee. Hillary Clinton will appear on Feb. 26, 2027, and Bill Clinton the following day — the first testimony by a former president to a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983. A planned contempt vote against the couple was shelved after they agreed to testify.

Clinton used the BBC interview to repeat her call for a public hearing rather than a closed-door deposition. "We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public," she said. She said she never met Epstein, though she met Maxwell "on a few occasions", and argued that she and her husband are being used to divert attention from Trump.

Reactions and Quotes

The White House pushed back hard on Clinton's accusation. It said that by releasing the files the administration had done "more for the victims than Democrats ever have" — a direct rejection of the claim that the disclosures are being stalled for political reasons.

Trump addressed the subject aboard Air Force One, telling the BBC: "I've been exonerated. I had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein." The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the Oversight Committee's majority report this week said the evidence does not implicate him in any Epstein crime. Lawmakers who want a fuller release say the three million withheld pages show the job is not finished.

Why It Matters

The row matters because the Epstein files have become a test of transparency as much as a historical record. For survivors, the documents are a chance to establish the full truth about who knew what and when. For the administration, every withheld page invites the charge that powerful people are being protected. And for Congress, the February testimony will be a rare moment: a former president answering questions under oath, with the whole country watching whether the hearing is public.

Democrats who take control of key House committees in January have promised sweeping investigations of the Trump administration, and the Epstein files are at the top of that list.

What Happens Next

The next milestone is the December 19 deadline, by which the Justice Department must complete the releases the Transparency Act requires. Lawmakers are expected to keep pressing for the three million withheld pages, and some are pushing a second transparency bill to close the gaps they say remain in the law.

Then comes February. If the committee agrees to a public hearing, the Clintons' back-to-back appearances on Feb. 26 and 27 will be among the most watched congressional sessions in years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Hillary Clinton say about the Epstein files?
She told the BBC in Berlin that the Trump administration is engaged in a "cover-up" over the files, saying: "Get the files out. They are slow-walking it."

When will the Clintons testify to Congress?
Hillary Clinton appears before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 26, 2027, and Bill Clinton on Feb. 27 — the first former president to testify since Gerald Ford in 1983.

Why were three million pages withheld?
The deputy attorney general cited personal medical files, graphic depictions of child abuse and material that would jeopardise investigations.

Has the Justice Department released all the Epstein files?
Millions of pages have been released, but lawmakers say the release is incomplete. A December 19 deadline applies to the disclosures the Act requires.

Will the Clintons' testimony be public?
Clinton has asked for a public hearing rather than a closed-door deposition. The committee has not yet confirmed the format.

Related: House Oversight Epstein report blames decades of federal failures, Lutnick questioned for four hours on Epstein ties, Massie vows to force House vote on Epstein Files Act II.