The House Oversight Committee on Monday released a 2003 birthday note from former President Bill Clinton that praises Jeffrey Epstein’s “childlike curiosity,” adding to scrutiny of high-profile figures who corresponded with the financier. The disclosure followed the committee’s publication of a typewritten message attributed to President Donald Trump that the White House has called fake.
The letter, which the Associated Press said appears to match Clinton’s handwriting, was written to be included in what has been described as Epstein’s “Birthday Book” for his 50th birthday. In the note, Clinton wrote, “It’s reassuring isn’t it, to have lasted so long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and (illegible), and still to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.”
The Oversight Committee released the Clinton entry after publishing a separate birthday message attributed to Trump. That message was a typewritten note surrounded by a crude outline that some observers said resembled a woman’s body and included the line, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The White House has disputed the authenticity of the Trump message.
Clinton’s office has long denied that the former president knew about Epstein’s criminal conduct. Previously released travel records indicate Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane for some humanitarian trips in the early 2000s; his office has said those trips were related to the work of the Clinton Foundation and that Clinton was unaware of Epstein’s crimes. HuffPost reported Monday that it reached out to Clinton for comment on the newly released note but did not immediately receive a response.
Epstein, a financier who cultivated relationships with prominent politicians and businessmen, pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and was later arrested in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges before his death. Documents and materials seized from Epstein and his associates have been the subject of multiple investigations and public releases by congressional committees and media outlets.
The Oversight Committee’s publication of the birthday entries is part of broader scrutiny by lawmakers into the nature of Epstein’s relationships and the records he kept. Committee members have said the releases aim to illuminate how Epstein cultivated ties to influential people; they have not charged the subjects of the notes with wrongdoing in connection with those entries.
Legal and political analysts say such documents can raise questions but do not by themselves establish criminal conduct. The release is likely to add to public debate over how public officials and private figures interacted with Epstein in the years before his crimes became widely known.
The committee’s disclosures came as lawmakers, journalists and advocacy groups continue to seek fuller access to Epstein-related files held by prosecutors, private parties and institutions. Oversight members have urged additional releases of records they say are necessary for a complete accounting of Epstein’s network and the responses of institutions and individuals who encountered him.