Bill Clinton has been named 50 times in documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case. Here's why

The mystery surrounding Jeffrey Epstein keeps getting murkier and murkier. Was he a Mossad agent? Why was he cultivating politicians, celebrities and scientists? Now, around 200 names connected to the late financier are set to be revealed – including a high-profile former US president. William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, is set to be named in the confidential papers, according to ABC News. But what do we know about the papers? And why is Clinton being named? Let’s take a closer look: What do we know about the papers? Many high-profile individuals are set to be named as court filings relating to Epstein are set to be made public this week, as per ABC News.

The documents are from a 2015 civil lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell by Virginia Giuffre.

Giuffre, an alleged victim of trafficking, had accused Maxwell of procuring women for Epstein and other high-profile men including Prince Andrew. Andrew later settled a lawsuit Giuffre filed against him for a reported $12 million. Andrew has continued to ‘strongly deny’ any allegations against him. [caption id=“attachment_13568512” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Virginia Giuffre speaking during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York. AP[/caption] The development comes after US district judge Loretta Preska ruled that there is no legal basis for concealing any of the names that have been listed as “John and Jane Does.” John and Jane Does are placeholder names used in the United States and the United Kingdom to conceal the identity of individuals – or when their names are unknown. Preska ordered that the documents be unsealed starting 1 January. As per New York Post, the documents and names will begin being released on 2 January due to the New Year’s Day holiday. Why is Clinton being named? As per ABC, Giuffre has made no allegations against Clinton.

Nor is there any evidence in the filings that the former president engaged in any illegal conduct.

However, Giuffre in her lawsuit against Maxwell claimed she met Clinton on Epstein Island – the disgraced financier’s private haunt in the Caribbean. Maxwell, meanwhile, claimed Clinton had never been to the island, better known as Little St. James. Maxwell did this in order to put Giuffre’s credibility into question. Clinton is identified as “Doe 36” in the papers. His name comes up more than 50 times in the filings – many of those in entries focused on an effort by Giuffre’s lawyers in mid-2016 to subpoena Clinton about his relationship with Epstein. [caption id=“attachment_13568542” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwel. AFP[/caption] The Guardian reported that Epstein pilot recorded flight logs showing Clinton was a frequent flier on Epstein’s plane after leaving office. This includes visits to Paris, Bangkok and Brunei. Clinton in a 2002 New York magazine article called Epstein “both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of 21st Century science”. While Giuffre’s lawyers got in touch with Clinton’s legal representatives, they were told his testimony “would not be helpful.” Meanwhile, Maxwell’s lawyers derided the idea as a “transparent ploy by Guiffre to increase media exposure for her sensational stories through deposition side-show.” As per The Guardian, the chances of criminal charges against any of the names in the lawsuit are ‘likely overblown.’ “Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019, and after Maxwell’s conviction federal prosecutors made it clear that they considered their work done,” the newspaper noted. “Still, US district judge Loretta Preska’s 51-page order explaining her reasoning on whether to unseal or continue to redact the names of about 180 John and Jane Does offers will probably be a serious embarrassment to many high-profile figures.” With inputs from agencies