Clinton Team Alleges Political Scapegoating in Wake of DOJ Epstein File Release
Washington D.C., Sunday, 21 December 2025.
Ureña dismisses the late Friday release as a strategic distraction, noting the administration amplified Clinton’s decades-old photos while notably deleting files linking President Trump to the disgraced financier.
Strategic Timing and Partisan Reactions
The release of the documents late on Friday, December 19, 2025, has sparked immediate controversy regarding the timing and intent of the disclosure. Angel Ureña, spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton, characterized the move as a calculated effort by the White House to divert attention, stating that the administration had not been holding the files for months “only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton” [1]. The files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) included photographs of Clinton in an underground swimming pool with Ghislaine Maxwell and at a dinner with Mick Jagger and other public figures [1][3]. Senior White House officials immediately seized on the imagery; Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted the pool photo on X with the caption “Oh my!”, while Communications Director Steven Cheung mocked the former president with the comment, “Slick Willy! @BillClinton just chillin, without a care in the world” [1].
Analyzing the “Scapegoat” Defense
Ureña’s defense rests on a sharp distinction between those who severed ties with Jeffrey Epstein and those who maintained them. He emphasized that Clinton falls into the first category, having cut off contact with the financier in 2005, before Epstein’s crimes were fully brought to light [1]. While acknowledging that Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times during Clinton’s presidency and that the former president utilized Epstein’s private jet for humanitarian trips after leaving office, Ureña insists that the current administration is using these decades-old images as a political shield [1]. He argued that the public, including the President’s own base, “expects answers, not scapegoats,” suggesting that the focus on Clinton is intended to obfuscate other details within the investigation [1][2].
Discrepancies in Data and Missing Files
The allegation of political manipulation is compounded by reports of selective data management within the released tranche. While the December 19 release contained extensive material related to Clinton, observers noted the absence of files related to President Donald Trump, despite his name appearing in flight manifests released by the DOJ in February 2025 [4]. By Saturday, December 20, House Democrats pointed out that a file containing a photo of Trump had been removed from the dataset, and up to 16 photos were reportedly deleted from the Justice Department’s website following the release [4]. This selective curation has drawn criticism from victims’ advocates as well; Marina Lacerda, an Epstein victim, publicly criticized the heavy redactions and the withholding of documents [4].
Department of Justice Position
The Department of Justice has denied any systemic effort to protect the sitting president. Prior to the release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on December 18 that there was “no effort” to redact President Trump’s name and that the department aimed to release all documents consistent with the law [2]. However, Blanche also defended the decision not to release the entirety of the files immediately, citing the necessity of protecting victims and the logistical challenge of processing over 1,200 victim names [2]. Despite these assurances, the removal of specific files and the heavy redaction of over 550 pages—including grand jury materials—have fueled accusations that the department is failing to comply with the congressional mandate requiring full disclosure [3][4].
Congressional Oversight and Future Testimony
The fallout from the release has intensified the showdown between the Clinton family and the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. While depositions for Bill and Hillary Clinton were originally slated for the week of December 15, 2025, they have now been rescheduled for January 13 and January 14, 2026 [1]. Committee Chair James Comer has threatened contempt proceedings if the couple fails to appear on these new dates [1]. Meanwhile, Democrats, including Congressman Ro Khanna, have accused the DOJ of violating its legal obligations by failing to meet the December 19 deadline for a full, unredacted release [3]. As the legal and political battles converge, the focus remains on whether the forthcoming tranches will provide a complete picture or continue to be mired in partisan disputes over selective transparency.