WSJ Report Reveals Bill Clinton’s 50th-Birthday Note to Jeffrey Epstein

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that former President Bill Clinton was among the many well-wishers who wrote a birthday letter to sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003.

Why It Matters

Clinton’s name has appeared several times in documents related to Epstein, who died six years ago while in prison, and those documents and related testimony have been publicly reported on. He was also among several powerful and wealthy figures whose names appeared in court documents released last year.

Thursday’s report comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues grappling with the fallout from its handling of the investigation of Epstein’s 2019 death, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded was a suicide in a two-page memo put out earlier this month.

The memo infuriated Trump’s MAGA base because it dampened years of conspiracy theories—amplified by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Trump administration officials—suggesting Epstein was killed as part of a government cover-up.

Clinton, meanwhile, has repeatedly said he knew nothing of Epstein’s “terrible crimes” when they were associated, while Trump has called Epstein a “creep” in recent weeks and also distanced himself from the disgraced businessman. Trump has also alternated between claiming the Epstein files are part of a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats and saying that they do not even exist.

What To Know

According to the Journal, Clinton’s note to Epstein was written in the former president’s “distinctive scrawl.”

“It’s reassuring isn’t it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.”

In May 2016, one of Epstein’s alleged victims, Johanna Sjoberg, was asked about Clinton in a deposition. Sjoberg has said that she was in Epstein’s circle from 2001 to 2006.

“[Epstein] said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls,” Sjoberg testified during the deposition.

A spokesperson for the former president declined to comment on the birthday message reviewed by the Journal and referred the outlet to a previous statement saying Clinton had cut off ties with Epstein more than a decade before he was arrested in 2019 and was unaware of his crimes.

Thursday’s report from the Journal follows an article it published last week about a birthday letter that Trump had allegedly penned for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The note featured typewritten text surrounded by the outline of a naked woman, complete with Trump’s signature below the woman’s waist, which was meant to mimic pubic hair.

“Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the note concluded, according to the Journal.

Trump and Clinton’s notes were part of a trove of birthday letters that Epstein’s longtime associate and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, compiled in a leather-bound album that she gave to Epstein as a gift for his 50th birthday.

The president raged against the Journal over its piece on his birthday letter, calling the reporting and the note it was based on “fake” and later suing the newspaper and its owner, conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Trump also ordered Bondi last week to produce “any and all” grand jury testimony relevant to the Epstein investigation, in order to quash what he characterized as “ridiculous” scrutiny over the Epstein documents—scrutiny that exploded after the Trump DOJ’s July 7 memo.

A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday, however, rejected unsealing grand jury documents on the Epstein probe. The Trump administration awaits rulings on several other grand jury material requests.

What People Are Saying

CNN’s Edward Isaac-Dovere cited a person close to Clinton: “It’s been 20 years since President Clinton last had contact with Epstein, well before any of his crimes came to light. President Clinton has never been accused of any wrongdoing. Furthermore, when asked about the release of documents last year by the court, we did not, and do not, object to the unsealing.”

MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote on X in response to the Journal‘s reporting about Clinton: “So this is probably fake too, right @JDVance? The whole thing made up? Or maybe just the Trump part? I’m losing the thread a little, I gotta say.”

What Happens Next

The judge who rejected the DOJ’s request to unseal grand jury material in the Epstein case said the court’s “hands are tied” because the transcripts related to Epstein were not requested in pursuit of a judicial hearing. Judge Robin Rosenberg ordered the Justice Department to create a new case “in the public interest,” which could facilitate the government and public’s access of material on Epstein.

Todd Blanche, Trump’s deputy attorney general, also met on Thursday with Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and other offenses. Blanche said he will meet with her again on Friday.

Maxwell initiated contact about arranging the meeting, according to ABC News, and her lawyer said afterward that they were “thankful” for Blanche’s meeting, adding that it was a “good day.”

He said that no promises regarding a pardon or sentence reduction had been made as of now.

Update 7/24/25, 10:51 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.