Epstein Files Detail Ghislaine Maxwell’s Central Role in Clinton Global Initiative Launch
Newly released Justice Department documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein shed further light on Ghislaine Maxwell’s involvement in the Clinton Global Initiative, raising new questions after Hillary Clinton previously said she had met Maxwell only “on a few occasions.”
The latest tranche of Epstein related files indicates that Maxwell played what she herself described as a “very central” role in setting up the Clinton Global Initiative in 2004, one of former President Bill Clinton’s signature post White House projects. The documents include emails and interview material detailing her hands on involvement in the early stages of the organization.
According to the records, Maxwell participated in budget discussions for the first CGI conference, communicated with Clinton aides, and worked directly with Publicis Groupe, the firm that produced the inaugural event. She also arranged to wire 1 million dollars to Publicis to fund work on what was referred to in correspondence as the “Clinton project.”
In one email cited in reporting on the documents, Epstein wrote to Maxwell after she received wiring instructions, asking, “Ask him to tell you why 1 million now and where will it be going.” The source of the funds used for the payment remains unclear, and it is not known whether Epstein supplied the money.
The involvement described in the documents appears to contrast with Hillary Clinton’s recent comments that she had met Maxwell only a few times. Maxwell was also known to have attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding alongside then boyfriend Ted Waitt, a major donor to the Clinton Foundation.
The Justice Department interview material shows Maxwell asserting that “President Clinton was my friend, not Epstein’s friend.” Former President Clinton has previously said he cut off contact with Epstein before his 2006 indictment. A spokesperson for the Clintons has maintained that he knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes and had no reason for further contact once it became clear Epstein had no genuine interest in philanthropic work.
Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually exploit minors. The release of the latest files follows passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation championed by Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna aimed at making additional records public.
The new disclosures add to the broader picture of Epstein’s political and philanthropic connections in the early 2000s, including donations to Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, a contribution to refurbish the White House, and a 1999 donation to Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign.