Not just Trump, Bill Clinton also among 50 who wrote letters to Epstein: Report

A resurfaced leather-bound birthday book belonging to Jeffrey Epstein has once again dragged high-profile individuals into the spotlight, with The Wall Street Journal now reporting that former US President Bill Clinton's name appeared among dozens of celebrity messages.

The 50th birthday album — meticulously organised with a table of contents and divided into sections such as 'Friends', 'Business', and 'Family' — also listed President Donald Trump, Wall Street billionaire Leon Black, designer Vera Wang, media mogul Mort Zuckerman and former Victoria's Secret boss Leslie Wexner.

According to the Journal, Epstein's former girlfriend and convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly curated the album to include powerful friends as a lavish present. Clinton's handwritten message, described as a single paragraph in his "distinctive scrawl", read: "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".

A spokesperson for Clinton reiterated to The Wall Street Journal that the former president severed ties with Epstein over a decade before Epstein's 2019 arrest and was unaware of his criminal activities. Clinton, who served two terms from 1993 to 2001, had been photographed with Epstein and Maxwell at the White House in 1993 and reportedly socialised with Epstein in the early 2000s. Clinton's team had earlier confirmed that he took four trips on Epstein's private jet and visited his Manhattan townhouse once — each time accompanied by Secret Service agents and in connection with the Clinton Foundation's work.

The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that President Trump's name appeared in the same album, alongside a bizarre fictional dialogue: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret", ending with a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman. Trump swiftly sued The Wall Street Journal, its reporters, and its publisher Dow Jones, calling the note 'fake' and 'nonexistent'. Dow Jones has defended its reporting, stating it stands by the rigor and accuracy of its investigation.

Other messages in the resurfaced birthday book ranged from the suggestive to the absurd. Leon Black penned a risqu poem, two lines of which read "Blonde, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically / With this net of fish, Jeff's now The Old Man and The Sea". Vera Wang jokingly suggested Epstein should appear on The Bachelor and invited him on a shopping spree. Leslie Wexner's note contained a crude drawing of a woman's breasts. Both declined to comment.

Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informed President Trump in May that his name surfaced in the files linked to Epstein, according to the Journal's recent report. While digital copies of the book have been reviewed by Justice Department officials in earlier Epstein-Maxwell probes, it remains unclear whether these pages feature in the Trump administration's recent review of Epstein case documents.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department stated there was no incriminating "client list" nor any evidence that Epstein blackmailed influential figures. Epstein, once a financier and convicted sex offender, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of assisting Epstein's trafficking network and is serving a 20-year prison term.

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