Bill Clinton Walks Back Remarks Suggesting JB Pritzker Flew On Epstein’s Plane

Former President Bill Clinton walked back remarks he made under oath that appeared to suggest Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker accompanied him on one of the flights he took aboard convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. 

Clinton mentioned Pritzker when asked who typically accompanied him on flights he took on Epstein’s plane, according to a video released Monday by the House Oversight Committee. After the clip circulated on social media, Clinton’s spokesman asserted that the former president did not mean to say that Pritzker flew on Epstein’s plane. 

“President Clinton was simply giving an example of the many people he traveled with to see the Clinton Foundation’s work. Governor Pritzker joined a Clinton Foundation trip in 2008,” said Clinton spokesman Angel Urena. “Not on Epstein’s plane. Not with Epstein. Not with Maxwell.”

During his deposition, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) asked who Clinton “normally” brought with him on those flights. Clinton said he “brought people who work with me, especially people who would have to follow up on the fundraising, or people who were involved” in his work. 

“I had the Secret Service with me. And then on occasion, I had people who had volunteered to help us and wanted to see what we’re doing,” Clinton added. “For example, I think it was on one of these trips, I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife, they gave me, they helped me get started.”

A clip circulating on social media, shared by RNC Research, highlighted the exchange.

Bill Clinton says he brought JB Pritzker on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s plane: “I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife.” pic.twitter.com/p6GtSbpgGX

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 3, 2026

Pritzker campaign spokesman Alex Gough told The Daily Wire that the governor traveled with Clinton twice, but said the travel was not on Epstein’s plane. 

“Governor Pritzker was asked to travel with President Clinton on two trips, once in 2008 and once in 2013. Neither utilized Jeffrey Epstein’s aircraft, nor was he accompanied by that man or Ghislaine Maxwell,” he said. “We understand that the GOP is desperate to deflect from the heinous accusations against President Trump in the Epstein Files, but this is a particularly weak effort to assign blame where there is none.”

Gough did not provide a comment on whether Pritzker had ever had any other interactions with Epstein. 

The governor’s cousin, Thomas Pritzker, announced last month that he was stepping down from his executive position at the Hyatt hotel corporation over his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. 

“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner,” Thomas Pritzker said in a news release. “I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”