WATCH: Pritzker denies flying with Epstein
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he never met Jeffery Epstein and was never on a plane with the late sex offender.
The governor made the remarks in Chicago on Tuesday and said former President Bill Clinton corrected his mistake after suggesting that Pritzker had flown with supporters and Clinton Foundation donors on Epstein-connected flights.
“President Clinton clearly was mistaken, and he corrected the mistake,” Pritzker said.
The governor said he had never met Jeffrey Epstein.
“I was never on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane. I was never on any plane with Jeffrey Epstein or with Ghislaine Maxwell,” Pritzker said.
The U.S. House Oversight Committee questioned Clinton over his ties to Epstein in a closed-door hearing in New York last Friday.
The former president was asked if Epstein was on every flight he took that was connected to the former sex offender.
“There will be a record of it, but I think he was or certainly on most of them,” Clinton said.
The former president was then asked who he normally brought on the flights.
“I think it was on one of these trips, I think, that I had my first trip for the man who is now the governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, and his wife. They gave me, they helped me get started,” Clinton said.
Former Clinton staffer Angel Ureña clarified the former president’s remarks.
“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. Not on Epstein’s plane. Not with Epstein. Not with Maxwell,” Ureña posted on social media.
Andrew Rice contributed to this story.
Latest News Stories
Chicago Loop retail vacancy rate on decline
Op-Ed: Illinois’ lawsuit climate is hurting small businesses
C-M Committee of Whole: District Considers Sale of Life Safety Bonds to Fund $9 Million in Improvements
C-M Committee of Whole: Staff Survey Reveals Split Opinion on Calendar; Board Set to Approve Traditional Schedule
Monee Board Authorizes Negotiations for Voortman Steel Redevelopment Agreement
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Public Health & Safety Committee for February 5, 2026
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Finance Committee for February 3, 2026
Fairmont Neighborhood Plan Update Prioritizes Infrastructure and Beautification Following Demographic Shift
Health & Safety Committee: Monee Church Kitchen Project Highlighted in County Health Impact Report
Emergency Freezer Replacement Approved for Adult Detention Facility
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Legislative Committee for February 3, 2026
Health & Safety Committee: Opioid Overdose Deaths Drop to Zero in January as Behavioral Health Department Expands Role
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Public Works & Transportation Committee for February 3, 2026