Executive Summary
- House Democrats have released three new emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate concerning President Donald Trump.
- A 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell alleges Trump “spent hours” with a sex trafficking victim at Epstein’s residence.
- Another email to journalist Michael Wolff suggests Trump was aware of Epstein’s conduct, stating, “Of course he knew about the girls.”
- A third exchange discusses a strategy for Trump to handle questions about his relationship with Epstein during a 2015 presidential debate.
WASHINGTON – House Democrats on Wednesday released three emails from the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, including one in which Epstein claimed then-real estate magnate Donald Trump “spent hours” at his home with a sex trafficking victim. The emails, obtained by Congress from Epstein’s estate, add new details to the long-scrutinized relationship between the two men.
In a 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s crimes, Epstein wrote that an encounter between Trump and a victim, whose name was redacted, “has never once been mentioned.” In another message to journalist Michael Wolff, Epstein suggested Trump was aware of his illicit activities. “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine [sic] to stop,” Epstein wrote.
A third email exchange from 2015, also with Wolff, occurred during Trump’s first presidential campaign. Wolff warned Epstein that the candidate would likely be questioned about their relationship in an upcoming CNN debate. When Epstein asked what a crafted answer should be, Wolff advised inaction, suggesting Trump could “hang himself” if he denied visiting Epstein’s properties, creating political currency for Epstein.
President Trump has consistently denied any knowledge of or participation in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. The relationship between the two men reportedly ended around 2004, prior to the first public allegations of child abuse against Epstein in 2006.
Political Context and Reaction
The release of the documents coincides with the expected end of a 43-day government shutdown. Representative Robert Garcia (D-California), a member of the House Oversight Committee which received the materials, stated the emails “raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding.” Political observers in Washington note the timing is linked to the pending swearing-in of Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, whose vote would give Democrats enough support for a petition to release further documents related to Epstein and Trump.
These developments renew focus on the nature of the association between President Trump and Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.