U.S. lawmakers have released a massive trove of over 20,000 pages of documents from the estate of the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing new details about his relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, his associates’ tracking of Trump’s movements, and communications mentioning Prince Andrew and British politician Lord Peter Mandelson.
The release by the House Oversight Committee was marked by immediate political dispute. Democrats initially published three email exchanges which, they argued, raised questions about Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. In response, Republicans quickly released the full, voluminous tranche, accusing Democrats of “cherry-pick[ing]” documents to create a “fake narrative to smear President Trump,” as reported by The Guardian and the BBC.
Trump’s travel and Epstein’s private views
The released documents revealed that Epstein’s staff continued to track Trump’s air travel and general movements, particularly around airports they both used, often years after their public relationship reportedly ended.
Emails from Epstein’s pilot, Larry Visoski, frequently updated the financier on Trump’s flight logistics. In one detailed update, Visoski wrote that Trump’s plane was scheduled to arrive in Orlando and then Palm Beach, noting: “He usually runs late, so 11pm could be realistic time for his PBI Arrival,” and specifying that the airport would shut down for “20 minutes before and after Trump’s arrival.” Visoski also detailed restrictions during a planned trip to Epstein’s Little St James island, stating that when Trump was in Palm Beach, the TSA would “only allow arrival and departures between 8am and 5pm for General Aviation.”
Epstein privately disparaged Trump. In a March 2018 exchange with then-New York Times reporter Landon Thomas Jr, Epstein replied to an article musing on Trump’s potential breakdown: “he feels alone, and is nuts!!!, I told everyone from day one. evil beyond belief mad, and most thought i was speaking metaphorically, its obvious he could crack. stormy daniels. ? lies after lies after lies.” A separate exchange with former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers also described Trump as “borderline insane.”
The cache also indicates Epstein’s associates forwarded numerous news articles related to Trump’s controversies, including reports that involved the arrests of Trump allies Roger Stone and discussions involving Michael Cohen. One visitor waiting outside Epstein’s home even made a joke about the relationship, writing: “[I’m] at the door but i will wait for my time. . i dont want to come early to find trump in your house.”
Epstein and his associates viewed their past ties to Trump through a lens of political calculation. In a 2015 email to author Michael Wolff, Epstein solicited advice after being notified CNN was planning to ask Trump about their relationship: “If we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?” Wolff advised Epstein to either “let him hang himself” or “save him, generating a debt.”
A January 2019 email from Epstein to Wolff alleged that Trump “knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” The unredacted victim’s name in the Epstein-Maxwell email was identified as Virginia, a name the White House asserted refers to accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Official reactions to the documents were dismissive. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained that Trump “kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago.” Separately, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson was quoted as saying: “These emails prove literally nothing.”
The documents also contain communications mentioning prominent British figures. A March 2011 email shows Prince Andrew responding to allegations concerning his links to Epstein and Maxwell, writing: “I can’t take any more of this! You must SAY so please. This has NOTHING to do with me.” Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The files also show that UK politician Lord Peter Mandelson was in contact with Epstein as late as November 2016. In one exchange, Epstein congratulated Mandelson on his birthday: “63 years old. You made it.” Mandelson replied: “Just. I have decided to extend my life by spending more of it in the US,” to which Epstein replied “in the Donald White House.” In another exchange, Epstein noted: “you were right about staying away from Andrew.”
The disclosure of these documents was met with a demand for greater transparency from victims. Annie Farmer, an Epstein accuser, demanded the “full release” of all files, stating that survivors “deserve more than a trickle of information” and calling for “full transparency.”
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