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Emails released by Democrats show convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein telling associates in the 2010s that “of course” President Trump knew about his relationships with underage girls.
The three emails, released Wednesday by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, show Epstein’s correspondence with his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as columnist and author Michael Wolff.
In the short exchanges, Epstein says Trump “spent hours at my house,” while another says the president “knew about the girls.”
The emails are sure to spark further scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with Epstein; the president has denied being close with the disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019, when he was in jail awaiting trial on additional charges.
“The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement.
“The Department of Justice must fully release the Epstein files to the public immediately. The Oversight Committee will continue pushing for answers and will not stop until we get justice for the victims.”
The emails are set to inflame a debate about materials related to Epstein that will heat back up as the House of Representatives returns to Washington on Wednesday to reopen the federal government.
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will be sworn in Wednesday afternoon, and is set to become the final signature needed on a discharge petition that will force floor action on a bill to compel the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein. Republican leaders and Trump are opposed to that push, with Republicans arguing the Oversight panel investigation of Epstein is already turning up more information than the bill would.
A Republican Oversight Committee spokesperson downplayed the emails.
“Democrats continue to carelessly cherry-pick documents to generate click-bait that is not grounded in the facts,” the GOP spokesperson said. “The Epstein Estate has produced over 20,000 pages of documents on Thursday, yet Democrats are once again intentionally withholding records that name Democrat officials. Democrats should stop politicizing this investigation and focus on delivering transparency, accountability, and justice for the survivors.”
In an April 2, 2011, email to Maxwell, who is currently in prison on charges of trafficking young girls to Epstein, the notorious sex criminal wrote: “i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump… [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75%there”
And in a Jan. 31, 2019, email to Wolff, Epstein wrote: “[VICTIM] mara lago. [REDACTED]. trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. . of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop”
In another email with Wolff, the columnists predicted questions then-candidate Trump would be asked about Epstein during an appearance on CNN, suggesting Epstein could score points with the future president.
Wolff said Epstein would generate “political currency” with Trump if the candidate denied their relationship.
“I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt,” Wolff wrote.
“Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Trump has denied being close with Epstein, though the two were photographed together numerous times over the years.
Trump has said he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club after the financier “stole” young women who worked for the club’s spa. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most vocal accusers who died by suicide this year, has said she worked at Mar-a-Lago when she was 16 years old in 2000.
Trump sued The Wall Street Journal for defamation after the outlet published a story this year alleging Trump wrote a birthday note to Epstein in 2003 referencing their relationship.
While Trump denied the existence of the birthday message, it was later released by the Oversight Committee. Written in the outlines of a woman’s figure, the message references a “wonderful secret” and notes the two men “have certain things in common.”
The emails come days after House Judiciary Democrats released information provided by a whistleblower showing Maxwell is preparing to seek a commutation of her sentence from Trump while also receiving “concierge-style treatment” after being transferred to a lower security prison.
According to the information provided to Judiciary Democrats, Maxwell has been getting customized meals delivered to her, has been able to work out alone in the facility’s gym, and has even been given access to staff areas of a Texas prison.
Updated at 10 a.m. EST
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Emily Brooks
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