Source: CNN
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose death by suicide has spawned intense scrutiny of the high-profile people he knew, mentioned Donald Trump by name multiple times in private correspondence over the last 15 years with an associate and an author in Trump’s orbit, according to newly released emails from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.
The emails to longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking after Epstein’s death, and the author Michael Wolff include conversations in which Epstein asserts Trump spent significant time with a woman whom Oversight Democrats describe as a victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking. The emails also include a message in which Epstein asserts Trump “knew about the girls” — seemingly in reference to Trump’s claim that he kicked Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club for poaching young women who worked there, according to the newly released emails.
The emails were released November 12 by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, who obtained them after subpoenaing Epstein’s estate earlier this year. Trump did not receive or send any of the messages, which largely predated his time as president, and he has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticised Democrats on the House Oversight Committee for releasing the messages, claiming the members “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”
“These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again,” Leavitt said.
Wolff told CNN: “I don’t quite remember the context. But I was engaged then in an in-depth conversation with Epstein about his relationship with Trump and this seems to be part of that conversation.”
In one email dated April 2, 2011, which CNN has independently reviewed, Epstein emailed Maxwell: “i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. (REDACTED) spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75 % there.”
Maxwell responded: “I have been thinking about that…”
GOP members of the House Oversight committee identified the person as Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent survivors who died by suicide in April, and accused Democrats of hiding her name because she had not alleged Trump to have done anything wrong.
