Newly released emails from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee reveal that Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019, mentioned former President Donald Trump multiple times in private correspondence with longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell and author Michael Wolff.
The emails, spanning the past 15 years, include claims by Epstein that Trump spent time with a woman identified by Oversight Democrats as a victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking. One email also contains Epstein asserting that Trump “knew about the girls,” referencing Trump’s earlier statement that he removed Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club for allegedly recruiting young women there.
The correspondence was obtained after the committee subpoenaed Epstein’s estate. Trump did not send or receive any of the messages, which mostly predate his presidency, and he has not been accused of any criminal activity in connection with Epstein or Maxwell.
In an April 2011 email, Epstein wrote to Maxwell: “i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. (REDACTED) spent hours at my house with him …” Maxwell responded, “I have been thinking about that…” The context of the exchange is unclear, and the identity of the referenced woman was redacted to protect her privacy.
Epstein’s relationship with Trump has been publicly known, but both Maxwell and the White House have denied any inappropriate conduct. Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that she never saw Trump act inappropriately and only witnessed social interactions between him and Epstein. The White House reiterated that Trump barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for being a “creep,” citing his alleged recruitment of young women.
Additional emails show Epstein communicating with Wolff during Trump’s first term, referencing Trump’s claim that Epstein had been asked to resign from Mar-a-Lago. Epstein wrote that Trump “never a member ever…of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
The email release is part of ongoing congressional efforts to scrutinize Epstein-related files, including a push in the House to compel the release of additional government documents. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, including in a libel case he filed against the Wall Street Journal over letters gifted to Epstein in 2003, some mentioning Trump.