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Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released emails Wednesday in which Jeffrey Epstein suggested President Donald Trump had knowledge of the disgraced financier's sexual abuse activities and spent time with at least one of his victims, sparking a fierce denial from the White House.
The emails, obtained through a subpoena of Epstein's estate earlier this year, include messages to longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell and author Michael Wolff in which Epstein claimed Trump "knew about the girls" and that an unnamed victim had "spent hours at my house with him."
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt swiftly rejected the allegations, calling the release a "hoax" designed to distract from what Trump has characterized as a victory in ending the longest-ever US government shutdown. She accused Democrats of selectively leaking the correspondence to create a false impression of wrongdoing.
"The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump," Leavitt said in a statement. "These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump's historic accomplishments."
The newly released messages were written to Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking after Epstein's death, and include specific references to Trump's awareness of Epstein's activities. In one email to Wolff dated Jan. 31, 2019, Epstein allegedly wrote: "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 message from April 2011, Epstein told Maxwell: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump." He added that an unnamed victim "spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned." Maxwell replied: "I have been thinking about that..."
Democrats said the messages "raise serious questions about Donald Trump and his knowledge of Epstein's horrific crimes." The initial reporting on the emails came from the New York Times and CNN.
Leavitt identified the victim referenced in Epstein's emails as Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April. The press secretary said Giuffre had "repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and 'couldn't have been friendlier' to her in their limited interactions."
"The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre," Leavitt added.
Trump has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell. He has consistently denied any involvement in or knowledge of the sex-trafficking activities of his former friend, who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The furor around Epstein continues to roil Trump's administration four months after his Justice Department effectively closed the case. In a July 7 memo, the department said the "client list" that Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed to have been reviewing did not actually exist and reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in his prison cell.
The announcement sparked backlash from Trump's support base, who had been told by leaders that a cover-up was protecting figures in the Democratic Party whom they accused of being Epstein's clients. Trump's allies, including two who have since been hired to run the FBI, had built careers fanning conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and alleged client list.
Democrats in the House have been attempting to force a vote that would compel publication of the full Epstein case files, seeking to capitalize on the ongoing controversy.
Trump's ties to Epstein are extensive. The pair were pictured partying together during a 15-year friendship before they reportedly fell out in 2004 over a property deal. Epstein admitted to two state felony prostitution charges in 2008 as part of a plea deal that was widely criticized as too lenient. The deal was arranged by a prosecutor who would later serve in Trump's cabinet.
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