WASHINGTON — Ideas offered to federal investigators about Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s schemes with younger girls and ladies are “sensationalist” and “unfaithful,” the Justice Division mentioned on Tuesday, after a brand new tranche of information launched from the probe featured a number of references to the president.
The paperwork embrace a limousine driver reportedly overhearing Trump discussing a person named Jeffrey “abusing” a lady, and an alleged sufferer accusing Trump and Epstein of rape. It’s unclear whether or not the FBI adopted up on the ideas. The alleged rape sufferer died from a gunshot wound to the pinnacle after reporting the incident.
Nowhere within the newly launched information do federal legislation enforcement brokers or prosecutors point out that Trump was suspected of wrongdoing, or that Trump — whose friendship with Epstein lasted by way of the mid-2000s — was investigated himself.
However one unidentified federal prosecutor famous in a 2020 electronic mail that Trump had flown on Epstein’s non-public jet “many extra instances than beforehand has been reported,” together with over a time interval when Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s high confidante who would finally be convicted on 5 federal counts of intercourse trafficking and abuse, was being investigated for felony exercise.
The Justice Division launched an uncommon assertion unequivocally defending the president.
“A few of these paperwork include unfaithful and sensationalist claims made towards President Trump that had been submitted to the FBI proper earlier than the 2020 election,” the Justice Division assertion learn. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if that they had a shred of credibility, they definitely would have been weaponized towards President Trump already.”
“However, out of our dedication to the legislation and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these paperwork with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims,” the division added.
The Justice Division information had been launched with heavy redactions after bipartisan lawmakers in Congress handed a brand new legislation compelling it to take action, regardless of Trump lobbying Republicans aggressively over the summer season and fall to oppose the invoice. The president finally signed the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act into legislation after the laws handed with veto-proof majorities in each chambers.
One newly launched file containing a letter purportedly from Epstein — a infamous little one intercourse offender who died in jail whereas awaiting federal trial on sex-trafficking fees — drew widespread consideration on-line, however was held up by the Justice Division for instance of defective or deceptive data contained within the information.
The letter seemed to be despatched by Epstein to Larry Nassar, one other convicted intercourse offender, shortly earlier than Epstein’s demise. The letter’s creator prompt that Nassar would be taught after receiving the notice that Epstein had “taken the ‘quick route’ dwelling,” probably referring to his suicide. It was postmarked from Virginia on Aug. 13, 2019, regardless of Epstein’s demise in a Manhattan jail three days prior.
“Our president shares our love of younger, nubile ladies,” the letter reads. “When a younger magnificence walked by he beloved to ‘seize snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub within the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair.”
The Justice Division mentioned that the FBI had confirmed that the letter is “FAKE” after it made the rounds on Tuesday.
“This pretend letter serves as a reminder that simply because a doc is launched by the Division of Justice doesn’t make the allegations or claims throughout the doc factual,” the division posted on social media. “However, the DOJ will proceed to launch all materials required by legislation.”
The division has confronted bipartisan scrutiny since failing to launch all the Epstein information in its possession by Dec. 19, the authorized deadline for it to take action, and for redacting materials on the overwhelming majority of the paperwork.
Justice Division officers mentioned they had been following the legislation by defending victims with the redactions. The Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act additionally directs the division to not redact pictures or references to outstanding or political figures, and to offer a proof for each redaction in writing.
The most recent launch, simply days earlier than the Christmas vacation, consists of roughly 30,000 paperwork, the division mentioned. Tons of of hundreds extra are anticipated to be launched within the coming weeks.
Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee launched an announcement in response to the Tuesday launch accusing the Justice Division of a “cover-up,” writing on social media, “the brand new DOJ paperwork increase critical questions concerning the relationship between Epstein and Donald Trump.”
Paperwork from Epstein’s non-public property launched by the oversight committee earlier this fall had already solid a highlight on that relationship, revealing Epstein had written in emails to associates that Trump “knew concerning the ladies.”
The most recent paperwork launch additionally consists of an electronic mail from a person recognized as “A,” claiming to remain at Balmoral Fortress, a royal residence in Scotland, asking Maxwell if she had discovered him “some new inappropriate associates.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously generally known as Prince Andrew, has come beneath intense scrutiny over his ties to Epstein in recent times.
Talking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump mentioned the persevering with Epstein scandal quantities to a “distraction” from Republican successes, and expressed disapproval over the discharge of pictures within the information that reveal associates of Epstein.
“I imagine they gave over 100,000 pages of paperwork, and there’s super backlash,” Trump advised reporters. “It’s an attention-grabbing query, as a result of lots of people are very indignant that footage are being launched of different folks that actually had nothing to do with Epstein. However they’re in an image with him as a result of he was at a celebration, and also you wreck a popularity of someone. So lots of people are very indignant that this continues.”
