More released Epstein documents create a compromising image for powerful men

Asked why he opposed the release of all files on Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump reportedly exclaimed in September: “That would affect my friends!” The anecdote comes from Marjorie Taylor Greene, a well-known Republican firebrand in the House of Representatives until early this year. This fall, the radical Trumpista pushed for a bill that would force the justice department to release Epstein’s criminal file, which led to a rift with the president.

The law was eventually passed after Trump had to stop opposing it. And on Friday, his Justice Department released three million documents, 180,000 photos and 2,000 videos that investigative authorities collected about Epstein for years. This new tranche, after an earlier document dump just before Christmas, once again illustrates how widespread the sex offender’s network was while alive. And how – indeed – this also included a number of Trump acquaintances and the president himself.

American and international media found the necessary spice in the mountain of e-mails, private snapshots and FBI reports. While the judiciary made all the women in the photos unrecognizable “out of an abundance of precaution”, this leaves a compromising image for many men.

For example, billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick, now Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, visited his private Caribbean island even after Epstein’s first conviction for child prostitution in 2008. Last year, Lutnick claimed that he broke with the jet set figure in 2005, but the documents show that he visited Little St. James with his family in 2012, where some of the abuse of minors took place.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk also had a warmer relationship with Epstein than he himself suggested. At the height of his feud with Trump last summer, he posted another (later deleted) message on X in which he stated that “Trump appears in the Epstein files.” Musk himself appears to have also emailed Epstein intensively, asking “which day/night the wildest party” could be expected.

Russian connection

The connection with Epstein also caused new commotion in Europe. In the UK, British ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Labor leader Peter Mandelson fell further into discredit. And in Slovakia, a confidant of pro-Russian Prime Minister Fico had to resign. National Security Advisor Miroslav Lajčák exchanged sexist text messages with Epstein about “girls” that Epstein would “arrange.” In the margins, there were meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and the then Russian UN Ambassador in New York.

Zoom in

Zoom in

Left: the disgraced British ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Right: the resigned Slovak security advisor Miroslav Lajčák

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Anadolu via Getty Images

Many of the conspiracy theories circulating around Epstein’s life and death (official version: suicide in his cell) revolve around the assumption that he collected compromising material about his high-ranking acquaintances for intelligence services – from the Israeli Mossad and the American CIA to the Russian FSB. The father of Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein’s British life partner, who was convicted of recruiting hundreds of underage ‘masseuses’, the late media magnate Robert Maxwell, is also said to have worked for the Russian services.

Last year was already known that Epstein had contact with a Russian escort in 2015, who may have been sent by the FSB to collect ‘kompromat’ from him and other American billionaires. In the new document dump he emails with “a friend of Putin” about a visit to the Russian leader.

Russian women also pass by again. This is what the British business newspaper came across Financial Times on an apparent attempt by Epstein to blackmail former Microsoft CEO and philanthropist Bill Gates with the “Russian girls” he arranged for him. Gates was left with an STD from that meeting, after which he asked Epstein to arrange antibiotics to secretly give to his then wife Melinda. (At least Epstein writes this in an email to Gates, which he forwarded to himself in draft form.)

Clintons must testify

The release of these documents, in which much has again been covered up, immediately led to calls for greater transparency in political Washington. The affair does not appear to be over for Trump and his Republicans.

Not even for the Democrats, by the way. Former President Bill Clinton, who maintained friendly contact with Epstein for years, and his wife Hillary have been subpoenaed by Congress to testify about this. The couple refuses and only wants to answer questions in writing. This could result in a conviction for contempt of parliament. The House may vote on this as soon as this week.

Give a gift





Part





Email the editor

The journalistic principles of NRC