In a move that has intensified scrutiny over former President Donald Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. Justice Department released nearly 30,000 additional pages of documents today. The trove, the biggest yet, includes new flight logs, emails, news clippings and surveillance footage that confirm Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet more often than previously known.
Trump’s Private-Jet Flights
A January 2020 email from a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York highlighted that Trump had boarded Epstein’s plane “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).” The prosecutor, who flagged the mention to prevent surprises, said the flight records received on January 6, 2020 showed Trump as a passenger on at least eight trips between 1993 and 1996. On four of those flights, Ghislaine Maxwell-Epstein’s co-conspirator-was also aboard.
The email notes that one of the eight flights in 1993 listed only Epstein and Trump as passengers. Another flight recorded Epstein, Trump and a redacted individual who was 20 years old at the time. Two other flights included two women whose names were redacted but identified as potential witnesses in a Maxwell case.
These new details add to information that had already surfaced during Maxwell’s criminal proceedings.
No Allegations of Wrongdoing
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The Justice Department’s statement on Monday said that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump made shortly before the 2020 election. The White House echoed that stance, pointing to the Department’s own statement that the released material includes “unfounded and false” claims.
In a separate note, the Department clarified that a letter allegedly from Epstein to Larry Nassar-former sports doctor convicted of sexual abuse-was fake. The FBI confirmed the letter’s illegitimacy based on handwriting, Virginia postmark and the absence of Epstein’s jail or inmate number.
Subpoenas and Mar-a-Lago
The latest release also shows that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s southern Florida club, was served with a subpoena in 2021 for its employment records. An email chain between lawyers for the Southern District of New York and an attorney connected to the Trump Organization discusses the employment status of a redacted individual.
Trump, speaking at an unrelated event at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, called the files a distraction from the work he and other Republicans are doing for the country. He said, “What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has.”
He also expressed frustration about the photos released by the Department, noting that “you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago. And they’re, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.”
High-Profile Names in the Files
The documents include names and images of former President Bill Clinton, pop star Michael Jackson and singer Diana Ross. The presence of a name or photo in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
A notable addition is correspondence that may involve Prince Andrew. An August 2001 email from someone identified only as “The Invisible Man” references Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family and writes, “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?” The writer also says he has left “the RN” and mentions “the Girls.” Andrew, stripped of his royal titles in October, has repeatedly denied any criminal conduct.
The Largest Dump Yet
Trump had fought to keep the records sealed for months before ultimately signing a bill that mandated the release of most of the Department’s files on Epstein. The law required the files to be released within 30 days, but the Department has been issuing them in stages starting Friday. Officials say the slow pace protects victims, though some women assaulted by Epstein have called for greater transparency.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the Department, saying the tens of thousands of files released still left “more questions than answers.” He cited a 2019 FBI email that mentions 10 people under investigation as possible co-conspirators but contains few additional details.
Key Takeaways
- The Justice Department released nearly 30,000 new pages, the largest Epstein file dump yet.
- Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least eight times between 1993-1996, more than previously reported.
- The Department confirmed a letter from Epstein to Larry Nassar was fake and called other claims about Trump “unfounded and false.”
The release marks a significant step in the ongoing quest for transparency in the Epstein investigation, but it also fuels debate over how much information should be made public and the role of political actors in the process.
