WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Epstein referenced President Donald Trump in emails to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and a journalist, claiming in one that Trump “knew about the girls,” according to emails released by House Democrats.
Democrats on the House Oversight committee released three email chains, sent between 2011 and 2019, saying the documents came from the convicted sex offender’s estate as part of the committee’s investigation of the Epstein case.
Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death has sparked conspiracy theories, including some claiming that Epstein’s powerful friends were aware of his crimes.
The administration faced intense backlash and bipartisan calls for transparency after the Justice Department and FBI released an unsigned memo saying they had reviewed the case against Epstein and Maxwell and that no other people would be charged in connection with their cases and that no additional material or evidence would be released.
NBC News has not independently verified the emails.
NBC News reached out to the White House and a lawyer for Maxwell for comment. NBC News also reached out to lawyers for Michael Wolff, the journalist to whom some of the emails were addressed.
In a 2019 email released by the committee on Wednesday, Epstein wrote to Wolff that Trump “knew about the girls.”
The email was apparently referencing Trump and Epstein’s soured relationship. The two were friends for years, but the White House said earlier this year that Trump booted Epstein “out of his club for being a creep.”
“He took people that worked for me. And I told him, ‘Don’t do it anymore.’ And he did it,” Trump told reporters in July, adding, “I said, ‘Stay the hell out of here.’”
“[REDACTED] mara lago. [REDACTED],” the email, sent several months before Epstein’s death, reads. “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 email Epstein allegedly sent to Maxwell in 2011, Epstein says Trump “spent hours” with someone the committee says was a victim. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with Epstein’s crimes.
“I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. Police chief. etc. im 75 % there,” the email said.
The committee redacted the name of a person it says was an Epstein victim. Additional context surrounding Epstein’s alleged email is unclear.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Peter Alexander contributed.
