A newly released batch of the so-called Epstein files on Tuesday includes many references to Donald Trump, including a claim by a senior US attorney that the US president was on a flight in the 1990s with the now-deceased convicted child sex offender and a 20-year-old woman.
There is no indication of whether the woman was a victim of any crime, and being included in the files does not indicate any criminal wrongdoing.
The latest tranche of files from the justice department follows a similar release last week of a section of the documents detailing its investigations into the billionaire sex offender. The files include more references to Trump, but also more details about Epstein’s relationship with economist Larry Summers. Bizarrely, the Tuesday release includes a letter purported to be from Epstein to the convicted sexual abuser and former Olympics gymnastics coach Larry Nassar – which the DoJ later in the day announced was a fake.
The numerous references to Trump include an email that suggests he travelled onboard Epstein’s private jet with women who would have been possible witnesses to the case against Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The email – sent by the US attorney for the southern district of New York on 7 January 2020 – has the subject “Epstein flight records”.
It reads: “For your situational awareness, wanted to let you know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump travelled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware), including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case.
“In particular, he is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present. He is listed as having travelled with, among others and at various times, Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric.
“On one flight in 1993, he and Epstein are the only two listed passengers; on another, the only three passengers are Epstein, Trump, and then-20-year-old REDACTED.
“On two other flights, two of the passengers, respectively, were women who would be possible witnesses in a [Ghislaine] Maxwell case.”
Throughout his most recent presidential campaign, Trump vowed to release Epstein-related files. This summer, his administration prompted backlash after the justice department announced it would not release any files related to the late financier, and said it had found “no incriminating client list” despite earlier claims from Pam Bondi, the attorney general, that such a document was sitting on her desk.
The announcement sparked bipartisan outrage – including from some Trump supporters – and reignited scrutiny of Epstein’s past ties to Trump, with whom he was friendly for at least 15 years before falling out in 2004. The president has consistently denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, the justice department said in a statement that it had released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Epstein and that “some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election”.
“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the statement reads. “Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DoJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.”
Epstein was found dead in his cell on 10 August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex crimes charges in New York. The death was ruled a suicide.
In the new batch of files of files released by the justice department, there are also numerous references to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew.
The files also include a photo of an Austrian passport that bears Epstein’s photograph but the name listed is “Marius Fortelni” and the residency is listed as Saudi Arabia. There is also an email exchange from a prosecutor in 2019, which states that the real Fortelni is a real estate developer who, for a time, resided in Saudi Arabia. The email suggests contacting Fortelni.
“Ask if he has any reason to know why a passport from his native country with his name on it would have Jeffrey Epstein’s photograph on it and be in a safe in Epstein’s mansion??” the prosecutor writes.
In a response email, someone with the “NYPD/FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force” writes: “I will give him a call tomorrow.”
Fortelni did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
Elsewhere in the tranche is extensive correspondence regarding Epstein’s controversial 2007 Florida plea deal to resolve a pending sex crimes prosecution under federal law and the government’s obligation to inform Epstein’s accusers of the deal before its completion.
One email, subject titled “RE: Special Master’s Selection of Attorney Representative” and dated 19 October 2007, appears to refer to rape claims lodged by a woman against the magician David Copperfield. The Guardian has previously identified the alleged victim as Lacey Carroll. Copperfield claimed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012 that he had been “exonerated” by federal authorities.
The email refers to a raid by FBI Seattle and FBI Las Vegas “on a warehouse owned by Epstein’s favorite cohort, David Copperfield, in connection with allegations that Copperfield raped an adult female”.
“Copperfield spoke with the girls at Epstein’s home on several occasions and tickets with ‘backstage passes’ were a favorite ‘birthday gift’ for Epstein to give the girls,” it says. The sender and recipient are redacted.
Later on Tuesday, the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, released a statement demanding transparency from the justice department: “Buried in the Epstein files is an email disclosing the Department of Justice was looking into at least ten potential Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirators. The Department of Justice needs to shed more light on who was on the list, how they were involved, and why they chose not to prosecute. Protecting possible co-conspirators is not the transparency the American people and Congress are demanding.”
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
