What the Epstein Documents Reveal About Donald Trump
Category: News & Politics
Via: jbb • 9 months ago • 111 commentsBy: Margaret Hartmann (Intelligencer)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
For weeks, speculation has been building about which famous and powerful figures would be tarnished by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal when court documents from a years-old case related to the disgraced financier were made public. And while Epstein's black book contained a staggering number of A-listers and high-society pals, perhaps the biggest question surrounding the court documents' unsealing is what they reveal about Donald Trump.
They hype escalated on the afternoon of January 3, when Mark Epstein said that three years before his brother died in jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, he told him he knew secrets that could blow up the presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
"Here's a direct quote: 'If I said what I know about both candidates, they'd have to cancel the election.' That's what Jeffrey told me in 2016," Mark Epstein told the New York Post.
Wild stuff! But of course, Mark Epstein said he doesn't know what information his brother was referring to. And while Trump and Bill Clinton (who have both denied any Epstein-related wrongdoing) are both mentioned in the court documents that were made public hours later, there was nothing that could have upended a previous presidential race or Trump's current reelection bid.
But questions about Trump's ties to Epstein persist, as the convicted sex offender is now a conspiracy theory fixture, and more court records are set to be released in the coming days and weeks. Here's a running list of revelations from the newly unsealed documents, and what we've already learned about Trump's friendship with Epstein.
Why are more Epstein documents being released now?
The newly unsealed documents are from Virginia Roberts Giuffre's settled 2015 defamation lawsuit against Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislane Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison term for trafficking women and girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. Giuffre is one of dozens of women, some as young as 14, whom Epstein allegedly abused.
Some documents were blacked out or sealed when the suit was settled in 2017 over privacy concerns. But in December 2023, federal Judge Loretta Preska ruled that most of the records would be made public, as most of the names were already public. The first 40 exhibits, totaling 943 pages, were released on January 3, 2024. (Read about the other figures listed in the new Epstein documents here.)
What does the January 3 batch say about Trump?
In short: not much. His name is mentioned only four times, in a May 2016 deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, one of Epstein's alleged victims, who said she was around him from 2001 to 2006.
Sjoberg said that while flying on one of Epstein's planes, they made an unplanned stop in Atlantic City and went to "one of Trump's casinos." She recalled that when she relayed the pilot's message that they'd need to land in New Jersey, "Jeffrey said, Great, we'll call up Trump and we'll go to — I don't recall the name of the casino, but — we'll go to the casino."
Later, Sjoberg said she never gave Trump a massage.
What we know about Trump's friendship with Epstein.
Trump began palling around with Epstein in the late '80s but the depth of their friendship is a subject of debate.
Footage unearthed by NBC News in 2019 shows the two men joking around and ogling women during a party at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in 1992.
Trump and Epstein were also photographed together in 1992 and 1997. The now famous image below shows Trump and then-girlfriend Melania Knauss partying with Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago on February 12, 2000.
In 2002, the mogul toldNew York, "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life."
On January 3, Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung offered a terse statement on the new document release, tellingNewsweek that any claims about Trump's relationship with Epstein were "thoroughly debunked."
In 2016 a woman who went by the pseudonyms "Katie Johnson" and "Jane Doe" in legal filings accused Trump of raping her in 1994, when she was 13, during an orgy held at Epstein's home in Manhattan. She accused Epstein of raping her as well.
Three suits were filed over the same allegations; the first was dismissed for failure to properly state a claim the other two were voluntarily dismissed. The third case was withdrawn just days before the 2016 election, and the accuser canceled a press conference at the last minute. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said the woman had received death threats and "She has decided she is too afraid to show her face … She is in terrible fear."
The circumstances around the case were bizarre, as Vox summarized at the time:
It was the end of an incredibly strange case that featured an anonymous plaintiff who had refused almost all requests for interviews, two anonymous corroborating witnesses whom no one in the press had spoken to, and a couple of seriously shady characters — with an anti-Trump agenda and a penchant for drama — who had aggressively shopped the story around to media outlets for over a year.
Those shady characters — a former reality TV producer who calls himself "Al Taylor" and a "Never Trump" conservative activist named Steve Baer — had been mostly unsuccessful in getting the media to bite. There are a few very good reasons for that, which the Huffington Post's Ryan Grim succinctly summed up: Taylor and Baer have been really sketchy about the whole thing, and since the accuser is anonymous, journalists can't do anything to verify her claims. The only journalist who has actually interviewed Johnson, Emily Shugerman at Revelist, came away confused and even doubting whether Johnson really exists.
Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 other women over the years; those women were not underage and their allegations did not involve Epstein. In May 2023 a federal jury found Trump civilly liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her when he denied her rape allegation in 2022. He was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages, and is currently appealing the verdict.
When did Trump cut ties with Epstein?
Trump has claimed that he and Epstein had a "falling out" years before the financier was first arrested in Palm Beach in 2005, after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. (Though dozens of other underage girls accused Epstein of sexual abuse at the time, through a 2008 plea deal he served only 13 months in jail in a work-release program).
There are reports that a battle over a choice Palm Beach property ended the friendship, but it's unclear what exactly came between the two men. Days after Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019, Trump downplayed their relationship while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. He said he merely "knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him," adding, "I had a falling out with him. I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you."
What did Trump say about Epstein's death?
During an August 2023 interview Tucker Carlson asked Trump if he believes that Epstein killed himself in jail. "I don't know," said Trump, who seemed more interested in bashing his former attorney general Bill Barr. After more prodding from Carlson, Trump said he thinks it's "possible" that Epstein was killed, but "I think he probably committed suicide."
"Life with beautiful homes, beautiful everything, and all of a sudden he's incarcerated and not doing well," Trump said. "A lot of people think he was killed. He knew a lot on a lot of people." Carlson confirmed he's among those who believe Epstein "was killed," and Trump replied that "a case could be made either way."
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that photo is photo shopped
Nope...
look at how the images are put together
It's just an image filter, the photo is real
oh, ok. Thanks
As I've been saying all along - the former 'president' would be named but not Bill Clinton. A lot of people see him as a sleazebag and a possible rapist, I just don't see that at all. He might have been a horndog or whatever but he is not a lowlife who rapes and victimizes women or young girls.
That is just an outright lie.
Au contraire..................read it and weep. He paid one of his victims $850,000.00 to drop the suit
.
Bill Clinton , the 42nd president of the United States (1993–2001), has been publicly accused of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct by several women: Juanita Broaddrick accused Clinton of raping her in 1978; Leslie Millwee [1] accused Clinton of sexually assaulting her in 1980; Paula Jones accused Clinton of exposing himself to her in 1991 as well as sexually harassing her; and Kathleen Willey accused Clinton of groping her without her consent in 1993. The Jones allegations became public in 1994, during Clinton's first term as president, while Willey's and Broaddrick's accusations became public in 1999, toward the end of Clinton's second term. Millwee made her accusations in 2016.
I'm correct, you are not.
Are you actually going to dispute the proof that there was a payoff when it is right in front of you?
He really did pay off Paula Jones.
Post 1.2.3 shows you wrong.
I believe I am correct in my comment about Bill Clinton not raping young girls, that was what I was referencing, not about the Paula Jones payment.
I don't believe Broadrick's claims, she recanted several times. I don't believe the other claims either - by Willey and Millwee - I imagine they jumped on the bandwagon and hoped to get a payout too.
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None of those girls are over 14!
And it's super creepy that they all look a little like his daughter.
And it has been exposed now as AI generated..................
You mean the left is running around making claims with doctored / fabricated "evidence"? That NEVER happens!!! /s
Plus we post a log of Trump on Epsteins plane flying with his wife daughter and Nanny as if it means something nefarious, and then we dismiss the actual claims from Bidens daughter that he is a pedophile.
The FBI did not confirm any contents of Ashley Biden’s diary
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
Two Florida residents pleaded guilty to stealing and selling items, including a personal diary that belonged to a relative of a then-former government official who was running for national office.
News reports have widely reported that the case involved property belonging to Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden.
The diary was obtained by conservative group Project Veritas, which said it declined to publish it because it could not verify its authenticity. Another conservative group, National File, in October 2020 published what it said was a digital copy.
The FBI did not verify the diary’s contents in its announcement of the plea deal or in charging documents.
The FBI in late August announced a plea deal in a case involving the theft and sale of a handwritten journal belonging to an immediate family member of a politician.
Though the FBI did not name the politician or the property-owner, it’s been widely reported for months that the case involved Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden.
Some social media users took the FBI’s announcement as confirmation of salacious details allegedly contained in the diary.
"Joe Biden's daughter said that her dad showered with her inappropriately. The FBI confirmed it today," read a Sept. 9 Facebook post . "This is the sitting President of the United States. How is this not a huge story? My father molested me in the shower many times. Ashley Biden."
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook .)
We found more examples of this claim elsewhere .
It’s wrong. The FBI did not confirm that any alleged contents of the diary are true.
It announced that two Florida residents had pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property involving the theft of personal belongings of an immediate family member of a then-former government official who was a candidate for national political office."
Neither the announcement of the plea deal nor the charging documents name anyone other than defendants Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander.
Nor did either document make any mention about the diary’s contents.
It's part of the "but Trruuummmmppppp!" crying and complaining we've seen for the past 7 years. They have become so wrapped up with "getting him at all costs" common sense and critical thinking is thrown out.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA. Ashley biden wrote it in here Diary, the FBI wasn't tasked with verifing the contents, they were tasked with finding the diary, the FBI doesn't look for phony or false diaries of the presidents daughter. Saying they didn't verify that Joe raped Ashley is ridiculous deflection by the desperate.
JOE Raped Ashley in the shower, she wrote it in her diary at a the place she was staying, it has been confirmed that it was Ashleys room and her diary!
Deflect away from the pedophile rapist with your bullshit John, the truth is out there.
please post the passage from the diary where she says her father raped her
So Joe took inappropriate showers with his teen daughter because he is just creepy and nothing happened? That’s the defense you want to go with?
Since when is proof necessary?
You just said that Ashley Biden said her father raped her. Either post something with that in it or shut up.
Ashley said Joe took inappropriate showers with her, only an idiot thinks that is okay or nothing happened.
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I think how it is supposed to work is:
It's fine if we say whatever vile thing imaginable about Trump--without proof.
It isn't okay to criticize Biden for anything.
Trump was found "guilty" of sexually molesting a woman, in a court of law.
When Ashley Biden says her father raped her I will tend to believe it. She hasnt said that and supports her father to this day. She campaigned for him in 2020.
“You just said…”
…right on Q…
I dont. Provide evidence, not your interpretation of what you think happened.
Exactly, she attributes her hyper-sexuality at a young age to being molested but doesn’t name her molester. It’s a full two sentences later that she reflects that her showers with her Dad were probably inappropriate.
How dare you use logic and Ashley own words as evidence.
And you consider those sentences to be evidence that her dad raped her ? LOL.
In the diary she has a vague memory of being molested, by someone who she cannot remember. It sounds like a stream of consciousness a thousand times more than it sounds like something that could be used as evidence.
Guilty isn’t the same as liable, aren’t you the same person complaining about word usage and looking stupid?
he was found liable which is a different standard, but if you want to look like you don’t know what you are talking about go ahead and use guilty.
Did you notice I put "guilty" in quotation marks? I am well aware it was a civil court, so guilty is not a legal term that is used.
However, liable means the same as guilty in this context. That is called common sense.
It was a trial , evidence was presented , and he was found responsible for molesting her. Happy now?
Scoring points on trump isn't where i find happiness john. Trump probably raped her, or at the very least molested her, but it is hypocritical to whine about words meaning to others while you misuse them yourself.
Trump was found LIABLE. Not guilty. This was not a criminal court, it was a civil court. Two very different hearings.
You might want to keep that in mind next time you are passing fiction as fact.
Looks like the meaning of words do change, huh?
you said that Ashley Biden said her father raped her. Either you have some proof that she said that or you dont. Stop hemming and hawing.
Only for certain situations and by certain people. Most of the time those certain people just make themselves look foolish.
And you assume that I consider those sentences to be evidence that her dad raped her. LOL.
Agree. I don't know why she described herself as hyper-sexualized at a young age or why she was in treatment for sex addiction.
And you wrote that Trump was guilty of sexually molesting a woman.
I can't argue against that.
Sickening - is Ivanka one of them? and like Mr. Frost said - it is super fucking creepy that they all look A LOT like his daughter, I think.
Gee, I wonder what happened with him and all those young, young girls. Hmmmmmm
Not a trustworthy source, they're the English version of the National Enquirer.
Jim says it's fake. Mark Ruffalo used AI to create that photo
It's all bullshit John, they have absolutely nothing on Joe and they never will.
That's an outright lie.
He admitted it if some would open links and read.
Shoot the messenger without seeing the message. Good one! /S
He doesn't. He's lying.
I trust Mark Ruffalo. Not JJ or the daily telegraph
See 2.1.40
I don't really care what you say or think or what your opinion is.
It's Daily Mail and if you would read, Ruffalo fucking admitted it FFS.
The rest of this thread was removed for personal and taunting comments. Knock it off. Only warning.
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There is only one person running for president that was flying regularly on the lolita express.... Donald Trump.
Yup! And most likely molesting many young girls while there - and he probably got there on his own plane many times also.
Palm Beach to DC and DC to Puerto Rico. MEH............
Reality is, the documents don't reveal a damn thing.
We hear ya...
I see you can't prove me wrong. Have the day you deserve.
But you'll insist that Bill Clinton is a pedophile with the exact same evidence.. Unreal.
What a complete bullshit comment, Bill isn't listed flying with Hillary, Chelsea and their nanny, the fucking pedophile ditched the SS to fly on Epsteins plane.
Always defending the indefensible - meh
It seems rather obvious what is indefensible in this case. Perhaps some folks need a refresher on just what those words mean.
Nope, you defend the former 'president' a known sexual assaulter and rapist who is known to molest very very young girls.
Can you supply even one shred of evidence in support of that outrageous claim?
OMG... flight records from May of 1994 showing Trump on Epstein's plane for two flights. Impeach that MF!!!!
You will also notice that Marla was on those two flights.
Once a pedophile always a [pedophile..deleted]
You're right, also Tiffany and a nanny are also listed on both flights.
That why you vote for Biden?
You would lose your bet but keep beating that drum. You might get someone to bite.
I'm betting yes.
Already did, twice.. LOL
Maybe after the third time someone other than LWNJs will care.
That means absolutely nothing - I'm sure that didn't get in the way in his continued molestation of young girls, very, very young girls.
raping and victimizing very, very young girls.
Link please
So now you want to talk about Biden and Ashley and her friends?
I'm talking about the former 'president' trump - who is well known for sexually assaulting and raping very, very young girls, NOT PRESIDENT BIDEN.
Do you have now or have you ever had any credible evidence to support these outlandish, silly claims?
I bet she looked a lot like Ivanka also, the former 'president' trump wanted to be the first to rape and victimize this very, very young girl.
Can you provide any proof for this rather bizarre claim?
Makes you wonder why she kept going back to the parties and why her parents allowed her.
Exactly...................
Tessy, I couldn't reply at this comment.
I don't believe he raped young girls, but he was a womanizer. There's no doubt about that
I hit impasse by mistake TG and I'm attempting to fix that,
He is/was no doubt a womanizer - I just can't personally believe that he's so bad as the 'opposition' would have us believe.
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Do you have a link for that garbage ?
oh, of course not!
But surely you can see why someone would ask for proof for such scurrilous claims, right?
Stupid claims shouldn't go unchallenged.
See post 8.1.1