Newly released emails allege that Jeffrey Epstein claimed Donald Trump was aware of his sex crimes. In correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein reportedly stated that Trump "spent hours" at his home with one of his victims.
Further emails to author Michael Wolff include Epstein asking Wolff for advice on how to handle Trump discussing their friendship in a CNN interview, with Wolff suggesting Epstein could leverage Trump's potential denial of knowledge for his own benefit or to create a future debt. House Democrats released these emails, with Congressman Robert Garcia questioning what else the White House might be hiding regarding Epstein and the President's relationship.
These revelations are surfacing as House Democrats push for the release of additional Epstein investigation records, with a procedural tool called a discharge petition requiring 218 signatures to force a vote. There are allegations that the delay in swearing in a new representative is intended to prevent this petition from moving forward, a claim House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has supported, calling it a "pedophile protection program" by Republicans.