Good afternoon, everyone. Over the past several hours, I’ve been methodically reviewing thousands of newly released Epstein-related documents—and I’ll be continuing this work late into the night. I’m issuing this interim update because several significant records have already surfaced that directly reference Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and other powerful figures, and they warrant immediate attention.
I also caught Howard Lutnick, the current Commerce Secretary, in a major lie.
I’ll be sharing additional findings tonight and throughout the weekend as I continue to analyze and verify what’s in these files. If you’re able, please consider subscribing to support this work and help keep me caffeinated and focused—this level of scrutiny takes time, resources, and stamina. I can’t do this alone, and your support makes this reporting possible.
Here’s my update:
- The Justice Department released a massive new tranche of long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein records—more than 3.5 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images—over a month after an initial release of 3,500 files, missing a statutory December deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act; officials said the materials include large volumes of commercial pornography and some images apparently taken by Epstein or people around him, with portions marked or redacted as child sex abuse material, and the release comes amid intense political pressure.
- At the same time, the redactions have been a complete mess. I have confirmed through my review already that multiple survivors have their names unredacted in the new batch of files. In addition, Jane Doe survivors who I have spoken to and know their names privately have had their names outed by the Justice Department publicly during this release.
- One of the files released today outlines a list of complaints and accusations made by individuals against President Donald Trump. This file was posted this morning, deleted by the Department of Justice for several hours, and is now back online. This file contains a list of tips the FBI received. What’s unclear is if the FBI followed up on any of these tips. The allegations are horrific:
- Page Two:
- Page 3
- Documents released by the Justice Department include a diagram mapping Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle, showing that federal authorities had examined a broad network of close associates and employees—such as his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell; lawyer Darren Indyke; accountant Richard Kahn; financial adviser Harry Beller; longtime assistant Lesley Groff; and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who later died by suicide in a French jail—yet of all those depicted or referenced, only Maxwell was ever charged with sex trafficking.
- In a March 2016 exchange, Jeffrey Epstein sought legal advice from Kathy Ruemmler about an allegation by a girl who claimed she had sex with Donald Trump while underage; the context notes that Epstein and Ruemmler reportedly used the nickname “MacGyver” for Trump—suggesting he could escape legal trouble—and the timing is could be interpreted to potentially referring to the Katie Johnson lawsuit filed in April 2016, though the allegations have not yet been adjudicated.
- Emails released further show that in December 2015, Kathy Ruemmler—then a senior lawyer at Latham & Watkins and a former White House counsel under Barack Obama—warmly praised Jeffrey Epstein (“wonderful Jeffrey,” “I adore him”) while a redacted intermediary appeared to arrange and pay for her first-class travel to Europe on Epstein’s credit card; the correspondence, along with calendars and unsealed records showing repeated contacts and legal advice on media strategy and the 2008 non-prosecution agreement
- Jeffrey Epstein and Elon Musk discussing when it would be a good time for Elon Musk to visit Epstein’s island:
- Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick—formerly CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and a longtime neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein on Manhattan’s Upper East Side—said that a 2005 visit to Epstein’s townhouse, where Epstein showed him and his wife a “massage room,” so disgusted them that they vowed never to be alone with him again, yet a newly released 2015 email shows Lutnick inviting Epstein (via Epstein’s longtime assistant) to a Democratic fundraiser Lutnick hosted for Hillary Clinton; it is unclear whether Epstein attended, and the U.S. Department of Commerce did not immediately comment.
- Documents released by the Justice Department show that Howard Lutnick—now President Trump’s commerce secretary—planned and likely carried out a 2012 lunch visit with his family to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, despite later public claims that he had cut off all ties with Epstein years earlier.
- The name of Donald Trump’s selection to lead the Federal Reserve appears in the new Epstein Files.
- An email as recently as 2012 shows Jeffrey Epstein trying to go to Mar a Lago, despite Trump’s prior claims that he kicked Epstein out:
- More communications between Bannon and Epstein:
- An email from 2002 shows someone who appears to be Melania Trump speaking with Ghislaine Maxwell:
More to come soon.
— Aaron
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