Good afternoon. An important mid-day update: I’ve now worked through tens of thousands of documents, and while the pace is deliberate, that’s because this work demands precision. What’s emerging matters, and it needs to be done right.
I’ll be back this evening around 7 p.m. EST with another update, including an interview with a survivor and Congressman Robert Garcia. I’ll also be sharing new findings tonight and throughout the weekend as I continue to analyze, cross-check, and verify what’s in these files.
Here’s the news:
Epstein Files Update:
- Just to show you how bad the DOJ is violating the law, this is a screenshot from the FBI 302 interview with Epstein survivor Danielle Hannah Bensky. Her name is not redacted. That is a clear violation of the law. I spoke with her and she gave me permission to share this with you.
- This document appears to be a screenshot of an affidavit signed, under the penalty of perjury, by "Tiffany Doe" noting that she "personally witnessed Defendant Trump telling the Plaintiff that she shouldn't ever say anything if she didn't want to disappear like the 12-year-old female . . ." Full document here.
- A newly released 2007 draft memo shows federal prosecutors had detailed evidence and sought a 60-count indictment against Jeffrey Epstein as a high flight risk and danger to minors, but the case was never pursued after a controversial plea deal instead limited him to minor state charges. Full memo in support of the prosecution can be found here.
- An FBI tip asserts that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein sexually exploited a young girl. It is unclear if this was ever investigated:
- Newly released Justice Department files show that in a 2013 email, Richard Branson joked to Jeffrey Epstein about “bringing his harem” and offered public-relations advice years after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting a minor, a correspondence Branson now downplays as limited contact and says would not have occurred had he known the full extent of Epstein’s crimes.
- This appears to be an image of Brett Ratner, Jeffrey Epstein, and two girls. Ratner has been in the headlines recently as he produced Melania Trump’s new movie:
- A very disturbing and bizarre video of Epstein appearing to chase young girls around a kitchen surfaced in these files:
- Three weeks after Trump was elected in 2016, Jeffrey Epstein emails Larry Summers "do you have any suggestions for Treasury?"
- Justice Department emails show federal prosecutors were actively investigating sexual assault allegations against former Apollo Capital chairman Leon Black and had at least one cooperating witness, indicating the inquiry went further than previously known.
- Newly released Justice Department emails show that Jeffrey Epstein arranged two business meetings in 2011 with Todd Boehly, now owner of Chelsea and part-owner of the Dodgers and Lakers, nearly three years after Epstein’s first jail term, with no indication the interactions involved anything beyond business and no allegation of misconduct by Boehly.
- Members of Congress are making clear that this files drop is incomplete as there are more Epstein files that have yet to be released:
- Newly released Justice Department emails reveal that Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris had years of business-related email and phone contact with Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, including plans for meetings at Epstein’s Manhattan home, with no evidence of sexual misconduct by Harris but new details about the scope and persistence of their professional interactions.
Other news:
- According to the New York Times, Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol commander and public face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns, allegedly mocked the Orthodox Jewish faith of Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen during a January call with prosecutors—remarks that unsettled Justice Department lawyers and raised potential disclosure obligations under Supreme Court precedent.
- A federal judge ordered the release of an Ecuadorian father and his 5-year-old son, Liam Ramos, from a Texas immigration detention, sharply criticizing the Trump administration for policies he said risk “traumatizing children” while their case proceeds.
- According to the Associated Press, hospital staff and medical experts strongly disputed ICE’s claim that detained immigrant Alberto Castañeda Mondragón shattered his skull by running into a wall, saying his multiple skull fractures and brain hemorrhages were inconsistent with that account, as the case intensified tensions between Minneapolis health care workers and immigration agents accused of aggressive, intimidating conduct during Minnesota’s crackdown; a federal judge later ordered his release from ICE custody.
- A federal judge allowed ICE’s Operation Metro Surge to continue in Minnesota, rejecting the state’s bid to temporarily block the crackdown despite acknowledging severe and “heartbreaking” disruptions to daily life, including evidence of racial profiling, excessive force and economic harm, while a broader constitutional challenge proceeds.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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