A January 2020 email from a federal prosecutor in New York to an undisclosed recipient revealed that flight logs show former President Donald Trump flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet at least eight times in the 1990s, including one trip with an unnamed 20-year-old woman.
The Email and Its Content
The email, part of the Department of Justice’s third release of the Epstein files, states: “For your situational awareness, wanted to let you know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump traveled 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 [Ghislaine] Maxwell case.” The sender and recipient names were redacted.
Trump, who was serving his first term as president at the time, is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996. Four of those flights also had Maxwell aboard. Other passengers named include Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. One 1993 flight lists only Trump and Epstein as passengers. Another flight lists Trump, Epstein, and a then-20-year-old unnamed individual. Two flights list women who could later serve as witnesses in a Maxwell case.
The email does not accuse Trump of wrongdoing; it merely reports the flight log entries.
DOJ’s Statement on the Release
The Justice Department, legally required to release the files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, acknowledged that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” made against President Trump. In a post on X, the department said: “The Department of Justice has officially released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. 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 added that the DOJ is releasing the documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.
Congressional Response
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, announced on Monday that he would introduce a resolution directing the Senate to “initiate legal action against the DOJ” for releasing only a fraction of its records. Schumer noted that the DOJ had released less than 10,000 of the hundreds of thousands of documents promised by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full so Americans can see the truth,” Schumer wrote on X. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence – that breaks the law.”
The initial records released by the DOJ contained only passing references to Trump and numerous pictures of former President Bill Clinton, who had flown on Epstein’s plane for Clinton Foundation trips in the early 2000s. The pictures showed Clinton in a hot tub, swimming with Maxwell, and standing with a woman on his leg. Trump has asked the DOJ to investigate Clinton’s ties to Epstein, and Clinton has denied any wrongdoing. A Clinton spokesman called on Trump to direct the release of all pictures and references to him in the files.
During a press briefing, Trump suggested the photos should not have been released and said he would probably appear in some as well. “I like Bill Clinton. I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. Been nice to him. He’s been nice to me. We’ve always gotten along,” Trump said. He added that many people were angry that pictures of unrelated individuals were being released. “So a lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they’re in a picture. They’re in a picture with him because he was in a party, and you ruin a reputation of somebody. So a lot of people are very angry that this continues,” he said.
The 2024 Law and Its Implications
Congress passed a bill last month, which Trump signed into law on November 19, granting Attorney General Pam Bondi 30 days to make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice involving Epstein. The law allows for some redactions and exceptions to protect victims’ identities.
A group of Epstein survivors posted a letter on Instagram on Monday urging lawmakers to intervene. “The public received a fraction of the files, and what we received was riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation. At the same time, numerous victim identities were left unredacted, causing real and immediate harm,” the statement read. The letter said the DOJ “violated the law” and urged immediate congressional oversight, including hearings, formal demands for compliance, and legal action to ensure the Department of Justice fulfills its legal obligations.
Key Takeaways
- An email from 2020 reveals Trump flew on Epstein’s jet at least eight times in the 1990s.
- The DOJ released nearly 30,000 new pages of documents, some containing untrue claims about Trump.
- Senator Chuck Schumer is pushing for full disclosure and potential legal action against the DOJ.
- The new law signed by Trump requires the DOJ to release all unclassified Epstein-related records within 30 days.
- Epstein survivors demand congressional oversight and a complete, unredacted release of the files.
The latest release underscores the ongoing debate over transparency, the handling of the Epstein case, and the extent to which former officials may have been involved in or aware of the financier’s activities. The DOJ’s compliance with the new law and the Senate’s response will shape the next phase of the public’s access to these documents.
Closing
The Justice Department’s continued release of Epstein documents has reignited scrutiny over the extent of former President Trump’s connections to the financier, the adequacy of the DOJ’s disclosure, and the legal responsibilities of the federal government to provide a complete record. As congressional hearings and potential legal actions unfold, the public will closely watch how the Department of Justice navigates the balance between transparency and the protection of victims’ identities.
