New Epstein Files Spark Political Clash in Washington

Published: 13 November 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online

US lawmakers have released more than 20,000 pages of documents from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a number of emails that reference President Donald Trump. The release has reignited political debate and renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive social network, which once included some of the most powerful figures in the world.

On Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee made public a small selection of emails exchanged between Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. They also published correspondence between Epstein and journalist Michael Wolff, known for his books about Trump.

Within hours, House Republicans countered by publishing a much larger batch of documents. They accused Democrats of “cherry-picking” evidence to fabricate a politically motivated narrative designed to damage the former president’s reputation. The White House echoed those claims, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Democrats had “selectively leaked” the material to sympathetic media outlets in an effort to “smear President Trump”.

“The fact remains that President Trump banned Jeffrey Epstein from his club decades ago for inappropriate behaviour towards female employees, including Virginia Giuffre,” Leavitt said.

Trump, who was known to have socialised with Epstein in the 1990s, has long maintained that their friendship ended in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein’s first arrest. He has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities.

The first of the newly released emails, dated 2011, shows Epstein writing to Maxwell: “I want you to realise that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him.” He adds that Trump “has never once been mentioned,” even by a “police chief.” Maxwell replies, “I have been thinking about that…”

The version made public by Democrats redacted the victim’s name, though an unredacted version later confirmed that it referred to “Virginia” — identified as Virginia Giuffre. According to the White House, Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, repeatedly stated that Trump was never involved in any wrongdoing and had always treated her kindly.

In a 2016 deposition, Giuffre also testified that she had never witnessed Trump engaging in any abuse. Her recently published memoir did not contain any allegations against him.

Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, defended the redaction, saying the party would never release a victim’s name against the wishes of their family.

Further emails between Epstein and Michael Wolff shed light on Epstein’s attempts to manage public relations around his connection to Trump during the businessman’s first presidential campaign. In a 2015 message, Wolff informed Epstein that CNN was planning to ask Trump about their relationship, either on air or in an informal setting.

Epstein responded by asking: “If we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?” Wolff replied that Epstein should let Trump “hang himself,” adding, “If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that benefits you — or, if it looks like he could win, you can save him, creating a debt.”

Wolff went on to suggest that Trump might instead defend Epstein, writing: “Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”

Another email from October 2016, just days before the presidential election, shows Wolff offering Epstein a chance to go public in a way that could politically damage Trump. “There’s an opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him. Interested?” Wolff wrote.

A third exchange, dated January 2019 during Trump’s presidency, includes Epstein writing to Wolff that “Trump said he asked me to resign,” apparently referring to his supposed membership at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Epstein insisted that he had “never been a member ever,” before adding that Trump “of course knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”

In response to the publication of these emails, Wolff acknowledged on Instagram that they were genuine. “Some of those emails are between Epstein and me, with Epstein discussing his relationship with Donald Trump,” he said, adding, “I have been trying to talk about this story for a very long time.”

The document release also includes correspondence involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew. One 2011 email, forwarded by Maxwell to Epstein, relates to allegations involving a masseuse connected to Epstein’s network. Andrew replied: “Hey there! What’s all this? I don’t know anything about this! You must SAY so please. This has NOTHING to do with me. I can’t take any more of this.”

The email chain shows that Maxwell had forwarded a “right of reply” message from the Mail on Sunday, which had approached Epstein and Maxwell for comment on allegations that the Duke of York had been introduced to a woman by Epstein in 2001 at Maxwell’s London home, where sexual activity allegedly occurred.

Just two days later, on 6 March 2011, the Mail on Sunday published a story including a now-famous photograph of Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre. The Duke has always denied any wrongdoing and has never faced criminal charges.

The latest release of Epstein’s correspondence appears to raise more questions than it answers. Although the emails mention Trump by name, none provide evidence of illegal conduct by the former president. The White House and Trump’s allies insist the correspondence is being taken out of context to reignite political controversy.

For Democrats, the emails provide another window into Epstein’s vast network of influence and the ease with which he mingled with the rich and powerful. For Republicans, the timing and selective release of certain messages are being framed as an attempt to damage Trump ahead of the upcoming election cycle.

With both parties using the documents to bolster their political narratives, the controversy surrounding Epstein continues to haunt Washington — and to cast a long shadow over figures who once shared his social circle.