Jeffrey Epstein seemingly suggested he could provide Russia with insight into then-President Donald Trump during Trump’s first term, according to emails released by House Republicans.
In a newly disclosed message from Wednesday, Nov. 12, Epstein — who died in prison in 2019 — implied that he had spoken with Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, before Churkin died in 2017. “Churkin was great,” Epstein wrote, according to Politico. “He understood trump after our conversations. it is not complex. he must be seen to get something its that simple.”
Politico also reported that Epstein appeared to have attempted to secure discussions with Russia’s longtime foreign minister ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018.
Roughly one month before that summit, Epstein emailed former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland, who was serving as secretary general of the Council of Europe at the time. “I think you might suggest to putin that lavrov can get insight on talking to me,” he wrote on June 24, 2018. Politico noted that the reference was likely to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Jagland reportedly responded that he was meeting with Lavrov’s assistant the next day and would raise the idea. Politico reported that it remains unclear whether any further contact ever occurred.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/donald-trump-putin-tout-100824-e331c240bf934d9ca2abcad167f957ad.jpg)
Following Trump’s July 16, 2018 meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Epstein replied to an email from former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who had described the summit as “appalling.” Epstein wrote, “Im sure his view is that it went super well. he thinks he has charmed his adversary.. Admittedly he has no idea of the symbolism. He has no idea of most things.”
A White House spokesperson responded on Wednesday, asserting that “These emails prove literally nothing.”
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released additional emails the same day, which appeared to reference Epstein’s interactions and knowledge related to Trump. In an April 2, 2011 message to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein wrote, “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump. [Redacted victim’s name] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned.”
Another email to Trump biographer Michael Wolff, dated Jan. 31, 2019, read: “[Redacted victim’s name] mara lago,” followed by additional redactions. “Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. . of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the release of the messages, stating, “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”
She added that the “unnamed victim” referenced was Virginia Giuffre, who she said had publicly stated Trump “was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever” and was friendly during their limited interactions.
Leavitt said Trump had expelled Epstein from his club “decades ago for being a creep to his female employees” and argued that the stories were intended “to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments,” calling the attention “a hoax” and a diversion.
