The TOI correspondent from Washington: The email tranche in the newly disclosed govt files on Jeffrey Epstein, released by the US justice department on Friday, appear to have been drafted for his own records or potentially on behalf of third parties; they are not corroborated by independent evidence.
References to President Trump appear hundreds of times across emails, FBI memoranda and media clippings included in the release. A 2025 FBI email chain summarises over a dozen anonymous tips accusing Trump of sexual abuse connected to Epstein, with sordid parties and activities too graphic to describe. Trump has long denied any involvement in Epstein’s abuses and has said his social ties with the latter ended in the mid-2000s after a falling out.
The document dump also has brief references to India, including Epstein’s claims that PM Modi “danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US President”. The Indian govt dismissed the claims as “trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt”. There are some sketchy exchanges between Epstein and Anil Ambani, and the mention of filmmaker Mira Nair attending a 2009 social event, with no wrongdoing alleged.
Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein multiple times in 2010s to discuss philanthropy, a decision he has since said he regrets, but has consistently denied any illicit behaviour or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The material, made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump, constitutes the largest tranche of records connected to the case. The documents do not announce new criminal charges or identify a definitive “client list”, but they provide a granular look at Epstein’s efforts to cultivate, document, and sometimes exaggerate relationships with elite figures, often in ways that appear designed to increase his own leverage.
The lurid nature of some of the claims in the documents was revolting enough for California Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna, whose bill co-authored with anti-Trump Republican lawmaker forced the justice department to release the latest trove, to say he was “absolutely sickened by the many rich, powerful and famous men whose names are being outed in these files as having gone to Epstein’s island”.
“@RepThomasMassie & I always said this would be a moral reckoning for our nation. Looks like that reckoning begins today,” Khanna said.
But there was little sign of any moral reckoning as Washington went into the weekend with other developments – from Minneapolis protests to the new Fed Chair – dominating the headlines. The justice department emphasised that investigators assessed many of Epstein claims as unverified, sensational or politically motivated. None resulted in charges or findings of wrongdoing against Trump, Gates, or others. In an accompanying statement, the department described the tips as “untrue and sensationalist”, saying they lacked credibility.
Trump’s political allies have framed the disclosures as evidence of transparency rather than wrongdoing, while critics say the volume of references ensures Epstein will remain a complicating factor in Trump’s second term.
Emails from 2012 and 2013 show Musk corresponding with Epstein about potential visits to Little Saint James, including questions about helicopter logistics and the timing of a “wildest party”. It remains unclear whether any visit occurred, and the files do not accuse Musk of criminal behaviour. Responding on X, Musk said he had “very little correspondence” with Epstein, declined repeated invitations, and warned that the emails could be “misinterpreted” to smear him. “What matters is not release of some subset of the Epstein files, but rather the prosecution of those who committed heinous crimes with Epstein. When there is at least one arrest, some justice will have been done. If not, this is all performative. Nothing but a distraction,” he wrote.
For US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, the documents appear to complicate earlier public statements that he severed ties with Epstein around 2005. Emails indicate that in 2012 Lutnick planned a lunch with Epstein on the island involving his family.
The political impact of the release has been immediate and polarised. Supporters of those named in the files argue that the documents demonstrate how Epstein inflated or fabricated relationships to enhance his own influence, while critics say the material underscores the depth of his access to elite circles and warrants further investigation.
Democrats have seized on the timing and handling of the disclosure, noting that it came more than a month after a congressional deadline. Some have accused the administration of selective redactions or delays, particularly given references to Trump and Lutnick within the files.
Victim advocates have raised separate concerns, criticizing the justice department for failing in some cases to fully redact survivor names, potentially retraumatising those involved, despite assurances that protections were in place.
The files confirm Epstein’s wide-ranging network but they do not conclusively identify criminal accomplices. Extensive redactions, justified by the govt on grounds such as privacy and national security, have fuelled speculation about what remains hidden.
