The Justice Department on Friday released 3 million more pages of documents along with thousands of videos and images from its Jeffrey Epstein files, as the Trump administration sought to bring an end to the accusations and speculation swirling around the case.
The documents posted online were the largest batch of Epstein files released by the department, and they arrived more than a month after a Dec. 19 deadline imposed by Congress. Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, said the release had included 2,000 videos and about 180,000 images.
The files included information about some of the powerful people who knew Epstein, including Bill Gates; Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary; and Steve Tisch, a co-owner of the New York Giants football team.
At a news conference, Blanche signaled that the documents would be the last major release of government files about Epstein, but he acknowledged they were unlikely to satisfy the public demand for information about the financier and convicted sex offender who was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Epstein鈥檚 death was ruled a suicide.
Some of the files released Friday indicated that Lutnick, the billionaire businessperson who is serving as President Donald Trump鈥檚 commerce secretary, once planned a trip to visit Epstein鈥檚 private island, Little St. James, off the coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The planned visit in 2012 came years after Lutnick has said he had cut ties with Epstein.
In December 2012, the files show, Lutnick sent an email to Epstein saying that he and a group of people 鈥� including his wife and children, and another family 鈥� were visiting the Caribbean. He asked where Epstein was and whether they could visit for a meal.
Epstein replied through an assistant, to give more information about the location of Little St. James. They eventually settled on plans for a lunch gathering. Reached by phone Friday, Lutnick said he could not comment about the planned island visit because he had not seen the latest Epstein documents.
鈥淚 spent zero time with him,鈥� Lutnick said. He then hung up.
The documents suggest that the visit did occur. The gathering was set for Dec. 23, 2012. A day later, an assistant to Epstein forwarded Lutnick a message from Epstein: 鈥淣ice seeing you,鈥� it said.
In a podcast interview last year, Lutnick claimed that around 2005, he and his wife had been so revolted by Epstein that they had decided not to associate with him again.
Epstein also drafted notes to and about Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, suggesting that he engaged in extramarital sex, according to emails that Epstein sent to himself in 2013. It is not clear if Epstein ever sent the emails to Gates.
A representative of Gates said: 鈥淭hese claims 鈥� from a proven, disgruntled liar 鈥� are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein鈥檚 frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.鈥�
Epstein wrote the messages about Gates not long after his attempt to broker a venture between Gates鈥� foundation and JPMorgan Chase fizzled out.
In one of Epstein鈥檚 emails, written in the style of a personal journal entry, he wrote that he had helped Gates acquire drugs 鈥渋n order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls鈥� and that he had facilitated trysts for Gates with married women. In another email, Epstein blasted Gates for choosing to 鈥渄isregard and discard our friendship developed鈥� over six years.
In a 2021 interview with CNN, Gates called his relationship with Epstein 鈥渁 huge mistake.鈥� His relationship with Epstein began around 2011, after Epstein had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, and was among the factors that led his wife at the time, Melinda French Gates, to seek a divorce.
The files appeared to contain at least 3,200 documents that mention Trump, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Some of those documents were uncorroborated tips to law enforcement and references to news articles about Trump.
Last summer, officials at the FBI assembled a summary of more than a dozen tips received by the agency involving Trump and Epstein, emails show.
It was unclear why the FBI assembled the summary, which includes claims of sexual abuse by Epstein and Trump. The emails did not include any corroborating evidence, and The New York Times is not describing details of the unverified claims.
A second summary in the emails released Friday suggested that investigators had followed up on at least some of the tips. Notes indicated that some of the tips lacked credibility and that some of the tipsters did not provide contact information for investigators.
In response to a request for comment, the White House referred to a statement from the Justice Department, which stated that the files released Friday 鈥渕ay include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos.鈥�
Another email released Friday, from 2002, was signed 鈥淟ove, Melania,鈥� and appeared to have been written to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein鈥檚 longtime companion and convicted co-conspirator. The email addresses of the sender and recipient on the email, dated Oct. 23, 2002, were redacted. The message began 鈥淒ear G!鈥� and the sender wrote: 鈥淣ice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture.鈥�
That week, New York magazine ran a story headlined 鈥淛effrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery.鈥�
It was not clear if the writer was Melania Trump. Representatives for Melania Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maxwell and Melania Trump were known to have socialized during that time.
Other emails indicate that Epstein connected Tisch, the chair and co-owner of the Giants, with multiple women, and the men discussed whether the women were 鈥減ro or civilian鈥� or a 鈥渨orking girl,鈥� according to The Athletic, the New York Times-owned sports news site.
Tisch, 76, did not immediately respond to calls, a text message, and an email message from The Athletic seeking comment. An estate manager at his home said he could not immediately reach Tisch at his office. A Giants spokesperson did not immediately comment when reached by phone.
In May 2013, Epstein emailed Tisch, writing: 鈥淚 can invite the (Russian) 鈥� to meet if you like.鈥�
鈥淚s she fun?鈥� Tisch emailed a minute later.
In June 2013, Tisch asked Epstein about a specific woman. Epstein responded: 鈥�(Tahitian) speaks mostly french exotic鈥�
鈥淲orking girl?鈥� Tisch wrote back.
鈥淣ever,鈥� Epstein emailed.
That same month, Tisch emailed Epstein, apparently making reference to a different woman that they had discussed earlier: 鈥淚s my present in NYC?鈥� Tisch asked. Epstein replied, 鈥淵es.鈥� Tisch followed up early the next morning, 鈥淐an I get my surprise to take me to lunch tomorrow?鈥�
In a different email, Epstein followed up with Tisch about one of the women, writing: 鈥渞eport just in, you did very well, she wants to go to the play, she is a little freaked by the age difference but go slow 鈥� i will try to convince her not to return to Ukraine. having her crying worked.鈥�
Tisch responded: 鈥淣ice report 鈥� Funny comment on crying!!!鈥�
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Blanche, in a letter to Congress, said the Justice Department had redacted or withheld about 200,000 pages of Epstein-related material 鈥渂ased on various privileges.鈥� Blanche said some of the files had contained personal, identifying information or medical information about Epstein鈥檚 victims, as well as child sexual abuse material and material that depicted death or violence.
Blanche said that the Justice Department had also redacted images of every woman in the files except for Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence on charges that she conspired with Epstein to sexually exploit underage girls.
The White House had no involvement in reviewing the Epstein documents, Blanche said. He also said there was no material in the files that would prompt additional prosecutions.
Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who wrote the law requiring release of the Epstein files, on Friday formally requested a meeting to review the unredacted files.
In a letter to Blanche, a copy of which was viewed by the Times, the lawmakers cited concerns 鈥渞egarding the scope and consistency of redactions.鈥�
鈥淐ongress cannot properly assess the department鈥檚 handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases without access to the complete record,鈥� the representatives wrote.
This article originally appeared in .
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