E-mails show relationship between Donald Trump and millionaire accused of sexual abuse The controversy surrounding the case of convicted sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein gained a new episode this Wednesday (12), after the release of e-mails in which he quotes the President of the United States, Donald Trump. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp ▶️ Context: The United States Congress published files with messages that suggest that Trump was aware of Epstein’s conduct and that, on one occasion, the current president “spent hours” at the billionaire’s house with one of the victims. Jeffrey Epstein was an American businessman known for his wide network of contacts with politicians, celebrities and executives. He was accused of abusing more than 250 underage girls and operating a sexual exploitation ring. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and, according to US authorities, he took his own life a month later, inside his cell. It is public knowledge that Trump and Epstein were friends in the 1990s and 2000s. The current president was never investigated in the case and claims to have distanced himself from the billionaire as soon as the accusations emerged. During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised more than once that, if he returned to the White House, he would make secret files on the investigations public. After the inauguration, however, the discourse changed. In July, Trump called an alleged list of Epstein’s clients a “hoax” and “nonsense,” accusing the “radical left” of fueling rumors. The change in tone has frustrated the president’s supporters, many of whom have spread conspiracy theories about the case. The movement increased political pressure from the opposition and some members of Trump’s party for all investigation documents to be made public. This Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies gathered enough signatures to vote on a motion that forces the government to disclose all investigation documents. The initiative even has the support of Republicans. According to the American press, even if the motion is approved in the Chamber, it must be blocked in the Senate. Still, if it were approved in both houses, Trump could veto the proposal — which would represent political strain for the president. In this report, you will understand: Epstein’s abuse accusations How the investigation, arrest and death of Epstein went What Trump has to do with the case What the new emails say The impact of the case on the Trump government 1. Epstein and the abuse accusations US judge bans publication of secret files on Jeffrey Epstein, businessman accused of sexual crimes and friend of Trump Reproduction/TV Globo Epstein spent time with Wall Street millionaires, members of royalty and celebrities before pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of minors. According to the accusation, the billionaire paid girls to come to his properties and perform sexual acts. Minors were also hired to recruit other girls for the same purpose. Dozens of women have accused Epstein of forcing them to provide sexual services to him and his guests on a private island in the Caribbean and at homes he owned in New York, Florida and New Mexico. According to the United States government, the billionaire sexually exploited more than 250 underage girls. Back to top. 2. How was the Epstein investigation and arrest? Jeffrey Epstein, arrested for sexual crimes, in a photograph taken by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS Epstein was first investigated in 2005, after police in Palm Beach, Florida, received reports of sexual abuse against underage girls. At the time, he claimed the encounters were consensual and that he believed the victims were 18 years old. According to the indictment, the billionaire abused minors or recruited girls for sexual acts between 2002 and 2005. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to the crime of exploiting minors and made an agreement to serve 13 months in prison and pay compensation to the victims. In February 2019, a Florida district judge ruled that the agreement was illegal. In July of the same year, Epstein was arrested again, accused of abusing minors and operating a sexual exploitation network. Federal prosecutors asked that the billionaire remain detained until trial, claiming that his “exorbitant wealth”, ownership of private planes and international ties could facilitate an escape. Epstein was found dead in prison in August 2019. An autopsy concluded that he took his own life. Two days before he died, the billionaire had signed a will leaving assets valued at more than US$577 million. After the businessman’s death, the charges against him were dropped. However, prosecutors said that other people could be prosecuted for their involvement in the scheme, and lawyers for the victims promised to seek compensation in court. Back to top. 3. What does Trump have to do with Epstein Messages reveal details of the relationship between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sexual exploitation Reproduction/TV Globo It is public knowledge that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were friends until the 2000s. The current president claims to have distanced himself from the billionaire when allegations of sexual abuse came to light. 👉 Throughout the investigations, there was never any evidence that Trump was involved in crimes linked to Epstein. Documents revealed in February by the Justice Department show Trump’s name on flight records associated with the billionaire. On two of these trips, carried out in May 1994, the president appears alongside other people, such as Marla Maples, his ex-wife, and Tiffany, the couple’s daughter. The records also include the initials “JE”, which, according to the American press, would be those of Jeffrey Epstein. The files do not indicate any wrongdoing on Trump’s part. In August, Democratic deputies released an alleged letter that had been sent by Trump to Epstein, with a drawing of a naked woman. The content of the message had first been revealed by the Wall Street Journal a month earlier. According to the newspaper, the correspondence was part of a commemorative album produced by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s partner, to celebrate the billionaire’s 50th birthday. The letter was reportedly sent in 2003, years before Epstein’s arrest. The document features a typed message inside the hand-drawn silhouette of a nude woman. The signature “Donald” appears below the figure’s waist. The text ends with the phrase: “Happy birthday — and may each day be another wonderful secret.” After the letter was released, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt classified the document as fake and stated that “it is very clear that President Trump did not draw the image or sign it.” Back to top. 4. What the new emails say Copy of email in which Jeffrey Epstein says that Donald Trump ‘knew about the girls’, in a possible reference to the sexual exploitation network. Disclosure/ Democrats on the US Congressional Oversight Committee According to Democratic deputies, the messages released this Wednesday raise new doubts about the relationship between Trump and Epstein. The New York Times stated that the president may have more knowledge of Epstein’s conduct than he has publicly admitted. In one of the emails released, from January 2019, the billionaire wrote that Trump “knew about the girls”. In the same text, the name of a victim appears — which was censored — and the mention of Mar-a-Lago, the president’s resort in Florida. In another message, sent in April 2018, Epstein wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell about Trump. “I want you to realize that the dog that didn’t bark is Trump,” he said. He then added that one of the victims “spent hours at my house with him… and he was never mentioned once.” Another file shows Epstein reflecting on how he should respond to questions from the press about his relationship with Trump, who at the time was beginning to gain prominence as a national political figure. On a social network, Trump stated that the controversy surrounding the emails is a “trap” created by the Democrats. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the files show the president “did nothing wrong” and accused Democrats of releasing the emails “to smear Trump.” Back to top. 5. The impact of the case on the government President Donald Trump Allison Robbert/AFP The release of the emails reignited pressure on the Trump administration to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. During the 2024 campaign, the president promised more than once that, if he returned to the White House, he would make secret files on investigations public. In an interview, he even said it was “very strange” that a list of Epstein’s clients had never been released. “It’s very interesting, isn’t it?”, he said. Trump also assured that he would have “no problem” revealing the names. 👉 The so-called “Epstein List” would be a supposed document with the names of people involved in the sex scandal. In February this year, the government released a series of files on the case. Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, even said that a list of Epstein’s clients was on her “desk to be reviewed.” Later, however, the Department of Justice stated that it had found no evidence of the existence of this relationship. The statement frustrated Trump supporters, many of whom spread conspiracy theories about the case — some driven by the president himself. Since then, Trump has started to minimize the issue and even called anyone who still cared about the issue an “idiot”. On the other hand, according to the Wall Street Journal, the president was warned in May by the Department of Justice that his name appeared in Epstein’s documents. The White House classified the newspaper’s report as “fake news”. Back to top. VIDEOS: trending on g1 See videos that are trending on g1
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Epstein’s emails: understand the allegations, how Trump was associated with the scandal and the impact on the government
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