(NEW YORK) — Among the more than 20,000 Epstein documents released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday are several email exchanges disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had in 2015 and 2016 with friends, attorneys and reporters about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
In some instances, Epstein offers suggestions to reporters about leads they might pursue.
One notable example is an email conversation between Epstein and then-New York Times reporter Landon Thomas, Jr. in December 2015.
Thomas initiated the exchange on Dec. 8, 2015, with an email to Epstein referring to a 2002 New York magazine article Thomas had written, in which Trump was quoted calling Epstein a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
“Now everyone is coming to me thinking I have juicy info on you and Trump. Because of this,” the reporter wrote, referring to that article.
Epstein then replied to Thomas in a series of emails over the next two hours — in his typical error-ridden style — first suggesting that Thomas look into Trump’s finances before pivoting to more personal subjects.
In one email, Epstein writes: “would you like photso [sic] of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen.” Thomas replied, “Yes!!”
It’s unclear whether Epstein possessed such photos or if he ever sent the reporter any photos.
In another email, Epstein suggested that reporters “ask my houseman about donad [sic] almost walking through the door leaving his nose print on the glass as young women were swimming in the pool and he was so focused he walked straight into the door.”
ABC News has reached out to the White House about Epstein’s claims in the email exchange with the New York Times reporter.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight and Government Committee released the thousands of pages of new Epstein documents on Wednesday after House Democrats released three emails in which Epstein discussed Trump.
The documents were obtained after the committee subpoenaed the Epstein Estate over the summer.
The White House accused Democrats on the committee of releasing “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative” about President Trump,” including one in which Epstein wrote that Trump “spent hours at my house” with someone the Democrats alleged was a victim.
“These emails prove absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
In Epstein’s exchanges with Thomas, the New York Times reporter, Epstein sent a link to a feature story about a woman that Epstein claimed had been his girlfriend who later dated Trump.
“my 20 year old girlfriend in 93 ,, that after two years I gave to donald,” Epstein wrote.
During Trump’s first campaign for the presidency, Epstein was also in frequent contact with author Michael Wolff, who was working on a book about Trump.
In many messages, Wolff appeared to be encouraging Epstein to speak publicly about his previous relationship with the candidate, noting that many reporters and his political rivals were investigating the issue.
“NYT called me about you and Trump,” Wolff told Epstein in February 2016. “Also, Hillary campaign digging deeply, Again, you should consider preempting.”
In October 2016, after the “Access Hollywood” tapes had been made public and just days before the presidential election, Wolff sent Epstein another message, with “Now could be the time” in the subject line.
“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?”
It’s unclear if Epstein responded to that message.
Other emails include exchanges Epstein had during Trump’s first term in office.
A few days after Trump’s first inauguration, on Feb. 8, 2017, Epstein, in conversation with Larry Summers, who was the treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and former president of Harvard University said, “Recall ive told you,, — i have met some very bad people ,, none as bad as trump. not one decent cell in his body.. so yes- dangerous.”
In August 2018, Kathryn Ruemmler, who previously served as White House counsel during part of President Barack Obama’s administration, emailed Epstein a link to an opinion piece published by The New York Times that made the case for Trump’s impeachment, following the guilty pleas of Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.
“you see , i know how dirty donald is,” Epstein wrote to Ruemmler. “my guess is that non lawyers ny biz people have no idea. what it means to have your fixer flip.”
In a Dec. 3, 2018 exchange over iMessage, someone whose name is redacted wrote to Epstein, “It will all blow over! They’re really just trying to take down Trump and doing whatever they can to do that…!”
The context of this message is unclear.
“yes thx,” Epstein responded. “its wild. because i am the one able to take him down.”
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