Freshly disclosed legal documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have cast new light on the former US president Donald Trump's connections to the convicted sex offender. The files, released by the US Department of Justice, contain multiple references to Trump's travels aboard Epstein's private aircraft in the 1990s.
Flight Log Details Revealed
The core of the new information comes from an email sent by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York on 7 January 2020. The communication, with the subject line "Epstein flight records", was intended for the "situational awareness" of its recipients.
It states that Donald Trump travelled on Epstein's private jet on at least eight occasions between 1993 and 1996. This figure is described as being "many more times than previously has been reported". The records indicate that on four of those flights, Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell was also present as a passenger.
Notable Passengers and a Puzzling Journey
According to the email, Trump's fellow travellers on various flights included his then-wife Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. However, two specific journeys detailed in the files have drawn particular scrutiny.
The first is a flight in 1993 where Trump and Epstein are listed as the only two passengers. The second, also from 1993, notes that the only three people on board were Epstein, Trump, and a then-20-year-old woman, whose name has been redacted from the public release. The documents offer no indication of whether this woman was a victim of any crime.
Furthermore, the email points out that on two other flights, passengers included women who would have been potential witnesses in a case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
Political Backlash and Ongoing Scrutiny
This document dump follows a similar release last week and forms part of the ongoing public examination of the Epstein case. The revelations come amid a complex political backdrop. While Trump vowed during his 2024 presidential campaign to release Epstein-related files, his administration later faced bipartisan criticism.
This summer, the Justice Department announced it would not release the files and stated it had found "no incriminating client list", contradicting earlier claims from former Attorney General Pam Bondi. This decision reignited scrutiny of the long-standing friendship between Trump and Epstein, which lasted approximately 15 years before the pair fell out in 2004.
Trump has consistently denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's criminal activities. The files also contain numerous references to Prince Andrew, highlighting the wide social circle of the disgraced financier. The latest disclosures ensure that the connections between powerful figures and Jeffrey Epstein remain firmly in the public eye.
