House Oversight releases Epstein documents, birthday book

The House Oversight Committee on Monday released more files from the estate of wealthy hedge fund manager and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These included scans of a book compiled for his 50th birthday in 2003, which included letters from friends and family along with memorabilia. The book contained supposed birthday letters to Epstein attributed to both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. The House committee subpoenaed the documents in August.

What’s in the book? Trump has denied that he wrote the letter, which was surrounded by a crude drawing of a nude woman’s silhouette. Clinton’s supposed letter appears to mention Epstein’s “childlike curiosity and the drive to make a difference.” Clinton had not commented on the book release via social media, his foundation, or library by Tuesday morning.

What has been the response to the release? White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday reiterated that Trump did not draw the picture or sign the typed letter. Trump’s legal team would continue to aggressively pursue litigation, she said, appearing to refer to the president’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal for claiming he wrote the letter. White House staffer Taylor Budowich also shared photos of Trump’s signature and said the one on the letter didn’t match.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the Oversight Committee shared the letter on social media, asking what the president was hiding. They called for a full release of all files from Epstein’s estate. They also posted another page from the book that included a joke about selling a woman to Trump.

How did we get here? The committee released the files as part of an ongoing investigation into whether Epstein trafficked underage girls to powerful figures—and whether the federal government mishandled its prosecution of him. He was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, but died in prison before prosecution concluded. The FBI ruled his death a suicide.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report on a bill Congress is considering that would mandate the release of more Epstein-related information.