Here's what happened today
• The Justice Department dropped more files related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
• President Donald Trump’s name appeared in the latest file drop. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein, and the DOJ said some of the materials include “untrue and sensationalist” claims about the president.
• The documents also include a series of emails showing correspondence between Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted accomplice, and a person with the alias “A” that appears to be connected to the British royal family.
• Meanwhile, the DOJ has asked career prosecutors in Florida to volunteer over the “next several days” to help to redact the files. It raises the possibility of more documents being released over the coming days, including the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Editor’s Note: This story contains some graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence.
Our live coverage of the latest release of DOJ files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has concluded for the day. Please scroll through the posts below to learn about today’s developments.
Key takeaways from the release of tens of thousands more DOJ documents related to Epstein
The Justice Department has released a new batch of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Here are some takeaways from the latest files:
- Evidence of pursuit of “co-conspirators”: The latest documents include evidence that prosecutors sought to investigate and potentially charge more people. A series of apparent FBI emails from July 2019 cite “10 co-conspirators.” The documents also cite — but don’t appear to actually include — memos after Epstein’s August 2019 death outlining co-conspirators that could be charged. To date, only Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend, have been charged.
- Trump in the investigations: There is a 2021 subpoena from the Maxwell case to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club seeking “any and all employment records relating to” a redacted individual. While it’s not clear who the individual is, we’ve known that one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, formerly worked at Mar-a-Lago. There is a 2020 email from an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York noting Trump flew on Epstein’s plane eight times. Trump has never been accused by law enforcement of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes, and he has denied any wrongdoing.
- DOJ says one letter is “fake”: Included in the documents is a letter — which the Justice Department now says is “FAKE” — signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to another infamous convicted sex offender, disgraced ex-USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. “We shared one thing … our love and caring for young ladies and the hope they’d reach their full potential,” the letter says. “Our President also shares our love of young, nubile girls.”
- Questionable actions from the DOJ: The department’s initial statement today reads as if it’s from Trump’s personal lawyer — i.e. its reference to how this information, if credible, “certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump” – rather than a neutral handler of this information. The DOJ’s questionable handling of the files has also been underscored by the curious and heavy-handed redactions that go beyond the limits of the law Congress passed last month.
Deputy AG Todd Blanche describes handwritten letter released today as "clearly fake"
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday echoed the Justice Department’s statement, declaring the handwritten letter released earlier today by the DOJ that was signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar is “clearly FAKE.”
Blanche urged the public to “separate fact from fiction,” following the trove of additional documents released by the DOJ early Tuesday morning.
The department had said earlier it was assessing the validity of the letter because other details called into question whether it had actually been written and sent by Epstein. Hours after the document was released, the DOJ said the letter was fake.
Some context: The DOJ’s statement on X noted that the letter was postmarked not in New York, where Epstein was imprisoned, but in Virginia, and the return address was for a jail different than the one holding Epstein. The envelope was processed three days after Epstein’s suicide. The Justice Department also asserted that the handwriting on the letter does not appear to match Epstein’s.
Trump appears many times in new release of Epstein documents
President Donald Trump’s name is mentioned many times in the new batch of documents from the Justice Department’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
Some of the documents include in references to flight records related to Epstein’s private plane. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen has a rundown:
The Justice Department released a new batch of documents from Epstein investigation. President Donald Trump’s name is mentioned many times in the documents, including in references to flight records related to Epstein’s private plane. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein. CNN's Marshall Cohen reports.
“We don’t know if it was a ploy”: Documents show jail official questioning Epstein’s earlier suicide attempt
Warning: This post discusses subject matter some readers may find disturbing
On July 23, 2019, Metropolitan Correctional Center jail staff were told by inmate Nicholas Tartaglione that his cellmate Jeffrey Epstein had tried killing himself.
Epstein was found lying on the floor with a “homemade fashioned noose around his neck” and “breathing heavily,” according to an investigative report following the incident.
After being removed from the cell and placed in another unit, Epstein “sat on the edge of the bed and began moving forward as if he was attempting to fall over head first,” stopped, and attempted to fall again, according to the lieutenant.
The lieutenant laid him down and told him to stop, threatening to put him in restraints. Epstein responded, “Okay, I won’t do it again,” and gave a thumbs up.
Epstein’s suicide watch ended at 8:45am the following morning, according to another document.
“We don’t know if it was a ploy, if someone else did it, or he just gave himself a ‘rug burn’ with the sheet to call attention to his situation,” the Chief Psychologist at the Metropolitan Correctional Center wrote in an email dated August 1 after being asked by an unnamed person if it was safe to say Epstein tried killing himself a week after the incident.
In a follow up email that morning, the psychologist wrote, “Just put potential suicidal gesture… neither of us know what really happened and that seems like the best description.”
That same day, one week after Epstein attempted suicide, the Psychology Department conducted a suicide risk assessment, a delay “not justified” in their report, according to a review of the MCC’s actions during Epstein’s time in the jail.
Epstein died by suicide in his cell the following month.
FBI discussed contacting “10 co-conspirators" after Epstein’s 2019 arrest
References in internal FBI messages to “10 co-conspirators” in the Jeffrey Epstein files have prompted critics of the Justice Department to raise questions over why more information isn’t available about those co-conspirators in the documents that have been released so far.
The day after Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal criminal charges, an individual in the FBI’s New York field office whose identity is redacted asked for a status update on the “10 Co-conspirators” in an email to others, whose identities are also obscured. Redactions in the July 7, 2019, message appear to obscure names of several co-conspirators in a response email describing efforts at contacting the individuals, though a few names, including that of the convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, are not redacted.
Another July 9, 2019, email exchange refers to contacting 10 co-conspirators.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer weighed in on the emails in an X post that asked questions about the investigation of the co-conspirators that were not addressed in the Epstein files released so far.
“Tens of thousands of files released shed no light on who they are. More questions than answers,” Schumer said.
CNN has asked the Justice Department for comment.
Epstein’s lawyers claimed he couldn’t sleep in prison for 3 weeks and needed water and toilet paper
The newly released files shed light on some of the conditions Jeffrey Epstein may have been facing in jail during the days leading up to his death by suicide in August 2019.
In one email with the subject line “Inmate Epstein,” the sender claims Epstein said he was “getting dehydrated” in prison. In a later email, which appears to have been sent on August 10, 2019, the day Epstein died by suicide, and is addressed to the warden of the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the prison’s supervising staff attorney recalls a conversation with two of Epstein’s attorneys “primarily in relation to his request for access to water in attorney conference.”
The “Inmate Epstein” email also makes reference to Epstein “requesting a razor to shave” on July 30, 2019 – the day he was returned to the Special Housing Unit, an area separate from the prison’s general population - and states Epstein said “he has not slept well in 21 days because of not having his cpap machine.”
Also that day, a memo from the prison’s Acting Clinical Director alerted prison staff members about Epstein needing “to have access to an electrical extension cord for him to use during the evening to plug in his CPAP machine.”
But a few days later, on August 6, 2019, in correspondence between an attorney claiming to represent Epstein and the prison, the attorney writes Epstein’s “CPap machine was not plugged in last night, so he was unable to use it.”
The supervising staff attorney then appears to direct prison staff to investigate the matter, along with whether Epstein “has toilet paper” in his cell.
Records released in the new trove of files show Epstein was seen by prison doctors multiple times. Doctors assessed Epstein was dealing with sleep apnea, according to the documents.
Releasing DOJ documents without explanations make it difficult to determine authenticity, analyst says
Releasing the Justice Department’s files relating to its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein with little to no context makes it difficult to determine whether or not they are all authentic, Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director, said today.
The DOJ dropped more files overnight, on top of hundreds of thousands of documents last week.
One of the files released was a handwritten letter signed by “J. Epstein” that appears to make crude references to President Donald Trump in a short 2019 message from jail addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. But hours later, the DOJ said the FBI had confirmed it was “fake,” in part because the handwriting did not appear to match Epstein’s.
McCabe, who is a CNN senior law enforcement analyst, said the letter is an example of the kind of “pitfalls” that could happen when all of these materials are made public at one time, not all of which can be verified.
He said it is difficult for anyone not involved in the investigation themselves to do a “competent review and understanding of whether or not these documents are authentic and whether or not we should believe the claims that are in them.”
Watch the moment:
Austrian passport with Epstein photo under different name among releases
An Austrian passport with the name “Marius Robert Fortelni” that uses Jeffrey Epstein’s photograph is among the images included in the latest release. According to email exchanges from US authorities, the passport was found inside a safe along with 48 diamonds and an expired US passport of Epstein.
The Austrian passport appeared to have been obtained in 1982 and lists “Fortelni” as a resident of Saudi Arabia with a birthdate in 1954. (Epstein was born in 1953.) Passport stamps show travel to London, France, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
The emails from US authorities noted that there is a real person with the name Marius Fortelni, whom they were interested in contacting. CNN has reached out to Fortelni for comment.
Here’s everything we’ve learned so far from the latest drop of files on the investigation into Epstein
Warning: This post contains language readers may find disturbing.
CNN reporters are still sifting through the latest tranche of documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
If you’re tuning in for the key findings, here’s a roundup of what we’ve learned so far:
• A trip to Peru: Email exchanges between February and March 2002 show Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and a man identified as “A” or “The Invisible Man” planning a trip to Peru that involves “girls.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor visited Peru in March 2002 on an official visit. Read details on the exchange, which involve discussions around sightseeing, horseriding, private lunch and girls, among other plans.
• Crude references: A handwritten letter signed by “J. Epstein” appears to make crude references to President Donald Trump in a short 2019 message from jail addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. But hours after the document was released, the DOJ issued a statement casting doubt on the document’s authenticity, and then another saying the FBI had confirmed it was “fake,” in part because the handwriting did not appear to match Epstein’s. Authorities have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing or charged him with any crimes in connection with Epstein.
• Epstein’s days in jail: A new email indicates federal prison officials planned for Epstein to share a cell with Cesar Sayoc, the Trump supporter who is serving a 20-year sentence for sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and to CNN in 2018. It’s unclear if Epstein and Sayoc ever lived together. Epstein died by suicide August 10, 2019, a few weeks after the email was sent.
• More about notable figures: Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former Barclays CEO Jes Staley were both made executors of Epstein’s will. The documents reveal more details about both men’s previously known association with Epstein.
• More on redactions: The names of federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers who were involved in various investigations of Epstein were redacted from the files. That can be the standard for when their positions are not senior or public-facing enough to warrant revealing their identity to public, an expert told CNN.
• From a survivor: As the DOJ releases these files, Haley Robson, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, told CNN she “would love” to see Trump impeached over the handling of the probe.
See more below on what Robson had to say to CNN.
The Justice Department released more files from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that included President Trump's name in multiple documents. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein and the DOJ said some of the materials include “untrue and sensationalist” claims about the president. CNN's Pamela Brown spoke to Epstein survivor Haley Robson about the files and President Trump's response.
This post has been updated with new information from the Justice Department on the letter signed by “J. Epstein.”
Newly released Epstein files contain numerous unverified claims of salacious behavior collected by FBI
Included in the Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein materials on Tuesday are numerous salacious, unverified claims and tips – some about President Donald Trump and other high-profile individuals.
Many of the newly released documents are verbatim, unsubstantiated accounts that were submitted to the FBI during its years-long investigation of Epstein. The accounts were submitted either electronically or over the phone – and then documented in an FBI intake form. Though some of the claims allege incidents dating back to the 90s, many of the reports were made in 2020, according to the documents.
CNN is not reporting the details of these claims because they have not been verified. But their inclusion in the thousands of documents released as part of the Epstein files offers a window into the sheer volume of material investigators collected over years of investigating Epstein.
As part of a 2008 non-prosecution deal, Epstein served 13 months in a Palm Beach County jail, with a work release during the day, for state prostitution charges over his involvement with underage girls.
Epstein also had to register as a sex offender.
In July 2019, Epstein was arrested and charged in connection with having operated a sex trafficking ring. The next month, Epstein died by suicide at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, the federal detention facility where he was being held.
The DOJ said Tuesday that some of the newly released materials include “untrue and sensationalist” claims about Trump, which were submitted to the FBI just prior to the 2020 election.
The department did not specify which claims are untrue. Hundreds of the documents are merely reprints of media reports mentioning Trump and other prominent figures.
Authorities have never accused Trump of any wrongdoing or charged him with any crimes in connection with Epstein. Trump has repeatedly downplayed his past friendship with Epstein, even as new material has continued to surface.
One Jane Doe’s real name still appears across the Epstein files, but CNN finds one instance where it is now redacted
A Jeffrey Epstein survivor who goes by “Jane Doe” — and told CNN Monday that her name was not properly redacted in multiple places in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department — says that as of Tuesday afternoon, she has yet to hear back from the DOJ about her request to remove her information.
Jane Doe’s name continues to appear in the Epstein files in multiple places, CNN has verified. However, in one document that had revealed Jane Doe’s real name as of Monday, her name is now redacted and no longer comes up in a search. CNN has reached out to DOJ for comment.
DOJ says letter signed by "J. Epstein" and referencing "our president" is fake
Warning: This post contains language readers may find disturbing.
The Justice Department now says a handwritten letter it released Tuesday that was signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar is “fake,” asserting that the handwriting did not appear to match that of Jeffrey Epstein.
The department had said earlier Tuesday that it was assessing the validity of the letter – which appeared to make crude references to President Donald Trump – because other details called into question whether it had actually been written and sent by Epstein.
“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the Justice Department said in a post on X hours after the letter was released among a tranche of other Epstein-related records.
The letter does not explicitly name Trump, but instead refers to “our president.” The message appears to have been sent in August 2019, the same month Epstein died by suicide. Trump was president at the time.
The statement debunking the letter from the Justice Department noted that it was postmarked not in New York, was Epstein was imprisoned, but in Virginia, and the return address was for a jail different than the one holding Epstein. The envelope was processed three days after Epstein’s suicide.
Authorities have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing or charged him with any crimes in connection with Epstein.
“Dear L.N.,” the letters reads, “As you know by now, I have taken the ‘short route’ home. Good luck! We shared one thing … our love and caring for young ladies and the hope they’d reach their full potential. Our President also shares our love of young, nubile girls.” The letter makes another lewd reference to Trump’s treatment of women.
“Life is unfair,” the letter reads.
In a separate statement the department released earlier Tuesday, not aimed at any specific record in the most recent release, the Department said that some of the documents released “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” against the president.
“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the letter.
While the letter is addressed to an “L.N.,” a photo of the envelope – postmarked on August 13, 2019 and addressed to the former Olympic doctor and sex offender – was released by the DOJ. The envelope says it was sent from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City to Nassar, who was listed as an inmate at a federal prison in Arizona.
The letter was postmarked three days after Epstein died. Prison staff are authorized to read and inspect outgoing mail, which can cause delays.
Based on prison documents released from a Freedom of Information Act request, CNN previously reported that while he was jailed, Epstein appeared to send a letter to Nassar — although the contents of the letter were not disclosed. It was discovered by prison officials investigating Epstein’s suicide weeks after his death. It is not known if Nassar and Epstein had a relationship.
The FBI in 2020 requested from its laboratory a handwriting analysis be done to compare the letter to other writings from Epstein, according to another document posted on Tuesday from the DOJ. While the latest DOJ statement said the FBI had confirmed the letter was “fake,” it did not specifically say that conclusion was based on the 2020 handwriting analysis.
Nassar, the longtime doctor for the USA gymnastics team and Michigan State University, is serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison on child sex abuse charges. More than 150 women and girls publicly told a court he sexually abused them.
The envelope, addressed to Larry Nassar at 9300 S. Wilmot Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85756, a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, was marked as “return to sender,” as the addressee was “no longer at this address.”
Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that DOJ’s statement saying that some documents “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” about the president was released on Tuesday. It was also updated after the Justice Department released more information about the veracity of the letter.
Top Oversight Democrat asks DOJ Inspector General to investigate FBI's handling of 1996 Epstein allegation
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee asked the Justice Department’s Inspector General on Tuesday to examine why the FBI “failed to fully investigate” an allegation about Jeffrey Epstein first made to law enforcement in 1996.
Rep. Robert Garcia made the request in a letter to the Justice Department’s inspector general, highlighting an allegation in 1996 that Epstein and his associates were producing child sexual abuse material.
An FBI document released Friday included a description of that 1996 complaint, and while the name of the complainant was redacted, a lawyer for an Epstein survivor confirmed her client made it. The survivor, Maria Farmer, and her sister Annie had said for years that Maria filed one of the first complaints against Epstein in the 1990s.
“As we continue our inquiry, we request that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) investigate the FBI’s failure in the 1990s to adequately respond to or investigate allegations of misconduct by Jeffrey Epstein, including his alleged possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and to examine why subsequent internal Department reviews failed to meaningfully address that failure,” Garcia wrote to DOJ Acting Inspector General William Blier.
The release of the complaint, stamped September 3, 1996, marked a moment of triumph for Maria and Annie Farmer, and underscored the fact that Epstein had been on the radar of law enforcement years before federal and state charges were brought against him in New York and Florida.
“For survivors like Maria Farmer, her family, and all the people Jeffrey Epstein abused in the decades that followed this unanswered complaint, this was not merely a missed investigative opportunity—it was a profound betrayal by their own government,” Garcia wrote.
Here's why the names of numerous law enforcement officials are redacted from the Epstein files
The names of federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers who were involved in various investigations of Jeffrey Epstein were redacted from the large batch of documents released by the Department of Justice this week.
This comes after previous batches of Epstein-related files released by the government were criticized for the extensive, and sometimes contradictory, ways they were redacted. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the earlier redactions by saying his department was focused on protecting victims.
Brad Moss, an attorney who specializes in national security, told CNN that redactions in the files were “almost certainly” made using the same standards of what is permissible under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
While that law does not apply to the current batch of files, as they were disclosed under a different law signed by President Donald Trump last month, it is not uncommon for the government to use FOIA standards as a best practice for releases of such records.
Under FOIA, the names of government personnel “can and often are redacted if their position is not of a sufficient seniority and their role is not sufficiently public-facing to warrant revealing their identity to the public,” according to Moss.
For example, the name of Alexander Acosta — the former US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida who stepped away from his position of Secretary of Labor in Trump’s first term over his handling of the Epstein case — is not redacted.
But the names of assistant US attorneys working under him are. The same is true for rank-and-file FBI agents and members of other law enforcement agencies.
The rush to release the Epstein files has led to some confusing redactions. In the batch of files released last week, there were cases where pictures were duplicated — but only one of those pictures had redactions. One Epstein survivor said her unredacted name was visible several places in the files.
The legal battle over the Epstein redactions is likely just getting started, Moss said.
“The next stage in this legal saga, once all the production is complete, is the fight in court over the redactions,” he said.
Larry Summers and Jes Staley were one-time executors of Epstein’s will, new files reveal
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former Barclays CEO Jes Staley were both made executors of Jeffrey Epstein’s will, according to files released overnight by the Justice Department.
The documents reveal more details about both men’s previously known association with Epstein, after some of his crimes had come to light.
Staley was named an executor among two others in a 2014 will that also lists Summers as a successor executor — a person who takes over the management of a dead person’s estate if the original executor or executors cannot. Staley was previously named one of several executors for Epstein in a 2013 will and a successor executor in 2012.
A spokesperson for Summers said on Tuesday that Summers “had absolutely no knowledge that he was included in an early version of Epstein’s will and had no involvement in his financial matters or the administration of his estate.”
Emails sent to an account associated with Staley were not immediately returned Tuesday morning.
Both men’s association with Epstein has been well documented. Summers, who is also the former president of Harvard University, stepped back from public engagements last month and said he was “deeply ashamed” by emails released by a House committee showing years of personal correspondence between the two men, including Summers’ solicitation of Epstein’s romantic advice.
Staley, a former JPMorgan Chase executive, was largely responsible for that bank’s 15-year financial relationship with Epstein. The banker has denied knowledge of the late sex offender’s “monstrous activities.” In 2021, he stepped down from his role as CEO of Barclays following an investigation by UK financial authorities into his Epstein ties.
Prison officials planned for Epstein to share a cell with pro-Trump pipe bomber
A new email released Tuesday indicates federal prison officials planned for Jeffrey Epstein to share a cell with Cesar Sayoc, the Trump supporter who is serving a 20-year sentence for sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and to CNN in 2018.
The email from July 24, 2019, says Epstein “will be celled with” an inmate whose name was redacted, but the email describes the inmate’s crimes, and it is a perfect match for Sayoc — matching the time of his guilty plea and the political targets of his attempted bombings.
“His case has been highly publicized and he is in (the Special Housing Unit) because he requested Protective Custody,” one of the prison officials wrote, in an apparent reference to Sayoc.
Epstein was placed on a 24-hour suicide watch on July 23, 2019 — a day before this email was sent — after prison officers found him on the floor of his cell with a strip of bedsheet around his neck.
It’s unclear if Epstein and Sayoc ever lived together. Epstein died by suicide August 10, 2019, a few weeks after the email was sent.
In 2023, the Justice Department issued a report detailing Bureau of Prisons failures to safeguard Epstein after he had been removed from suicide watch.
The report said prison employees failed to assign Epstein a cellmate, skipped check-ins, and allowed him access to extra bed linens, which were ultimately used in his suicide.
The Bureau of Prisons’ online database indicates that Sayoc is currently at a federal prison in central Florida. The database says Sayoc is set to be released in October 2035.
In addition to sending a bomb to CNN, Sayoc mailed explosive packages in 2018 to prominent political figures including former President Barack Obama, 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, then-Sen. Kamala Harris and Democratic Party megadonor George Soros, according to his guilty plea.
Epstein abuse survivor says she "would love to see" Trump impeached over handling of investigation
Haley Robson, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, told CNN she “would love” to see President Donald Trump impeached over the handling of the probe.
Robson, who said she formerly supported Trump, told CNN’s Pamela Brown she no longer supports him or the administration.
Asked if she believes Attorney General Pam Bondi should be held in contempt, Robson said that Bondi needs to be “held more than in contempt. Absolutely.”
Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein and the DOJ said some of the materials include “untrue and sensationalist” claims about the president.
Emails reveal Ghislaine Maxwell acting as go-between for Peru trip for person identified as “Andrew”
Email exchanges between February and March 2002 show Ghislaine Maxwell and a man identified as “A” or “The Invisible Man” planning a trip to Peru that involves “girls.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, visited Peru in March 2002 on an official visit. Images from the trip show the then-prince posing with firefighters in Lima.
Maxwell did not go on the trip, but in the emails leading up to it, “A” discusses horses, food and other plans.
“As for girls well I leave that entirely to you…” “A” wrote.
In a February 27 email exchange with Maxwell, a man appearing to act as a local handler in Peru suggests he could offer “A” some sightseeing activities including horse riding and a private lunch near the sea, before asking: “About the girls … how old is he?”
Maxwell forwarded the email to “A” who declined the horse-riding offer but said they were interested in visiting the Nazca Lines, an archaeological site.
“I am overwhelmed at the kindness and generosity of the offers that are being made for me. … As for girls well I leave that entirely to you and (the handler),” “A” wrote.
“I am going to have more time after tomorrow to know what will happen and when in Peru so I will be in touch again on Friday,” they said, signing off with: “Masses of love A xxx”
In a follow up email to the handler, Maxwell said that “Andrew” would like to do some “sight seeing some 2 legged sight seeing (read intelligent pretty fun and from good families).”
Maxwell added: “I know I can rely on you to show him a wonderful time and that you will only introduce him to friends that you can trust and rely on to be friendly and discreet and fun. He does not want to read about any trip in the papers whom or what he saw.”
“Call me if you have any questions - otherwise you can expect a very English sounding gentleman on the phone to call up and say hi. I told him it would be best if he made his plans directly with you,” Maxwell said, adding: “The only part that I am jealous about is that he will get to see you and that he will be in Peru and have you as his tour guide for a day.”
On March 3, “A” told Maxwell he would call the Peruvian handler directly.
What we've learned so far from the latest batch of files from the Epstein investigation
More than 30,000 documents related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released overnight, according to the Justice Department, in the latest batch of files connected to the case to be made public.
As we continue to scour through the files, here’s what we’re reporting from the released documents so far today:
Warning: This post contains language readers may find disturbing
- In an email dated January 8, 2020, an assistant US attorney from the Southern District of New York wrote that flight records show that President Donald Trump “traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).” Trump was listed as a passenger on “at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which (Ghislaine) Maxwell was also present,” it said.
- The Justice Department says a letter signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar in the same month Epstein died by suicide in 2019 is “fake.” The letter appears to make crude references to Trump but does not explicitly name him, instead referring to “our president.” The Justice Department said that, among other suspicious details, the handwriting did not appear to match Epstein’s. Authorities have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing or charged him with any crimes in connection with Epstein.
- The Justice Department says the materials contain “untrue and sensationalist” claims about Trump, which were submitted to the FBI just prior to the 2020 election. The DOJ did not specify which claims are untrue, and said it had released the material “out of our commitment to the law and transparency.”
- Among the documents is a 2021 subpoena to the Mar-a-Lago Club founded by Trump in 1995. The subpoena relates to the government’s investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and convicted accomplice. It demands “any and all employment records relating to” a person whose name is redacted. It is not clear who the person is.
- In a series of emails from 2001, Maxwell corresponds with a person with the alias “A” that appears to be connected to the British royal family. In one email, “A” asks Maxwell if she has “found me some new inappropriate friends.” The person in the email is not explicitly identified as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but he was introduced to Epstein in 1999 by Maxwell. Mountbatten-Windsor not been charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein and has previously and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. CNN has reached out to his representatives for comment.
CNN’s Kara Fox and Michael Williams contributed to this reporting.
This post has been updated with new information from the Justice Department on the letter signed by “J. Epstein.”
