‘A’ from Balmoral asked Ghislaine Maxwell for inappropriate friends, newly released documents show
“I gave Andrew your phone number. He wants to see the Nazca Lines. He can ride horses but that’s not his favorite sport, so not riding horses,” he wrote.
“Some bipedal sight seeing (read smart, quite playful and from good families) and he will be very happy. I know I can trust you to show him a great time and only introduce him to friends you can trust and trust to be friendly, level-headed and fun.”
“He doesn’t want to read in the newspapers about who or what he saw on any trip. Call me if you have any questions; otherwise you can wait for an English-speaking gentleman on the phone to call and say hello. I told him it would be best if he made his plans directly with you.”
This photo, edited and released by the U.S. Department of Justice, shows Andrew lying on the laps of several people and Maxwell standing nearby.Credit: access point
“The only thing I’m jealous of is that he gets to see you and be in Peru and hire you as his tour guide for a day.”
The then-Prince Andrew met with Queen Elizabeth II a few days later. He visited Peru on a trip related to Elizabeth’s golden jubilee. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied wrongdoing and has not commented publicly on the release of the latest files. He left public office five years ago and was stripped of his royal titles and honors in October.
The latest documents emerged in a vast trove of new material released by the U.S. Department of Justice to comply with laws requiring the full release of the Epstein files.
Epstein, who was convicted of child sex crimes in a 2008 plea deal, died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Trump features more prominently in the final portion of the documents, although the accuracy of the material is questionable.
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A handwritten letter that Epstein allegedly wrote to jailed child molester Larry Nassar in 2019 claimed: “Our President [Trump] shares our love for young, attractive girls.”
The letter was postmarked Aug. 13, 2019, three days after Epstein died in prison, according to a later FBI request for handwriting analysis also disclosed in the new Epstein files. It was also postmarked in Virginia, not New York, where Epstein was incarcerated.
The Ministry of Justice, which first said on Wednesday (AEDT) it was investigating the letter, quickly said the FBI had concluded the letter was fake and that the handwriting did not match Epstein’s.
Trump was also the subject of several complaints to the FBI in 2020 alleging his involvement in criminal activity, including rape. However, there was no indication that any of the claims were substantiated.
The Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday (AEDT) it had released nearly 30,000 pages of documents relating to the criminal investigation into Epstein.
“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensational allegations against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI just before the 2020 election,” the department said.
“To be clear, the allegations are false and false, and if they had any credibility they would certainly be used as weapons against President Trump.
“Yet, in our commitment to law and transparency, the Department of Justice is releasing these documents with legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.”
Donald Trump and his now-wife Melania with Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.Credit: Getty
When contacted for comment, the White House referred to the Justice Department’s statement.
The Trump administration had been criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for not releasing all the files by the December 19 deadline and for making numerous redactions to the released material. Trump, who was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, appeared relatively infrequently in early releases.
Recent statements, including references to the president, have done nothing to satisfy Democrats who argue there was a “criminal cover-up in the White House.”
“We need answers about the president’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and why the Justice Department continues to break the law and conceal documents,” said Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. “They appear to be protecting powerful men who rape and abuse women and girls.”
Trump has always denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has said he kicked him out of his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, as a “creep.”
Speaking about the release of the Epstein files yesterday, Trump complained about the destruction of the reputation of people who only had their photos taken with Epstein decades ago.
“Everyone was friends with this guy [Epstein]. He is either friendly or not friendly. But he was around here, all over Palm Beach and other places,” Trump said.
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Counseling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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