Who was Jeffrey Epstein and what was his connection to Trump? | World News

Washington: Jeffrey Epstein’s files have once again attracted international attention, revealing connections to leading faces in politics, business and entertainment. Although he died in 2019, his documents continue to pose challenges for governments, business leaders and public figures around the world.

While some reports linked US President Donald Trump to the files, Trump actually ordered the release of the files under pressure from his supporters and Republican lawmakers demanding transparency in Epstein’s investigations. After initially hesitating, Trump encouraged lawmakers to vote for public disclosure.

Congress passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release the files Trump signed in November. Some material is confidential, including documents related to ongoing criminal cases, victim identities, proprietary information, and images related to child abuse or death.

The Epstein files date back to 2008, when parents reported he was abusing a 14-year-old girl at his Palm Beach home. Investigations uncovered evidence of similar crimes involving multiple minors. Epstein was convicted of sex trafficking of minors and registered as a sex offender; Thus, he avoided a long prison sentence thanks to a plea deal in Florida.

Further allegations emerged in 2019 that he operated a network exploiting underage girls. Epstein died in prison before his trial, and authorities ruled his death a suicide. Thousands of documents were obtained during the investigations, including witness statements and evidence seized from their properties.

A 2025 Justice Department memo said the FBI held more than 300 gigabytes of data, including images and videos of child abuse, that was not made public to protect survivors.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former partner, was convicted of participating in girl trafficking in 2021. The disclosed files contain more than three million documents, including material that was previously publicly available, such as flight logs and property records. Some items, such as a birthday book referencing Trump, attracted attention, but the president has denied writing the note.

The first set of files, released in February 2025, consisted of 341 pages containing largely public information, with many names redacted.

Other notable names mentioned include Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson. Flight logs also listed Elon Musk and Lord Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Andrew’s brother. Musk confirmed that Epstein invited him to an island, but said he declined. Emails released in November showed connections between Epstein, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Trump associate Steve Bannon, with both admitting they knew him. Trump’s name appears multiple times in the files, but he has always denied any wrongdoing.

Trump and Epstein had known each other socially for years, attending elite parties and taking photos together, including at Mar-a-Lago in 1997. Epstein described Trump as a close friend for a decade. The US president stated that there was a dispute between them years before Epstein’s first arrest, and claimed that he was expelled from his club due to Epstein’s inappropriate behavior. Some Trump supporters believe critical information about Epstein’s life and death is still being withheld and that a broader child abuse network may have a high level of protection.

Epstein’s death continues to raise questions. He was found dead at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 10, 2019. The coroner ruled it a suicide by hanging, but the Bureau of Prisons initially described it as a “possible suicide,” leading to conspiracy theories. The Ministry of Justice investigated the circumstances of his death, acknowledging “serious irregularities” at the prison, which houses other high-profile inmates.

Two guards were suspended and one guard was temporarily suspended after reports showed that necessary checks on Epstein were not carried out properly.