Key events
David Smith
Donald Trump has broken his silence on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, complaining that people who “innocently met” the convicted paedophile could have their reputations destroyed.
In his first comments since the justice department began releasing the materials on Friday, the US president on Monday expressed sympathy for prominent Democrats who have come under renewed scrutiny over their associations with Epstein.
“I like Bill Clinton,” Trump said of the former president, who featured prominently in the first batch of photos. “I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton; I’ve been nice to him, he’s been nice to me … I hate to see photos come out of him but this is what the Democrats – mostly Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans – are asking for, so they’re giving their photos of me too.”
Trump, who had a long association with Epstein and for much of this year resisted the release of the files, was speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. “Everybody was friendly with this guy,” he claimed. “But no, I don’t like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don’t like the pictures of other people being shown – I think it’s a terrible thing.
“I think Bill Clinton’s a big boy, he can handle it, but you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago and they’re highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.”
Trump added that a “lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody.”
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Emails to Maxwell from ‘Balmoral Summer Camp’
The files also include a series of emails between Ghislaine Maxwell and someone who signs himself as “A” and uses the alias “The Invisible Man”.
In August 2001, “A” wrote to Maxwell: “I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family” before adding:
How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends? Let me know when you are coming over as I am free from 25th August until 2nd Sept and want to go somewhere hot and sunny with some fun people before having to put my nose firmly to the grindstone for the Fall.
Maxwell replies: “So sorry to dissappoint you, however the truth must be told. I have only been able to find appropriate friends.”
“A” responds: “Distraught!” before adding that he has lost his valet and has left the “RN”.
The email continues:
…now my whole life is in turmoil as I have no one to look after me. He was a real rock and almost a part of the family … If you have any good ideas as to how to get my mind back on track I’d be grateful for advice. See you real soon… I hope if you are coming over. A xxx
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, left the Royal Navy in 2001. There is no suggestion that the emails indicate criminal wrongdoing.
A major new batch of thousands more files relating to Jeffrey Epstein has been released by the US Justice Department, featuring many more references to Donald Trump than earlier batches contained.
The documents were released overnight on Tuesday and include a claim that Trump was on a flight with Epstein and a 20-year-old woman in the 1990s. There is no indication that the woman was a victim of any crime and being included in the files does not indicate any criminal wrongdoing.
The US Department of Justice was legally required to publish the documents by the end of last week. The first cache of ‘Epstein Files’ were released on Friday evening after months of delay and stalling from the Trump administration.
Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche told Fox News that he expected the department to release several hundred thousand more files in the coming weeks.
We’ll bring you further updates as we go through the latest tranche.
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