ByAlison Durkee,
Forbes Staff.
Jeffrey Epstein’s attorneys were in discussions with prosecutors before his death about potentially trying to get him a more lenient sentence if he gave up information that could help them in other cases, The New York Times reported Tuesday—with notes suggesting Epstein wanted to pass along information about President Donald Trump.
Following Epstein’s arrest in 2019, his attorneys were in discussions with federal prosecutors about the idea of a “proffer,” the Timesreports, in which Epstein could provide helpful information about other defendants in exchange for a more lenient sentence for himself.
It’s unclear how far those discussions proceeded or who else Epstein could have had information on—though Epstein reportedly tried to determine if he had “leverage” against associates like billionaireBill Gates—but the Times reports the late financier was “preoccupied” with trying to provide information about Trump, based on notes he took at the time.
Epstein’s notes suggest he didn’t actually have anything noteworthy about Trump—then in his first term—however, making only vague comments like, “Trump is a total con artist — smoke & mirrors” and “Never had money.”
Epstein and Trump were previously friends before having a falling out in the early 2000s, but the president has long denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged abuse or committing any wrongdoing in relation to the late financier.
The Times’ reporting was part of a broader account about Epstein’s time in prison and subsequent death in prison, with new evidence supporting the conclusion that Epstein died by suicide and was not murdered, as some have suggested.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The Timesreportincludes a number of new revelations about Epstein’s time in prison and death, based on documentation as well as interviews with fellow inmates and others connected to his time in prison. While people have long questioned the official ruling that his death was by suicide, the Times’ reporting concludes suicide is the most likely explanation for his death, noting evidence that suggests Epstein had previously been thinking about ending his own life. The late financier asked his former cellmate about how to fashion a noose, for instance, and an inmate housed near Epstein’s cell told the Times they heard noises the night of Epstein’s death that sounded like the financier was ripping fabric. No inmate heard sounds indicating a struggle or that someone entered Epstein’s cell, the Times reports. Epstein also scribbled notes that are similar to comments he made in an allegedsuicide note, according to the Times, writing, “ONLY PAIN TO ME & Others in the future. NOT very much fun! Why should people I Lov suffer for my problem. So … Watcha want me to-do? …. Bust out cryin!! Best for all.” There are a number of circumstances that appeared to make it easier for Epstein to die by suicide than would traditionally be the case for inmates, including that he did not have a cellmate the night he died, was allowed to keep extra linens—which typically wasn’t allowed—and the prison guards on duty did not perform rounds as often as they were required to do.
Epstein’s reported notes about Trump come as emails released by the DOJsuggestthe late financier remained preoccupied with Trump for years after their falling out. Epstein frequently offered himself up as an expert on the president’s thinking during his first term, including to theRussian governmentandGates. He also repeatedly criticized Trump, writing in 2017 to former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, “Your world does not understand how dumb [Trump] really is.” Epstein’s emails do not implicate Trump in any wrongdoing, though the financier wrote in 2017 about “how dirty Donald is” andtoldwriter Michael Wolff in 2011 that Trump “knew about the girls.”
Trump and Epsteinmet in the 1980s and went on to reportedly become good friends. They later had a falling out, which Trump has claimed was because Epstein recruited women from Mar-a-Lago to work for him. Trump has had several unsubstantiated claims made against him in connection with Epstein, but has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the financier’s alleged abuse. Scrutiny on Trump’s friendship with Epstein has intensified over the past year as the Trump administration’s refusal to voluntarily release the Epstein files sparked new interest in the financier’s case. Trump allegedly wrote a birthday letter to Epstein—in which he said, “May every day be another wonderful secret”—the Wall Street Journal first reported. Trump has denied this, and the release of the Epstein files featured numerous mentions of Trump,includingthat he had flown on Epstein’s private jet alone with only the financier and a 20-year-old woman. Trump has decried the public interest in Epstein’s case and described the Epstein files as being a “hoax.”
The Untold Story of Jeffrey Epstein’s Death(The New York Times)
Trump’s History With Jeffrey Epstein: Interviews With Trump Accuser Omitted From Files(Forbes)
