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Newly released Justice Department records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein include references to several officials who have served in President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a review of the files.
The more than 3 million pages of materials include flight logs, emails, business documents and contact entries. The degree of contact varies widely — from single email mentions to documented social interactions. No major U.S. political figure named in the files has been charged with crimes connected to Epstein, and all have denied wrongdoing.
Here’s what the records show.
Donald Trump
Trump appears thousands of times in the released materials, reflecting a social relationship with Epstein that dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s.
Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein in the mid-2000s because he viewed him as a “creep.” Authorities have never accused Trump of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes.
Following the latest document release, Trump said publicly that the materials “conclusively” show he was “100% exonerated.”
Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary
Howard Lutnick appears in email exchanges from 2012 discussing a possible boat trip to Epstein’s private island.
Lutnick acknowledged during a Senate hearing that he visited the island in 2012 with his wife, children and another family, describing it as a brief lunch visit and saying there was nothing inappropriate about the trip.
The Commerce Department has said Lutnick had limited interactions with Epstein and has never been accused of wrongdoing.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears in Epstein flight logs and in email exchanges between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell referencing a fossil-hunting trip in the 1990s.
Kennedy has previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane twice in the 1990s and going on a fossil-hunting trip with his family. He has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal conduct at the time and has denied any wrongdoing.
Maxwell said in a prior interview she never witnessed Kennedy engage in inappropriate behavior.
Mehmet Oz, CMS Administrator
Mehmet Oz appears in a 2016 email that appears to invite Epstein to a Valentine’s Day event hosted by Oz and his wife in Palm Beach.
It is unclear whether Epstein attended the event. The email predates Epstein’s 2019 federal sex trafficking indictment but came years after his 2008 guilty plea in Florida for procuring a minor for prostitution.
There is no allegation of wrongdoing against Oz.
Stephen Feinberg, Deputy Defense Secretary
Stephen Feinberg is referenced in business documents tied to Cerberus Capital Management, the investment firm he founded.
Some documents include compliance reviews conducted by Deutsche Bank involving accounts connected to Epstein’s financial activity. The files do not specify direct personal interaction between Feinberg and Epstein.
Feinberg has not been accused of wrongdoing.
John Phelan, Secretary of the Navy
John Phelan appears in a March 2006 flight manifest for Epstein’s private jet traveling from London to New York.
At the time, Phelan worked for MSD Capital, an investment firm serving billionaire Michael Dell. The documents do not indicate the purpose of the trip, and Phelan has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Nominee
Kevin Warsh appears on a 2010 email list labeled “St. Barth’s Christmas 2010,” which was forwarded to Epstein.
It is unclear whether Warsh attended the gathering or had further contact with Epstein. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Elon Musk, Former DOGE Head
Elon Musk appears in 2012 and 2013 email exchanges with Epstein discussing possible visits to Epstein’s island.
Musk has said publicly that he declined Epstein’s invitations and never visited the island. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Steve Bannon, Former Chief Strategist
Steve Bannon exchanged emails and text messages with Epstein between 2018 and 2019, according to the files.
Bannon has said he was working on a documentary about Epstein at the time. The communications include discussions about media strategy. He has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes.
Broader Political Context
The document release also includes references to figures from previous Democratic administrations, including former President Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Neither has been charged with crimes connected to Epstein, and both have denied wrongdoing.
A joint memo released last year by the Justice Department and the FBI said investigators found no evidence of a so-called “client list” and no basis for additional prosecutions beyond previously charged defendants.
The Bottom Line
The newly reviewed files document social, professional and, in some cases, travel-related contacts between Epstein and several current and former Trump administration officials.
They do not, however, contain criminal charges or findings of wrongdoing against those officials.
As additional materials are reviewed and litigation continues, scrutiny over Epstein’s network — and the powerful figures who once moved within it — is likely to persist.
