US Congress publishes Epstein’s ‘birthday book,’ featuring alleged letter from Trump

WASHINGTON, Sept 9 — Democrats in the US House of Representatives yesterday released a letter allegedly written by Donald Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein more than two decades ago, though the White House swiftly dismissed it as fake.

The letter, first reported by the Wall Street Journal in July, appears to bear Trump’s signature. Trump, however, has denied authoring it and insisted it does not exist. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published the document after Congress received Epstein’s 2003 “birthday book” from his lawyers — three years before the sex abuse allegations against Epstein became public in 2006.

Later in the day, Republicans who lead the Oversight Committee published hundreds of additional pages from Epstein’s legal team, including the full “birthday book,” Epstein’s will, and his 2007 non-prosecution deal with Florida prosecutors.

The letter features what appears to be a dialogue between Trump and Epstein, in which Trump calls him a “pal” and adds, “May every day be another wonderful secret.” The text is scrawled alongside a crude sketch of a naked female silhouette.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich rejected the document’s legitimacy, saying the signature was forged and pointing to Trump’s ongoing lawsuit against the Journal’s parent company, News Corp.

“Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it’s not his signature. DEFAMATION!” Budowich posted on X.

Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019, remains a politically sensitive subject for Trump, especially as some of his supporters have circulated conspiracy theories about the disgraced financier.

Last week, Republicans on the House Oversight panel released over 33,000 pages of Epstein-related files in an attempt to avoid a bipartisan vote demanding broader disclosures. Still, Epstein’s victims and several lawmakers remain dissatisfied. Referring to Trump, House Democrats wrote on X yesterday: “What is he hiding? Release the files!”

The “birthday book,” given to Epstein for his 50th birthday, contains photos, jokes about bad haircuts, and notes from childhood friends, ex-girlfriends, and acquaintances. It also includes purported messages from well-known figures besides Trump, such as former US president Bill Clinton, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, and former Bear Stearns CEO Alan “Ace” Greenberg.

Clinton’s alleged message praised Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and his “drive to make a difference,” while Greenberg supposedly wrote: “Working with Jeffrey has been a pleasure and watching his meteoric success has given me many vicarious thrills.”

Clinton could not be reached for comment after hours, while Dershowitz and his attorney also did not respond. Greenberg passed away in 2014. — Reuters