What new documents show: A swindler on Epstein's island, in emails and Trump's nominee for Fed chief

The US Justice Department on Friday released millions of new documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including emails showing that Howard Latnick, the commerce secretary in the administration of US President Donald Trump, apparently had lunch on Epstein's private island, years after he claimed to have cut ties with him, Reuters reported today.

In another set of emails, billionaire and former Trump adviser Elon Musk asked if Epstein was planning any parties, but declined an invitation to visit the island.

Reflecting the elite circles in which Epstein moved, the documents contain mentions of numerous prominent figures from politics, business and the entertainment world, including Trump himself, who was friends with Epstein for years before his crimes came to light.

For example, Kevin Warsh, whom Trump nominated to be chairman of the Federal Reserve on Friday, appeared in an email from a PR agent to Epstein, which listed 43 people - including celebrities like Martha Stewart - who were scheduled to attend a Christmas gathering. It was not clear whether Warsh knew Epstein or why the email was sent to Epstein, and Warsh did not immediately comment.

Previous releases of the documents have brought renewed attention to Epstein's relationships with other prominent figures, including former US President Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who have denied any inappropriate behavior and said they regret their association with the late financier.

Todd Blanch, the U.S. deputy attorney general, said the package of documents released Friday marked the end of the Trump administration's planned releases under a law that requires all Epstein-related files to be made public. The new archive includes more than three million pages, 2.000 videos and 180.000 photos, he said at a news conference.

Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes. However, the scandal has dogged him for months, in part because he promised to release the documents during his 2024 presidential campaign, only to back down after taking office, according to Reuters.

The newly released files include hundreds of documents mentioning Trump, many of which are collections of media reports.

Trump mentions

One document details what appear to be internal emails from federal investigators probing scandalous allegations involving the US president and Epstein. The emails, all from August 2025, do not indicate that any of the claims were substantiated, and investigators said that some accusers were deemed untrustworthy.

The Justice Department said in a statement that some of the documents contain false and sensationalist claims against Trump.

Another message, whose sender and recipient have been redacted, asks: "What does J.E. think about going to Mar-a-Lago after Christmas instead of his island?", a reference to Trump's Florida club. The message is from 2012, years after Trump said the two had stopped hanging out.

The documents also include what appears to be a 2002 email sent by Trump's wife, Melania Trump, to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's partner and accomplice, regarding a New York Magazine article about Epstein.

"Nice story about JE in NJ mag. You look great in the picture. Let me know when you get back to New York," the email reads.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation and other crimes, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Epstein died in prison in 2019, awaiting trial.

Latnik and Mask's messages in documents

Emails show that Epstein and Latnick planned to meet for lunch on December 23, 2012, on Epstein's Caribbean island of Little St. James. That morning, Latnick's wife wrote to Epstein's secretary: "We are heading to you from St. Thomas" and asked where they could dock.

A day later, Epstein's assistant sent Latnik a follow-up message from Epstein, which read, among other things, "It was nice to see you."

In November 2015, Epstein's assistant forwarded him an invitation Latnik had sent to a fundraiser at his financial firm for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Clinton went on to lose to Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Campaign finance records showed that Latnik had donated $2.700 to Clinton's campaign, the maximum amount allowed by law at the time.

The emails appear to contradict statements Latnick made on a podcast last year. Latnick said that Epstein, then his neighbor, invited him and his wife to tour Epstein's house around 2005, where the financier made a sexually suggestive comment about a massage table he had set up. Latnick said he vowed at the time to "never be in the same room" with Epstein again.

A Commerce Department spokesman said Latnik had "limited contact with Mr. Epstein, in the presence of his wife, and was never accused of any inappropriate behavior."

Mask is looking for fun

In another email exchange, Epstein and Musk discussed an invitation for Musk to visit Epstein's island.

"The invitation is much appreciated, but a quiet island experience is the exact opposite of what I'm looking for," Musk wrote to Epstein on Christmas Day 2012. Musk stated that he was "working to the edge of his wits" and asked Epstein if he was planning "any parties."

Epstein responded that he understood Musk's refusal of the invitation, adding that "the relationship on my island" might make Musk's companion feel uncomfortable, without further explanation.

A few days later, Musk invited Epstein to join him, along with others, for drinks on "St. Bart's," a likely reference to the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy, but it is unclear whether they met there.

Musk said on his X platform on Saturday that he was "aware that any email correspondence with me could be misinterpreted and used by opponents to smear my name."

"No one has pushed harder than me for the release of the Epstein files, and I'm glad it's finally happening. I have had very little correspondence with Epstein and have declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his 'Lolita Express,'" Musk wrote.

Democrats skeptical

The documents were released several weeks after a December 19 deadline set by Congress, after a bipartisan bill was passed mandating the release of Epstein's files, despite months of efforts by Trump to block it.

Many of the documents were heavily redacted, which Blanche said was done to protect victims or ongoing investigations, in accordance with exceptions allowed by law. One 82-page document, for example, had all but one page blacked out.

Democrats immediately questioned whether the administration had provided all relevant material, stating that the Justice Department had identified six million potentially relevant pages but released only 3,5 million.

Epstein was found hanged in his prison cell in 2019. Although his death was officially ruled a suicide, it fueled conspiracy theories for years, some of which Trump himself amplified among his supporters during the 2024 campaign.