House Democrats on Monday released an alleged birthday note that they said Donald Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein, raising pressure on the president over questions about his past interactions with the late disgraced financier.
The release stems from the trove of documents received by the House Oversight Committee, including a birthday book compiled for Epstein¡¯s 50th birthday. The papers, which haven¡¯t been made public, also include Epstein¡¯s last will and testament, entries from his address and contact books from 1990 to 2019, and information about his known bank accounts, an aide to the House Oversight Committee said Monday. The committee is investigating the sex-trafficking operation run by Epstein.
Democratic committee members posted the alleged image of Trump¡¯s birthday message. The Wall Street Journal in July reported on the existence of an entry by Trump in the book.
¡°HERE IT IS: We got Trump¡¯s birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the President said doesn¡¯t exist. Trump talks about a ¡°wonderful secret¡± the two of them shared. What is he hiding? Release the files!¡± the X post read.
Trump has denied composing the message to Epstein and White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich on Monday said the image is fabricated.
¡°Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it¡¯s not his signature. DEFAMATION!¡± Budowich said on X.
Trump has sued the Journal¡¯s reporters, the paper¡¯s publisher Dow Jones & Co., parent company News Corp. and its founder Rupert Murdoch, accusing them of libel and saying the letter did not exist.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X said that Trump ¡°will continue to aggressively pursue litigation¡± and that ¡°this is fake news to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!¡±
Dow Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
¡°We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,¡± a Dow Jones spokesperson said in response to the lawsuit when it was filed.
The birthday book was compiled by Epstein¡¯s former accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse underage women. Epstein died in jail, awaiting trial, in what U.S. authorities have repeatedly said was a suicide.
Committee staff would review the new documents and make them public in the near future, the aide said.
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