But despite the department, the FBI and Attorney-General Pam Bondi drawing a line under the case, a large and influential section of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement continues to demand answers over the saga.
Theories about the death and the contents of the so-called Epstein files have long been pushed by far–right influencers, and during last year’s presidential election campaign, a group of Trump allies publicly called for the documents to be released. Trump said at the time he would declassify the files, but added, “you don’t want to affect people’s lives if there’s phoney stuff”.
Jeffrey Epstein (centre) in court in 2008.Credit: Palm Beach Post/AP
Trump was friends with Epstein in the 1990s, and they mixed in the same New York social circles before falling out in the 2000s, according to Trump. Law enforcement agencies have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and he has never been identified as a target of any associated investigation.
Mark Epstein said his brother and Trump were “really good friends” who would fly in each other’s planes.
“In the early 90s, I know Trump was in Jeffrey’s office a lot when he was in financial trouble”.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. In Scotland this week, Trump claimed the pair fell out and did not speak for 14 years because Epstein “stole” staff from his Mar-a-Lago estate to work for him instead.
Loading
“He did something that was inappropriate. He hired help, and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” Trump said.
Since coming under pressure over the release of the Epstein files, Trump has been accused of running a distraction campaign. Earlier this month, he posted about a football team changing its name; floated new ingredients of Coca-Cola; and released more than 230,000 pages of files on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Parts of his MAGA base have fractured over what is being perceived as a broken promise, with popular podcaster Joe Rogan describing the refusal by the administration to release any more information as a “line in the sand”. Amid frustration that the outcry has persisted, Trump has called the Epstein matter “boring” and said he doesn’t understand why people are still interested. Only “pretty bad people” wanted to keep fuelling the story, Trump said earlier this month.
Mark Epstein said while he didn’t know what was in the Epstein files, he didn’t object to anything being released.
Loading
He said he and his brother had spoken regularly but did not see each other in person for years – “He had his circle of friends and I had mine.”
Mark Epstein said his brother admitted to him in the late 2000s to being involved “with underage girls”. “He told me he was stupid,” he said.
In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor to engage in prostitution, as part of a plea deal. In July 2019, he was arrested again and charged with sex trafficking, but was found unresponsive in his cell the following month and died.
Mark Epstein said the accusations against his brother didn’t change their relationship.
“He’s my brother, that’s all that needs to be said.”
This masthead is owned by Nine Entertainment Co.
National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline: (13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au).
