Trump-Musk feud: Have all Epstein recordsdata been launched? What we all know thus far – Occasions of India
The long-murky Epstein recordsdata returned to the highlight in early 2024, this time attributable to a public accusation by Tesla CEO, Elon Musk. In a social media submit, Musk claimed that US President Donald Trump was named in paperwork associated to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted intercourse offender. Musk supplied no proof, however the assertion reignited public curiosity within the long-secret recordsdata.“Epstein recordsdata” consult with 1000’s of paperwork, movies, and investigative supplies gathered through the years in reference to Epstein and his associates. Whereas some courtroom data from his 2008 Florida plea deal and his 2019 federal prices in New York had been made public, many others remained sealed or closely redacted.What the primary declassified Epstein recordsdata revealedIn February, US legal professional basic Pam Bondi, at the side of the FBI, declassified and publicly launched recordsdata associated to Epstein’s sexual abuse of greater than 250 underage women at his houses in New York, Florida, and different places. The primary section of declassified recordsdata largely consisted of supplies that had beforehand leaked by unofficial channels however had by no means been formally launched by the US authorities.The primary batch of paperwork launched earlier this yr contained largely beforehand identified data. These included pilot logs from the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s so-called “black e book,” and a redacted checklist of masseuses. The logs had already been public for years and have been redacted to hide the identities of potential victims.One newly revealed doc, nonetheless, stood out: a three-page “Proof Listing” compiled by the justice division, reportedly documenting objects recovered throughout searches of Epstein’s properties in New York and the Virgin Islands. Based on the checklist, investigators seized dozens of recording units, computer systems, laborious drives, and reminiscence sticks. Additionally included have been a CD labeled “woman pics nude e book 4,” a folder marked “LSJ logbook,” believed to consult with Epstein’s personal island, and a photograph album described as “photograph album of woman and Epstein.”Investigators additionally recovered a number of therapeutic massage tables,one in all which was offered throughout Maxwell’s trial, together with a bag containing a set of copper handcuffs and a whip. One other merchandise, a bag holding a yellow envelope marked “SK” dated August 27, 2008, contained a number of smaller envelopes with a complete of $17,115 in money. The date corresponded with the interval when Epstein was in jail in Palm Seaside, Florida.Regardless of these revelations, the FBI has not confirmed that Trump’s identify seems within the newly launched supplies. Musk, too, has not clarified which paperwork he was referring to, and no official supply has substantiated his declare.FBI director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino later confirmed in a Fox Information interview that that they had reviewed the total file. They maintained that Epstein died by suicide and acknowledged that surveillance footage from his jail cell could be made public within the coming months.Jeffrey Epstein, whose wealth and enterprise operations remained largely opaque, was identified for his connections to a variety of highly effective figures, together with US presidents, British royals, and Hollywood elites. He pleaded responsible in Florida in 2008 to youngster prostitution prices and served 13 months below a controversial work-release settlement. In 2019, he was arrested once more on federal intercourse trafficking prices for allegedly working a community that exploited underage women. Weeks later, he was discovered lifeless in his Manhattan jail cell. Although his demise was formally dominated a suicide, persistent theories have urged he was murdered to guard highly effective people implicated in his crimes.Trump, who constructed a lot of his political identification on guarantees to dismantle the “deep state,” had usually hinted at exposing hidden authorities corruption, typically alluding to Epstein. As president, he authorised the discharge of 1000’s of pages tied to the JFK assassination, however didn’t do the identical with Epstein-related recordsdata.Musk and Trump, as soon as aligned politically, at the moment are brazenly feuding. Their rift started over a brand new authorities tax invoice, with Musk calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Trump responded on Reality Social, claiming he had excluded Musk from federal EV coverage choices and threatened to revoke subsidies. Musk fired again on X, calling Trump’s claims “an apparent lie” and asserting that Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign wouldn’t have succeeded with out his assist—deepening the divide between the 2 former allies.
