Trump circle under spotlight as new Epstein files mention Musk, Bannon, Thiel
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
The US Congress has received new materials from the archives of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, pointing to his ties with several individuals close to President Donald Trump, reports Politico.
According to the documents, among those mentioned are Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon and billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.
The papers, released by Democrats on Friday, were handed over to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. A copy of a travel plan indicates that Musk was scheduled to visit Epstein’s so-called island of debauchery on December 6, 2014.
Another document contains information about a planned dinner with Peter Thiel on November 27, 2017, and a breakfast with Steve Bannon on February 16, 2019. These meetings occurred just months before Epstein was charged with trafficking minors for sexual exploitation.
According to Politico, the documents confirm that all three men maintained contact with Epstein even after he admitted to sex crimes in a 2007 plea deal, while continuing to prey on young women and girls until his 2019 arrest.
The materials also mention that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates intended to attend a so-called breakfast party with Epstein in 2014.
In addition, the files contain records of messages for Prince Andrew of the UK, as well as details of his 2000 flight with Epstein.
In total, Democrats say the committee has received 8,544 Epstein-related documents. These include phone logs, passenger lists for flights between 1990 and 2019, financial ledgers, and scheduling records from 2010 to 2019.
Epstein Case
The so-called Epstein Case concerns billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, a socialite party organizer and friend of many celebrities, including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl filed a complaint with Florida police, stating that Epstein had engaged in sexual acts with her at his Palm Beach home.
Epstein was accused of paying for sexual services from underage girls between 2002 and 2005 at his residences in Manhattan and Florida.
During the investigation, police interviewed about 50 girls, and federal-level charges could have resulted in a life sentence for Epstein. However, due to a secret plea deal, he received only a year and a half in prison.
In 2019, Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell.
On July 17, 2025, The Wall Street Journal published an article featuring a collection of letters that had been gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Among them was a note signed by US President Donald Trump along with an outline drawing of a naked woman.
The following day, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit, claiming that no such letter or drawing exists. He is demanding $15 billion in damages from The New York Times for libel and misinformation.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that Trump had been an FBI informant in the Epstein case.
