Epstein files to be dropped on legal day, but remain incomplete
The Justice Department released the Epstein file in response to the Epstein File Transparency Act, but many documents are still missing.
- A letter purported to be from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar was included in a recent Justice Department release of documents.
- The authenticity of the letter is questionable because it was postmarked in Virginia three days after Epstein’s death in New York.
- Mr. Epstein and Mr. Nassar were both convicted of sex crimes involving young women and girls.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
Among the more than 29,000 documents released by the Justice Department on Tuesday, December 23, is a letter purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein to disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for assaulting young athletes he treated during his time at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.
The authenticity of the handwritten letter, which appears to be referring to President Donald Trump, has been called into question because it was postmarked three days after Epstein’s death in August 2019, which was reported to be a suicide. Furthermore, although the envelope was postmarked in Virginia, Mr. Epstein was incarcerated in New York, and the envelope’s return address incorrectly identified the prison where Mr. Epstein was being held.
“Dear LN,” the letter began. “As you know by now, I took the ‘shortcut’ home. Good luck! We shared one thing…that we love and care for young women in the hope that they will reach their full potential. Our President also shares our love for young, attractive women.”
The note was signed “Your J. Epstein.”
The latest documents in the Justice Department’s Epstein investigation included dozens of heavily redacted video clips and other documents. The Justice Department said on social media that the documents contained “false and sensational claims” against President Trump before the 2020 election.
“To be clear, these allegations are unsubstantiated and false, and if they had any credibility, they would undoubtedly already have been used as a weapon against President Trump,” the Justice Department added in a statement Tuesday about the release of the documents. “Nevertheless, because of our commitment to the law and transparency, the Department of Justice is releasing these documents with legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.”
Trump is one of many celebrities featured in Epstein’s file. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing regarding Mr. Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier who was charged with trafficking underage girls for illicit sex acts.
More than 150 women shared their stories of abuse as part of the award-winning Indy Star/USA TODAY Network investigative series. It concerns how Nassar assaulted athletes he treated at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Nassar was found guilty of abusing gymnasts in the name of giving them medical exams. Nassar’s accusers included Olympic gold medal winners Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Weaver, McKayla Maroney and Aly Riseman.
Before his death in 2019, Epstein was charged by federal authorities with running a sex trafficking ring that preyed on young women and underage girls.
