The US Justice Department published millions of new files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including emails that showed Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary, apparently visited Epstein’s private island for lunch years after he claimed to have cut off ties.
In another set of emails, billionaire and former Trump adviser Elon Musk asked whether Epstein was planning any parties but declined an invitation to visit the island.
In a reflection of the elite circles Epstein inhabited, the documents included mentions of many prominent figures in politics, business and entertainment, including Trump himself, who was friends with Epstein years before his crimes came to light.
For instance, Kevin Warsh, whom Trump nominated on Friday to be chairman of the Federal Reserve, appeared in an email from a publicist to Epstein listing 43 people, including celebrities such as Martha Stewart, headed to a Christmas gathering.
It was not clear whether Warsh knew Epstein or why Epstein was sent the note, and Warsh did not immediately comment.
Previous document releases have renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s relationships with other prominent people, including former President Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who have denied wrongdoing and said they regret their association with the late financier.
Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general, said Friday’s batch of documents marked the end of the Trump administration’s planned releases under a law calling for all Epstein-related files to be made public.
The new cache includes more than three million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, he said at a Press conference.
Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
But the scandal has dogged him for months, in part because he promised to release the files during his 2024 presidential campaign, then reneged after taking office.
The newly published files included hundreds of documents that mention Trump, many of which were collections of media reports.
One file details what appeared to be internal emails by federal investigators looking into salacious accusations involving the president and Epstein.
The emails, all from August 2025, give no indication that any claims had been substantiated, and investigators noted several of the accusers were deemed not credible.
The Justice Department said in a Press release that some of the documents contained untrue and sensationalist claims against Trump.
Another message, whose sender and recipient were both redacted, reads, “What does JE think of going to Mar-a-Lago after xmas instead of his island?” referring to Trump’s Florida club.
The message is from 2012, years after Trump said the two men had stopped socialising.
The files also included what appeared to be a 2002 email from Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s partner and co-conspirator, about a New York Magazine piece on Epstein.
“Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture,” the email says. “Give me a call when you are back in NY.”
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking a minor and other charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Emails show Epstein and Lutnick made plans to meet for lunch on December 23, 2012, on Epstein’s Caribbean island, Little Saint James.
That morning, Lutnick’s wife wrote to Epstein’s secretary, “We are heading towards you from St Thomas” and asked where to anchor.
A day later, Epstein’s assistant sent Lutnick a follow-up note from Epstein that read in part, “Nice seeing you.”
In November 2015, Epstein’s assistant forwarded him an invitation from Lutnick to a fundraiser at his financial firm for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Campaign finance records showed Lutnick donated $2,700 to Clinton’s campaign, the maximum allowed by law at that time.
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