A House committee Monday released a trove of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that included a lewd note President Donald Trump is alleged to have sent as part of a collection of messages for the late convicted 𝑠e𝑥 offender’s 50th birthday more than two decades ago.
The so-called birthday book was by far the most revealing of the records made public from the subpoena the Republican-led House Oversight Committee sent to Epstein’s estate last month. The panel released all of the documents it received hours after Democrats on the committee posted an image of the birthday letter that was signed “Donald.”
Trump has denied having had anything to do with the card, which was included in a leather-bound book of birthday messages for Epstein in 2003.
The birthday book also included a handwritten letter that appeared to be from former President Bill Clinton. It referred to Epstein’s having “childlike curiosity” and a “drive to make a difference.”
Clinton’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Clinton has denied ever having gone to Epstein’s private island, where some of the abuse is alleged to have occurred.
The Wall Street Journal was the first report the existence of the card Democrats posted Monday. Trump sued the Journal, its publisher and two reporters in July. A spokesperson for Dow Jones said the newspaper stood by its reporting and would “vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
NBC News has not independently verified the Journal’s reporting. White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich said Monday on X that the note should help Trump’s legal case because “it’s not his signature.” He added numerous photos of Trump’s current signature, in which he signed his full name.
Earlier examples of Trump’s signing just his first name, including one from 1984 that was published in The New York Times in 2016 and another from 1999 on an auction house’s website, appeared similar to the one Democrats posted. George Conway, a lawyer and former Trump supporter-turned-vehement critic, posted a thank-you note on social media dated April 13, 2006, which he said he received from Trump, with a signature that also resembled the one in the 2003 note to Epstein.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a Wall Street Journal story Monday about Democrats’ making the card public “PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false.
“As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it,” she said on X. “This is FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!”
Vice President JD Vance added Monday night on X that Democrats care only about “concocting another fake scandal” to “smear President Trump with lies.”
“No one is falling for this BS,” he wrote.
The Democrats’ post shows a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman with Trump’s first name signed in the pubic area, as well as a typewritten note depicting an imaginary conversation between him and Epstein, the multimillionaire who would later be charged with 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking.
“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,” the note begins.
“Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is,” it continues.
“Nor will I, since I also know what it is,” Jeffrey says.
Donald says, “We have certain things in common Jeffrey,” and he responds, “Yes, we do, come to think of it.”
Donald then says, “Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?” Jeffrey responds, “As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.”
It concludes with Donald telling Jeffrey: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump’s full name is typed out above the “Donald” signature.
Trump said on Truth Social in July: “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.”
Shortly after that post, The Washington Post ran a story noting that he had done four sketches of buildings and a bridge that were auctioned off during his first term as president.
Days later, he amended his earlier statement as he talked to reporters. “Sometimes people say, ‘Would you draw a building?’ And I’ll draw four lines and a little roof, you know, for a charity. So, but, but I’m not a drawing person. I don’t do drawings of women, that I can tell you,” he said July 28.
In his defamation suit, Trump’s attorneys alleged the note was “nonexistent” and said “no authentic letter or drawing exists.”
Brad Edwards, an attorney who has represented Epstein survivors, said in a statement Monday night that “Trump’s hypocrisy has been most frustrating for the victims: he told the public the Epstein story should ‘go away,’ yet filed a $10 billion lawsuit that only magnifies the very issue he wants silenced.”
“With today’s release, the least he could do is withdraw that lawsuit and publicly apologize to the journalist he attacked for reporting what seems to have now proved to be true,” Edwards added.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement that Democrats on the panel were “cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate.”
“President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing and Democrats are ignoring the new information the Committee received today,” he said.
Other House Republicans echoed the White House’s position that the letter did not include Trump’s authentic signature.
“What I see is not his signature,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said on Capitol Hill. “I’ve seen Donald Trump sign a million things.”
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., also questioned the letter’s authenticity. “Anybody can do a signature,” he said. “To me, it’s just bogus. The whole thing is bogus right now.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who initiated a discharge petition for the release of Justice Department documents in Epstein’s case, called the birthday letter a “distraction,” saying it “doesn’t prove anything” and wasn’t helpful to Epstein’s victims.
“I don’t think there’s anything in there that implicates Trump,” Massie said. “But I do think that there are some billionaire donors on the Republican and the Democrat side who are going to be embarrassed.”
House Democrats on the panel posted another image on X from Epstein’s birthday book before the full release of documents from the estate. They said it showed “Epstein and a longtime Mar-a-Lago member joking about selling a ‘fully depreciated’ woman to Donald Trump for $22,500.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the page came from Joel Pashcow, who the publication said wrote the accompanying note and is pictured with Epstein holding the novelty check. Pashcow did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
The version of the book the Oversight Committee received was redacted to not show the names and faces of women and minors, according to the production cover letter the Epstein estate attorneys sent to the committee.
In addition to the birthday book, the estate turned over Epstein’s will, which did not include any notable information. It also turned over previously released information, such as the nonprosecution agreement between Epstein and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and entries from Epstein’s address book.
The committee’s subpoena said the birthday book was put together by Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking.
Maxwell was questioned about the existence of the book when she met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July. She acknowledged she coordinated the project and had asked some of Epstein’s friends to contribute birthday wishes, but she said she did not recall whether she had spoken to Trump about the project or whether he had submitted anything.
Trump and Epstein were friends at one point, though Trump has said they had a falling-out years before Epstein’s arrest for 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking.
Maxwell is appealing her conviction to the Supreme Court, and her attorney has said he hopes Trump will give her a pardon.
Epstein’s birthday book paints a picture of a man surrounded by luminaries: a past and future president, financiers and leading scientists and mathematicians from Harvard. It makes it clear that anyone who knew Epstein well viewed him as consumed with 𝑠e𝑥.
In page after page, his friends discuss their 𝑠e𝑥ual escapades with Epstein while they were young and tease him about having an obsession with 𝑠e𝑥. There are pictures of a nude Epstein and another of a nude Maxwell. There is also a hand-drawn image of Epstein being massaged by three young-looking women on a beach.
The book is full of personal stories, anecdotes, photos of a young Epstein in school, a printed email from a teacher and letters from friends back in Brooklyn. It also includes dozens of photos of Epstein with women whose faces are redacted.
On the steps of the Capitol last week, Epstein’s accusers said there were those who were close to Epstein who should have known what was going on.
Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell while he was awaiting trial on federal 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking charges in New York in 2019. His death sparked years of conspiracy theories, some pushed by allies of Trump.
The case exploded back into the headlines this summer, after the Justice Department and the FBI announced in an unsigned joint memo that they agreed Epstein’s death was the result of a suicide, that no other people were expected to be charged and that no further information about the case would be released.
The unexpected move sparked a furious backlash from many Trump supporters, since he and his allies had stoked conspiracy theories about the politically connected Epstein’s death and had vowed to be transparent and bring others in the case to justice.
The House Oversight Committee also subpoenaed the Justice Department for its investigative files. The Justice Department has turned over about a third of the files so far, and Democrats have said the vast majority of that material was already public.
