Zürcher Nachrichten - US releases Epstein files with uncorroborated Trump allegations

The newly published documents include three FBI interview reports from 2019 involving a woman who claimed that Epstein introduced her to Trump in the 1980s when she was between 13 and 15 years old.

According to the interview summaries -- known as FBI 302 reports -- the woman alleged that Trump attempted to force her to perform oral sex during an encounter arranged by Epstein.

She told investigators she bit Trump during the incident and that he struck her before ordering her removed from the room.

The documents do not indicate whether investigators found her account credible, and Trump has denied wrongdoing.

Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, had long-standing ties to political and business elites.

His case has remained politically charged, with continuing disputes over the release of investigative records and the extent of his network.

The files are part of a broader effort mandated by Congress to make public millions of pages of records related to Epstein.

Justice Department (DoJ) officials said the documents were initially withheld from a massive release of Epstein-related records earlier this year after being mistakenly coded as duplicates during the review process.

The additional material includes summaries of four FBI interviews conducted with the woman between July and October 2019 -- after Epstein's arrest.

She alleged that Epstein had sexually abused her multiple times and arranged encounters with other men.

- 'White House cover-up' -

In a later interview, agents pressed her for more detail about the alleged interaction with Trump, but she declined to elaborate and eventually broke off contact with investigators.

The DoJ has warned that the Epstein files contain "untrue and sensationalist claims" submitted by members of the public, particularly in the period after the disgraced financier's arrest.

"These are completely baseless accusations, backed by zero credible evidence, from a sadly disturbed woman who has an extensive criminal history," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

"The total baselessness of these accusations is also supported by the obvious fact that Joe Biden's department of justice knew about them for four years and did nothing with them -- because they knew President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong."

The new disclosures come amid continued scrutiny of the government's handling of Epstein records. Critics have accused the DoJ of withholding documents or improperly redacting information during earlier releases.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have opened an inquiry, arguing that key records may have been improperly withheld.

This week, the committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the department's handling of the Epstein files, in a rare show of bipartisan frustration that included support from several Republicans.

The panel's top Democrat, Robert Garcia, noted that the DoJ announced its latest release a day after the Bondi vote.

"This is after they took down 50k files with no explanation," he posted on X. "We are going to end this White House cover-up."

A.Wyss--NZN