Wednesday, October 28, 2026

New report further exposes Trump’s Epstein ties

 

New report further exposes Trump’s Epstein ties

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/26/800118057/justice/new-report-further-exposes-trumps-epstein-ties/ 

New report further exposes Trump’s Epstein ties

by Oliver Willis
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A cyclist stops to take photos of a statue featuring President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein dancing, titled "In Honor of Friendship Month," that appeared on the east end of the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday morning, September 23, 2025.
A cyclist stops to take photos of a statue featuring President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein dancing, titled “In Honor of Friendship Month,” that appeared on the east end of the National Mall in Washington on Sept. 23, 2025.AP

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released a new report on Donald Trump’s connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, indicating that the issue remains a major headache for Trump and the GOP and could lead to significant consequences if the Democrats win the majority in the midterms.

Noting that the Department of Justice has failed to hold Trump and other figures connected to Epstein accountable, the Democrats are calling for an independent counsel to investigate and say congressional power should be used to “end the cover-up.”

Of course, under Republicans and House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republicans have been reluctant to push for the full release of Epstein materials and they have actively denied links between Trump and Epstein’s sexual assaults and alleged trafficking.

Related | Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months

The unsigned staff report is billed as “detailing evidence involving 11 women, five of whom directly accuse Donald Trump of rape or sexual assault in Jeffrey Epstein’s close company or presence.” Based on existing evidence and interviews with witnesses, the report reaches the conclusion that Trump and former Trump administration official Paolo Zempolli “may have been co-conspirators in Jeffrey Epstein’s conspiracy to traffic and abuse young women in the 1990s.”

“Trump’s Justice Department appears to be covering up these crimes to protect the President,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said in a statement.

“The women who survived Epstein deserve to be heard, Congress must have the complete files required by law, and an independent special counsel must investigate Epstein’s co-conspirators and DOJ’s cover-up and ensure that state and foreign prosecutors have the evidence they need to pursue justice,” he concluded.

The report notes Trump’s personal relationship with Epstein, including his own description of the offender as a “terrific guy” that he had known for 15 years. Epstein has also described Trump as his “closest friend for 10 years.”

Related | Top Trump goons plot Epstein cover-up strategy

Citing collected testimony, the report says five women have accused Trump of rape or sexual assault while in Epstein’s presence, while others have connected Trump to Epstein’s abusive acts against young women.

Despite this testimony, the administration claimed there was no basis to prosecute additional crimes connected to the Epstein case, which the report alleges is part of an ongoing cover-up.

While Trump campaigned on the issue and used it as a rhetorical weapon to attack Democrats for supposedly protecting elites, once he won the 2024 election he repeatedly tried to block release of Epstein-related materials and complained about the case being a topic of discussion. 

Trump and his team have slow-walked the release of the so-called Epstein files and related information, despite pleas from survivors and their families to bring justice for Epstein’s crimes. 

A bipartisan majority of the public has told pollsters they disapprove of how Trump has dealt with the issue, and the ongoing obfuscation has contributed to Trump’s anemic approval ratings and support for Democrats in the upcoming elections.

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  1. Comment by Robert G Frano.

    At least 1 comment on Daily Kos

    A cyclist stops to take photos of a statue featuring President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein dancing, titled “In Honor of Friendship Month,” that appeared on the east end of the National Mall in Washington on Sept. 23, 2025.AP

    I thought this dbl. staute of Trump/Epstine, PRANCING, along as they revel in their apparent successful jail-avoidence for serial pimping / sexual assault was amiong the best additions to the D.C. skyline in a LONG time!!

  2. Comment by Ethrid.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily Kos

    I remember the right tripping out because Biden whispered “creepily “ in someone’s ear

  3. Comment by sickandtiredagain.

    At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily KosDonated any amount to Daily Kos in the last year

    Wake me up when any of these folks goes to jail for a v long time because until that happens, it is business as usual. Most of us know very very well that stuff that would land ANY of us here in jail for decades goes unremarked, unnoticed, and even if investigated it is only to be buried. Democrats have to burn it all down for justice to prevail, and while many are v good people, as a party they are incapable of that partly bc of their funding but also bc of how our expectations go. We need a revolution, not just an election. Also, repubs have promised to make this election a huge hurdle, so potentially just getting to a win will be a struggle.

    • Reply by stealth26.

      At least 100 comments on Daily Kos

      Yep. We need large scale changes in our governing apparatus to insure fair elections, insure an impartial judiciary & justice dept, get dark money out of our elections, root out and actually punish corruption, and mandate ethical behavior (instead of the SOP honor system we now have and which is now being ignored).

      I don't see either of the two parties having the courage to voluntarily either derail the gravy train they are on, or step away from the power of their political duopoly. The Dems are better than the wholly captured R$, but I don't know how we get to a functioning, representative democracy without some kind of revolution.

      It would have to include somehow puncturing the RW misinformation bubble that roughly a third of the US voters live in, and somehow engaging the roughly third of the US voters who don't bother to vote. There's just so much inertia built into the system.

    • Reply by Astronut.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      That third is a direct result of propaganda. They have been lied to and manipulated for decades for political reasons, are full of resentments and are far too ready to be violent. To me that's a crime, like yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded theater.

    • Reply by stealth26.

      At least 100 comments on Daily Kos

      It's all related, isn't it? Our archaic system of government makes it vulnerable to the oligarchs with unlimited money, which breeds the corruption that allows the monopolizing of the media, and in turn insures the majority of American voters are either misinformed & agitated, or uniformed & numbed into apathy

      In American politics, there's one hard fast rule. Always. Follow. The Money.

  4. Comment by cai.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    I am following along with Allison Gill (MuellerSheWtote) and Katie Phang's lawsuits -- one under FOIA, another under the Epstein Files Transparency Act -- to get documents released that were required to be released (10 months ago now).

    They do keep trying to stonewall and slow-walk both cases. The amusing thing is that they recently told Gill to just file under the EFTA -- and Phang to just file under FOIA.

    The (well, an) infuriating thing is that while the DOJ essentially doxxed multiple survivors in the documents they did release, they also allowed people to "self-identify" as victims. IOW, if a person or their lawyer contacted DOJ and said they were a victim, the DOJ has redacted those names.

    DOJ did no follow-up to prove the people actually were victims. One of the specific documents Phang is currently trying to get un-redacted (as a sample) features the email of a "victim" complaining about being considered a pervert for being sexually attracted to 15-year-old girls. That's not a victim by any rational definition, but according to trump's DOJ, he is.

    Phang's also trying to get the hand-written interview notes from the four (4) FBI interviews of the woman who claimed trump raped and physically assaulted her when she was about 13. They "lost" the fourth interview's notes.

    • Reply by cai.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      Another example of redacted "victims" -- the people not charged as part of the sweetheart plea deal Epstein got in Florida. These were people set to be indicted for crimes; they were not victims.

      (*MuellerSheWrote)

    • Reply by Chastity Jones.

      At least 100 comments on Daily Kos

      To someone in the know: Do victims of a crime reported to the FBI get a copy of the interviews they give ? And if not, why ? Also must they sign a DNA on any thing they report ?

    • Reply by cai.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      Do you mean an NDA? No, they don't. The agents might advise them and/or their lawyers to be careful what they say publicly for fear of jeopardizing the case?

      I don't think the victim/witness gets a copy of the FBI agent's notes, or the 302s. The 302s are the type-written summaries written up later that Todd Blanche's DOJ tried to claim were "duplicative" and then "substantially similar" and therefore not subject to release under EFTA. The judge required they turn the notes over to him anyway.

      The Cornell Jane Doe did sign the statement the Cornell Police wrote up (which omitted the statement "I was 100% raped"), but I don't know if they gave her a copy of it.

  5. Comment by Matt Z.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 50 stories on Daily Kos

    Disgusting. Hunter on Uncharted Blue pointed out this specific evidence would be enough for an easy conviction of ANYONE else, and Trump is only safe because he's Trump.

    Fuckk all Trump voters. This is on them.

    • Reply by herebeausername.

      At least 100 comments on Daily Kos

      Yep. I wish I could rub their noses in it and scream "what did you vote for you sick bastards"

    • Reply by sickandtiredagain.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily KosDonated any amount to Daily Kos in the last year

      It is also on the idiots who sat out. I know plenty of them. They are responsible and will NEVER take responsibility bc they believe more in an invisible deity or their own belly button fluff than they do in the reality beyond their immediate circumstances. Invisible assassins each one.

    • Reply by Robert G Frano.

      At least 1 comment on Daily Kos

      Pimping / sexua abuse / assualt HASN'T terminated the tsunami of former believers, pouring out / never entering the Roman / other basilicas, (including the Misses and me), and it's NOT Ok w/ US. Citizen-voter-survivors, either!

  6. Comment by JohnB47.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    We definitely need a Special Prosecutor and Blnche needs to be named as a co-conspirator.

  7. Comment by ALL BLUES ALWAYS.

    At least 1 comment on Daily Kos

    Juist how many of these politithugs and in on it from "play dates" to the cover up?~~

    PEDO PARTY

    • Reply by DrBoomer.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily KosDonated any amount to Daily Kos in the last year

      Poor Roy Moore. Bad timing. He ran for office before pedophilia became popular with 'Bama Rethug voters. He would have won in '24.

  8. Comment by RIJim.

    At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    Not sure I like the idea of appointing a special investigator since Todd Blanche would get to do that and would probably suppress any report the same way Bill Barr hid Mueller's report.

    • Reply by cai.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      I'm rooting for retired judge Barbara Jones to be appointed a Special Master in Katie Phang's lawsuit. In that capacity she (or some other qualified person) would get to assess all the redactions in the Epstein files for appropriateness under the EFTA.

    • Reply by RIJim.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      I like the way you think.

    • Reply by cai.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      It's mostly from following the work of Gill and her colleagues.

  10. Comment by alikatz.

    At least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

    The predator protector party would not be doing an obvious coverup if trump and the rest of the epstein class were not guilty. Trump has admitted on tape to assaulting women. He has been found guilty in court of assaulting e. jean carroll. This only verifies what anyone sane already knows. I hopr Democrats will make this a priority,

  11. Comment by DrBoomer.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily KosDonated any amount to Daily Kos in the last year

    It is apparently a total shock to the average Rethug pol that child-rape is unpopular.

    But they support, defend, and shield it anyway. I suppose they expect Musk's money-avalanche to make it more mainstream and popular. They might be right.

  12. Comment by zoom314.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos Subscriber

    Mafia Don Trump's tie is too short...

    • Reply by ThePansyBastard.

      At least 1 story on Daily KosCurrently has a recurring donation to Daily Kos in any amountAt least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      I can't see his ass either. NOT that I want to, but it should be sticking out a bit on both sides, and his tummy, if that statue were to look down, it's see its feet! Artistic license. I'm not really complaining about it, I still love the statue. Just happened to think about it.

    • Reply by thanxamillion.

      At least 1 story on Daily KosAt least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      I think the statue is supposed to depict the Rapist in Chief in his younger, svelter years when he was a few Happy Meals lighter.

      As to his tie. How does he keep from peeing on it? Must throw it over his shoulder when he’s draining the mushroom 🍄.

    • Reply by zoom314.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos Subscriber

      I said Tie, not Ass...

  13. Comment by Bensdad.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    Special counsel? As likely as someone stumbling across Noah’s Ark with an existing pair of dodo birds nesting in it.

  14. Comment by Dfh1.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberDaily Kos Group AdministratorAt least 50 stories on Daily Kos

    Justice Committee Democrats gathered this information and released this report while being in the minority, without the ability to subpoena testimony or documents. Exceptional work by these members of the House.

    • Reply by Janesaunt.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 100 stories on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberDaily Kos Group Administrator

      Indeed!

  15. Comment by CapnDope.

    At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    If (huge IF!) the files are released and what they reveal lead to an indictment and trial of Trump (as they damned well should, if the charges are warranted), Trump will clearly have to go first so that evidence at the trials of the smaller fish (or cited in their indictments) cannot possibly lead to voiding charges/trial for him due to too much pre-trial evidence exposure in the conspiracy charges against others.

    But it is *vital* to this country’s recovery that no one involved with the conspiracy to cover up - and they are legion - escapes HARD justice. That means Bondi, Patel, and Mike Johnson *just for starters*. Todd, too, if some of the charges predate official start of attorney/client privilege. I don’t care whether Trump exits via impeachment, imprisonment, exile, or a fury-generated aneurysm. We’d better not immediately start hearing “era of national reconciliation”, reach-across-the-aisle crap about how Trump’s removal was, in any way, “bipartisan”.

    Indictments, fair trial, sentencing, and imprisonment for ALL of them.

    • Reply by CapnDope.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      Forgot to add, but also HIGH on the co-conspirator list if items other than the Epstein data can be introduced: Aileen Cannon. Hard time in gen pop for her. Too bad we probably can’t throw in every one of the ScOTUS SIX.

    • Reply by CapnDope.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      I canNOT express how ecstatic I’d be to see Cannon on the stand being grilled by Jack Smith as the case’s prosecutor. Or just as likely looking her right in the eye as he testifies as the government’s star witness.

    • Reply by Nib.

      At least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      Yes indeed:

      also go first so he can't pardon them ('Lemme see, I think a mill each will do.');

      and asset-stripping to recover illegal profits and misspent public funds.

    • Reply by Buckeye Tom.

      At least 1 comment on Daily Kos

      IANAL (but I have read lawyers' writings). Pardoning others brings its own Catch-22: Pardoned persons have no recourse to the 5th Amendment so long as they are asked to testify about the crime(s) for which they have been pardoned. Pardons could potentially open up the Pandora's Box of unintended consequences. But if no pardons are forthcoming for players lower down the rung, whoever speaks up first with the most incriminating information tends to get the lighter sentence. It makes for a glorious conundrum, doesn't it?

    • Reply by thanxamillion.

      At least 1 story on Daily KosAt least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      Think Donald Trump could pronounce “glorious conundrum” much less know what it means?

    • Reply by Nib.

      At least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      Thank you for pointing that out; I understand that something similar, revelation-wise, is behind trump's running away, like a bone-spur cowboy, from his own action against the BBC?

      I do have to say that should be Pandora's jar, but I don't suppose anyone cares.

  16. Comment by MartyM.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos Subscriber

    Oliver, can DK Capitalize the word Congressional when pertaining to Democrats? TY

  17. Comment by Noodles.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 50 stories on Daily Kos

    Impeach on this. All of it, and including people like Blanche, Bondi, Patel, anyone actively hiding or scrubbing the files which by law should now be fully in the hands of the public, unredacted except to protect the victims. Making their protection of Trump and the powerful all that much more grist for our mill. Because Republicans and Trump found themselves in a position where they needed to make it a law because of public outrage, there is a high probability that even a Republican Senate would be forced to convict on pedophilia, probably trafficking, rape, physical abuse, profiting from it...

    Not to say that we shouldn't also impeach on a few other of the worst things he's done. Those may or may not bring Republicans to convict.

    However consider that some also might, especially if we win the Senate. Something which a year ago was not on anyone's Bingo card until Trump put it on there. The politics of Republican spite, revenge, for some holding off for years waiting for a chance to use the justice system to knife him in the back and twist it, might come into full play. And have him out of there and on his way to jail before the term is over. Although I hope we go long enough to make it take nearly a year if possible. Drag it out as long as possible. We should also see if Vance had anything to do with the files. I'm sure that at least after the fact, he has been actionable.

    If Democrats don't impeach on these high crimes and maybe a few misdemeanors, the only viable reason is that it begins to expose Democratic corruption, perhaps not only having to do with the files, perhaps corruption exposed not to do with the files. And they will do so to protect the party. Yet I don't think they dare not impeach on this, and I trust no one who advises them not to. If it doesn't happen we are so screwed despite any happy talk about democracy, rule of law. Talk of a return to norms - which itself should be a 4 alarm fire warning for anyone serious about democracy and the rule of law.

    • Reply by Beelzebug.

      Daily Kos SubscriberAt least 1 story on Daily KosAt least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      Vance seems unlikely...too small a fish, inadequate money/influence

    • Reply by miketada.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      I really don't think Vance is involved. If he is, fine, go at it. If not, leave him alone.

    • Reply by CapnDope.

      At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      Would anyone be surprised, though, if one or a few of the Project 2025 cabal had been privy to some of the Epstein files more damning content and leaked it to Vance (or blackmailed Trump themselves) so that they could anoint value-less, ethics-free Vance as their hand chosen successor to Trump?

    • Reply by Noodles.

      At least 5000 comments on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberAt least 50 stories on Daily Kos

      I get that, but in some ways he's probably managing after effects and perhaps coordinating coverup efforts.

      But, even if not, here's the reason we need to scrutinize the hell out of him starting with Epstein and any other mischief / illegalities he and others like Peter Thiel have cooked up: take Trump down and who becomes POTUS?

      Thus, Democrats need him under our thumb even before he may fall into that role. He needs to be under legal assault and as much off-balance as we can have him. To make him as ineffectual towards his own goals as we can, and perhaps compliant enough to wrest a few concessions from him to get a handful of laws passed before 2028. To go into that year with him as much under the gun as possible, even if he's relatively clean. With all the aftermath of a damaged Trump, negotiation might be his best option. Especially if he wants to keep a Republican coalition somewhat intact.

  18. Comment by K S LaVida.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 100 stories on Daily KosDaily Kos Subscriber

    And today's other big domestic news story is that a judge has held that the firing of Maureen Comey was illegal. She was a staff (civil service) prosecutor in New York working on the Epstein case. She probably knows a lot that isn't public, and which T* didn't want brought to court.

  19. Comment by StanleyYelnats dotcom.

    At least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

    Release the Epstein Files. All of them, especially the files that expose Trump.

    Release the Epstein Files

  20. Comment by Puddytat.

    At least 5000 comments on Daily KosAt least 100 stories on Daily KosDaily Kos SubscriberDaily Kos Group Administrator

    It's interesting to see Republican attack ads on Democrats saying that the Dem is "a danger to children" while they're protective a large number of pedophiles.

    Goes to show that every accusation by the GOP is a confession.

    • Reply by Nib.

      At least 1000 comments on Daily Kos

      Wonder if they ever ate pizzas at Epstein's?

    • Reply by TheNinfinger.

      Daily Kos SubscriberAt least 100 comments on Daily KosAt least 1 story on Daily Kos

      In the basement.

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