FBI Seized Epstein's '50th Birthday Book' Computer Discs During Investigation
Newly released Justice Department documents have unveiled significant details about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe into Jeffrey Epstein, including the seizure of computer discs specifically labeled "JE 50th Bday book." The files also appear to document concerted efforts to secure a contribution from former President Donald Trump for Epstein's controversial 50th birthday album.
Email Evidence Shows Outreach to Trump and Other Associates
According to the documents, a person whose name is redacted sent an email on December 24, 2002, with the subject line "b-day book update." This communication appears to detail outreach attempts to Trump and several other Epstein associates. The email specifically mentions "LM for [REDACTED], George Mitchell, Donald Trump, Henry Jarecki, and Leon Black," using the common abbreviation "LM" for "left message." Epstein's 50th birthday occurred on January 20, 2003.
The 238-page birthday book, which was obtained from Epstein's estate and released by the House Oversight Committee on September 8, includes a page bearing Trump's signature alongside the outline of a naked woman. Trump has vehemently denied writing the letter or drawing the image, labeling it a fabrication. He has subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story last year. The Journal maintains it stands by its reporting and has moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
White House Dismisses Documents, FBI Details Seizure
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the revelations in an email, stating, "These documents prove nothing. As President Trump personally told the Wall Street Journal at the time, President Trump did not draw this picture, nor did he sign it."
The Justice Department files show that FBI agents seized at least four computer discs marked "JE 50th Bday book" during their 2019 raids on Epstein's properties. Images of at least five such discs are included in the released materials. A separate document provides a log entry for the discs, noting they were discovered in "a suitcase collected from Richard Kahn originally in safe located In closet in Room Q (3rd Floor)." Kahn, Epstein's longtime accountant and an executor of his estate, had his attorney decline to comment on the matter.
Project Coordination and Contributor Regrets
Previous reporting indicates that Ghislaine Maxwell enlisted assistants and others to compile the birthday album. Letters and images were scanned into a computer as they arrived. Several individuals who worked on the project recalled seeing the image with Trump's signature among the documents at that time.
The 2002 email also listed individuals whom Eva Dubin, one of Epstein's former girlfriends, was pursuing for contributions, as well as contacts expected from one of Epstein's childhood friends. Many of these names appear as contributors in the final book. Dubin, Black, and Mitchell have publicly expressed regret over their association with Epstein, stating they were unaware of his criminal activities. Their representatives declined further comment. Jarecki, who has stated he did not participate in any abusive conduct, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Maxwell's Testimony and Legal Stand
During testimony last summer, Ghislaine Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that she recalled working on the birthday book but could not remember the names of individual contributors. More recently, she declined to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee, stating she would only testify if granted clemency by President Trump. An attorney for Maxwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the newly released documents.
Trump has consistently stated that he severed ties with Epstein years before the financier's first arrest in 2006. Epstein died in jail in 2019 after being arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges. The ongoing release of documents continues to shed light on the extensive network and activities surrounding the convicted sex offender.
