A US congressional panel has made public a redacted copy of a purported “birthday book” presented to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 to commemorate his 50th birthday.
The release was part of a larger disclosure of documents, including the late convicted pedophile financier’s will and personal address book, containing contacts spanning royalty, global politicians, celebrities, and models.
The 238-page book comprises messages and photos from numerous individuals associated with Epstein, including a letter bearing a signature resembling that of former US President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump has denied writing the birthday note.
Epstein, a well-connected financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Last month, the House Oversight Committee issued a legal subpoena to the executors of Epstein’s estate, requesting various documents, including the birthday book containing the note allegedly from Mr. Trump.
Lawyers representing the estate subsequently provided the documents to the committee.
On Monday, the committee released the alleged birthday book, Epstein’s will, entries from his contact books with addresses from 1990 to 2019, and a non-prosecution agreement he had signed.
The purported entry from Mr. Trump features a signed note accompanied by a sketch of a woman’s figure.
The closing line reads: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,”
This aligns with descriptions previously reported by The Wall Street Journal, which first revealed the letter in July.
The note includes what appears to be a fictional conversation between Mr. Trump and Epstein, where they purportedly agree that there is “more to life than having everything” and that they “have certain things in common.”
Mr. Trump has not commented on the note’s release. However, the White House has denied that he produced anything for the book, asserting that the signature on the note does not match his own.
The White House stated that the president “did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”
Entries from 40 individuals, categorized as “friends,” “business,” “science,” and “Brooklyn,” were published. Names under “family” and “girl friends” were redacted.
These individuals are not accused of any legal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s case.
The document contained a message seemingly written by former US President Bill Clinton. The author wrote about Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and a “drive to make a difference.”
Mr. Clinton’s office has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
An entry by Lord Peter Mandelson, currently the UK ambassador to the US, refers to Epstein as “my best pal” and includes several photographs.
Beside one picture of Lord Mandelson with two women, whose faces are obscured, he writes about meeting Epstein’s “interesting” – in inverted commas – friends.
An official spokesperson for Lord Mandelson has told the BBC that he “has long been clear that he very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein,” adding: “This connection has been a matter of public record for some time.”
There isn’t a letter from Prince Andrew. But an entry from an unidentified women says that thanks to Epstein she had met the Prince, Bill Clinton and Trump.
The woman goes on to say she has “seen the private quarters of Buckingham Palace” and “sat on the Queen of England’s throne.” Prince Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing.
The content varies widely, encompassing individuals from various walks of life, from occupants of the White House to women working as masseuses.
An unidentified woman recalled that she was a 22-year-old restaurant hostess until she met Epstein, after which she traveled the world and met many notable people including royals.
Also included were photos of Epstein taken over the years – from his private jet to a random Asian medicine shop, and him embracing women whose faces were redacted.
Others sent him photos, some containing lewd scenes featuring wild animals from a safari including zebras and lions.
The book begins with an introduction by Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein’s British co-conspirator and ex-girlfriend, who was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to traffic girls for sex. She wrote that she hoped Epstein got “as much pleasure looking through” the book as she did putting it together.
It also includes a hand-written note from Epstein’s mother, who recalled his childhood as an “excellent” student before praising his “achievements” as an adult, including his limousines and magazine features about him.
The release was accompanied by a statement from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, criticizing Democratic committee members.
Comer accused the Democrats of “cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate.”
Vice-President JD Vance accused the Democrats of “concocting another fake scandal” designed to “smear President Trump with lies.”
The committee’s top Democrat said it was “time to end this White House cover-up.”
Congressman Robert Garcia wrote on X: “We got the Epstein note Trump says doesn’t exist.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett – who also sits on the committee – called for “full, unredacted Epstein files” to be released.
She added: “The survivors deserve justice, and the American people deserve the truth.”
The Trump administration has been facing increasing pressure to release the so-called “Epstein files” in their entirety, including from Trump-supporting MAGA base.
Reports emerged that the president was told in May by his attorney general that his name appeared in files related to the investigations into Epstein.
The pair were friends in the 1990s and early 2000s. Being named is not evidence of any criminal activity, nor has Trump ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein matter.
Trump had said during the 2024 election that he would be open to making more information public, and his campaign leaned into a belief popular among some Maga supporters that key truths about Epstein’s life and death were being hidden.
But he changed his position in July. The Department of Justice and FBI said in a memo that no more material would be released, while Trump said the case was closed and criticised his own supporters who had continued to press him on it.
Some of his conservative supporters had already voiced frustration with his administration’s handling of disclosures regarding the Epstein files, particularly after Attorney General Pam Bondi released documents that had already been available publicly.
Bipartisan pressure for more transparency persisted. In late July, the Republican House announced an early recess for the chamber, stalling efforts to force the release of Epstein-related documents within 30 days.
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