By M10News Staff | Washington, D.C. | October 2025
House Democrats on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have released newly obtained email correspondence showing that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein referred to former U.S. President Donald Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked” during private exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2011.
The messages, which were among a cache of Epstein-related materials recently turned over to congressional investigators, also include correspondence with author Michael Wolff, who wrote several books about the Trump presidency.
Emails Reference Trump and an Alleged Victim
In one email dated April 2011, Epstein wrote to Maxwell, “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him; he has never once been mentioned.”
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence in Texas for child sex trafficking and related crimes, responded: “I have been thinking about that … ”
The exchange was released Wednesday as part of an ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of past Epstein investigations. The House Oversight Committee says it is seeking to determine whether political figures received preferential treatment or undue protection during Epstein’s years-long operation.
Conversations with Journalist Michael Wolff
Separate email threads show Epstein communicating with journalist Michael Wolff between 2015 and 2019, discussing Trump’s public image and the nature of their relationship.
In December 2015, Wolff wrote to Epstein: “I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you—either on air or in the scrum afterwards.”
In another message from January 2019, while Trump was serving as president, Epstein referenced claims that he had been barred from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida.
“Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever,” Epstein wrote. “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Trump Team Dismisses Claims
Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing or a close connection between the former president and Epstein, telling ABC News that Trump “couldn’t have been friendlier” in their limited interactions.
“These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments,” Leavitt said. “Any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”
House Democrats Push for Full DOJ Disclosure
The release of the emails coincides with preparations in Congress for a potential vote on a bill that would force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly release its full investigative files on Epstein.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is scheduled to swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), whose signature would give Democrats enough support to advance a discharge petition compelling a vote on the measure.
“The Department of Justice must fully release the Epstein files to the public immediately,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee.
“The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President.”
The DOJ has so far released only a small portion of the tens of thousands of documents collected during multiple federal probes into Epstein’s network. It remains unclear whether the newly disclosed emails were also among the materials in the DOJ’s possession.
Background: Epstein and Maxwell
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges but died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell the following month while awaiting trial.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse. She continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Epstein had known several high-profile figures over the years, including Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew, though all have denied involvement in his criminal activities.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s, claiming he banned him from Mar-a-Lago after reports that Epstein and Maxwell attempted to recruit one of his employees.
What Comes Next
If House Democrats succeed in forcing a floor vote, the Epstein transparency bill could reach the chamber as early as the first week of December.
Advocates for the legislation say full disclosure is necessary to restore public trust and clarify long-standing questions about Epstein’s relationships with political, business, and social elites.
As the Oversight Committee continues its review, members say the emails released this week represent “a small fraction” of the overall evidence expected to become public.
