Newly released documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate suggest the late convicted sex offender maintained contact with high-profile political and business figures, including Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon — years after his 2007 plea deal that required him to register as a sex offender.
The files, totalling 8,544, were handed over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and partially released by its Democratic members. The collection includes daily schedules, flight logs, financial ledgers, and phone message records spanning nearly three decades.
One document appeared to show an itinerary noting a tentative trip by Musk to Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands on 6 December 2014. A handwritten note in the schedule asked: “Is this still happening?” Other records highlighted a planned lunch with tech billionaire Thiel in late 2017, and a breakfast meeting with former Trump strategist Bannon in February 2019 — just months before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
The records also revealed ledgers indicating payments for “massages” linked to Prince Andrew, along with flight logs documenting trips taken by Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Andrew, and others between New Jersey and Florida as early as 2000.
Epstein’s associations with both Andrew and Microsoft founder Bill Gates had already been the subject of intense scrutiny.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking minors connected to Epstein’s crimes.
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Committee Democrats said the files reinforced how Epstein continued cultivating relationships with some of the world’s most influential men long after his controversial plea deal.
“It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world,” Oversight spokesperson Sara Guerrero said. “Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims.”
Republicans on the panel criticised Democrats for acting unilaterally in releasing the information, calling the move politically motivated. A GOP spokesperson accused Democrats of “cherry-picking documents” while withholding others that allegedly mention Democratic officials.
The committee said its review is ongoing and stressed that many of the files remain heavily redacted to protect victims. Further disclosures are expected in the coming weeks.
Epstein, a wealthy financier and socialite, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he maintained a cordial relationship with Donald Trump, who told New York magazine in 2002: “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy.”
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