Justice Department releases Epstein files containing sexual assault allegations against Trump

The Justice Department has released a trove of previously unreleased documents from the Epstein files that include notes from FBI interviews with a woman who says she was assaulted by President Trump when she was a minor. The woman claims that Trump assaulted her in the 1980s and that she was also a victim of Epstein. Justice correspondent Ali Rogin reports.

Jeff Bennett:

The Justice Department has released a trove of previously unreleased documents from the Epstein files that include notes from FBI interviews with a woman who says she was assaulted by President Trump when she was a minor.

In interviews with the FBI, the woman claimed that she was assaulted by Mr. Trump in the 1980s, and that she was also a victim of Epstein’s assault. The documents were released after several media outlets discovered they were missing from the initial mass release of the files.

For more, our justice correspondent, Ali Rogin, joins us now.

So, Ali, tell us more about what’s in these documents.

Ali Rogin:

Jeff, these documents are known as 302 files. There are summaries of three interviews the FBI conducted with this accuser, in which she claimed that Epstein brought her to meet Trump sometime between the ages of 13 and 15.

She details in graphic terms Trump’s alleged sexual assault against her and how she fought back. She also says she had two additional interactions with Trump, but before she expanded on that further, she asked if she could move on to another topic.

During the final interview with the accuser, the FBI asked if she felt comfortable sharing more information about her contacts with Trump. She said at the time that she didn’t know what the point was when there was a strong possibility that nothing would be done about it. It’s unclear, Jeff, whether there was any additional follow-up after that last interview.

Jeff Bennett:

Why were these documents not published initially?

Ali Rogin:

These three summaries are actually part of a set of four. That other document was released as part of the initial keynote slide that we saw in late January.

This summary was an interview in which the defendant focused on Epstein and did not mention Trump. These others, too – these others, of course, mention Trump’s allegations. Reporters discovered the discrepancy because the four summary descriptions of the interviews were included in the list provided to Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer.

In a statement posted on social media, the Justice Department said the interviews were incorrectly deemed repetitive and were later published. The Justice Department also says unredacted versions of the documents will be available to members of Congress for review.

But reporters noted that even now additional documents are still missing. Independent journalist Roger Sullenberger has been following this closely. He pointed out that there are at least 37 pages still missing. This includes notes that informed these summaries, as well as internal communication that would remind you how to resolve the situation with the accused.

Jeff Bennett:

What does the White House say about all this?

Ali Rogin:

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt issued a statement calling the accusations completely baseless and saying they came from — quote — “a sadly disturbed woman with a lengthy criminal history.”

Jeff Bennett:

If the accused is unknown, how will she know it is true?

Ali Rogin:

There are some details in the summaries of these interviews in which the accused talks about her arrest as a minor.

While these claims remain unconfirmed, there’s a new report for Jeff tonight from Julie K. Brown of The Miami Herald, who revealed more about the Epstein story, saying that Justice Department officials who spoke to this woman found her credible and that they would not have interviewed her four times if they had not.

Jeff Bennett:

Ali Rogin, thank you very much for this report.

Ali Rogin:

You bet.