House Democrats met Tuesday to discuss President Joe Biden’s candidacy, but one lawmaker wanted to know why the press has spent a second week on that story instead of looking at recently released Florida court documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
“We hear a lot from our constituents on different issues,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said at the news conference Tuesday. “But something I’ve heard that doesn’t seem to be being covered are the Epstein files.”
He explained that Trump is all over the documents with photos of him as well as rape allegations from children. The details have trended on the social media site X under the tag #TrumpPedoFiles.
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“And by the way, he was convicted in a civil court for sexual assault and convicted in a state court for 34 felonies. Donald Trump should drop out of the race,” said Lieu.
A jury found Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll and awarded her millions, agreeing that Trump defamed her.
In a surprise move, Circuit Judge Luis Delgado ordered the documents be released last week, shortly before the Fourth of July holiday.
“The testimony taken by the Grand Jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape — all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal,” the judge wrote.
Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Joseph Abruzzo worked for the past three years trying to get the records released to the public, The Washington Post reported.
“The public, and the victims specifically, want to know how he was able to get a slap on the wrist and go on for decades, continuing these heinous acts to hundreds, or more, underage girls or women,” he said.
Trump called Epstein many times between 2004 and 2006, the Post cited from the documents.
“Former Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta, who later became Donald Trump’s labor secretary, approved a secret agreement in which Epstein pleaded guilty to lesser state charges rather than face federal prosecution,” the report also said.
Acosta, who also served as a clerk for Samuel Alito, was forced out of the Trump administration when the deal he gave Epstein was revealed.
Insider’s Jacob Shamsian explained that Trump is the likely individual referred to as “Doe 174.” It identified the individual as saying, “I wish her well,” when referring to Epstein’s girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is now serving 20 years in prison for her involvement.
District Judge Hon. Loretta A. Preska weighed the privacy rights of the 200 Does, deciding that 174 had already been reported widely.
“It’s easy to see where Trump fits into them,” Insider said. “They are all transcripts of depositions from Ransome, Giuffre, and Epstein’s Palm Beach housekeeper Juan Alessi, all of whom were asked about Epstein’s relationships with celebrities and other powerful people.”
Epstein took his own life while in prison in 2019.
