Phone calls between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump were arranged quarterly by Epstein’s own office, his longtime assistant told Congress on Tuesday — a disclosure that directly undercuts Trump’s claim of minimal contact with the convicted sex trafficker.
Lesley Groff, who worked for Epstein from 2001 until his 2019 arrest, gave a closed-door transcribed interview to the committee on June 9. Lawmakers who spoke to reporters confirmed she set up the calls during the period before Trump took office. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) told reporters that Groff confirmed arranging multiple calls before Trump became president.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) said Groff described the frequency as “about once a quarter before that time period.” Groff declined to reveal the content of those conversations, responding to questions with “I don’t recall” and “I don’t know.”
Groff told the committee she “never saw anything improper” and said Epstein had deceived her into believing the massage sessions she booked for him involved qualified therapists. Democratic members pushed back. Lynch questioned whether Groff could credibly maintain she saw nothing improper, given her direct role in arranging those appointments. Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) told Politico it was not “remotely plausible” she had no knowledge of Epstein’s conduct.
Groff has never faced criminal charges. Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the co-executors of Epstein’s estate identify her as the person who “made travel arrangements for the girls” and scheduled Epstein’s massage sessions. Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement named her as an unindicted co-conspirator. Her name appears more than 160,000 times across the Epstein files the Justice Department has released.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), ranking member of the committee, said Groff provided a significant volume of new information. Committee chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) separately confirmed Groff named three previously unidentified abusers — names the committee has not yet publicly released.
Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s and has not been charged with any crime connected to the investigation. The White House told Newsweek the president “has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him” by cooperating with the committee’s subpoena process.
Related: ‘I Love You, Sir’: The Problems Facing Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination
A separate document makes far more serious — and unverified — claims
Groff’s testimony was not the only Epstein development on June 9. The Miami New Times reported that an FBI intake document in the Justice Department’s Epstein files contains allegations from a single tipster that Trump knew about and funded underage sex parties at a Trump-owned golf course.
The document, dated June 21, 2021, summarizes a call to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center. The tipster — described as an alleged victim, a former Sinaloa Cartel member, and a self-described close confidant of Epstein and Maxwell — alleged Trump knew of and funded “underage sex parties at the Donald Trump Golf course,” and claimed to possess recordings of Trump, Epstein, and Maxwell discussing “marketing strategies” for the events. The document does not identify which golf course the caller referenced.
The document contains no indication that investigators corroborated those claims. FBI intake reports log tips regardless of whether they are ultimately substantiated — they are not findings, indictments, or conclusions.
Other FBI summaries in the same release indicate investigators later deemed tipsters making similar allegations not credible. No publicly released records show that investigators excavated any Trump golf course. The White House did not respond to the Miami New Times’ press inquiry.
Information for this story was found via the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
