Democrats have published a contentious letter purportedly from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, wishing the deceased sex offender happy birthday and teasing at an unstated "wonderful secret." The missive emerged just days after the former U.S. president publicly denied ever having written such a message.
The Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, who are reviewing how criminal cases involving Epstein were managed, released the document on social media after it was given by Epstein's estate.
The note, inserted in a drawing of a naked woman, was included in a set of communications from Epstein's friends, according to reports. The set was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a prison term, to mark Epstein's 50th birthday.
Blowing hot and cold on the news, the White House doubled down on the dismissal of the authenticity of the letter. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "It's very clear President Donald Trump did not draw this picture and he did not sign it."
The supposed birthday message contains a short conversation penned between "Donald" and "Jeffrey."
"We have certain things in common," says Donald, to which Jeffrey responds: "Yes, we do, come to think of it."
"Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" Donald asks.
"As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you," Jeffrey says.
"A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret," the note ends, followed by Mr Trump's signature, which takes the place of pubic hair on the nude outline.
Donald Trump, 79, has taken The Wall Street Journal to a $US10 billion ($15 billion) lawsuit after the newspaper broke the story about the contentious letter, claiming he had never written it.
"President Trump's legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Jeffrey Epstein — the wealthy financier with influential international connections — was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on charges of sex trafficking underage girls hired to give sexual massages.
Trump's base has obsessed over the Epstein scandal for years, believing that "deep state" actors protected a sex ring by the financier's cohorts, particularly in Hollywood and among the Democratic Party.
When Trump moved into the White House, he promised to get to the bottom of Epstein conspiracy theories quickly. However, frustration among his followers grew in July when the FBI and Justice Department found that Epstein had committed suicide, had not blackmail any notable persons, and did not have a "client list."
As criticism of Trump's own historical friendship with Epstein mounted, he tried to get away from the scandal. Meanwhile, Democrats — and a handful of Republicans who dared risk Trump's wrath — called harder for complete disclosure of all judicial records associated with Epstein.
The Republican-led Oversight Committee has subpoenas asking for Justice Department records and depositions from well-known individuals, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Epstein’s so-called “birthday book” contained letters from numerous acquaintances, including Mr Clinton. In its handling of the case, Trump’s Justice Department also questioned Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s long-time associate now serving a 20-year sentence for grooming underage girls.
The interview was given by Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche, who had before acted as Trump's personal attorney. After the interview, the Justice Department made public transcripts and an audio recording in which Maxwell characterized Trump as being affable with Epstein but stressed that he was "never inappropriate with anybody."
Now 63, Maxwell, the sole Epstein associate to be convicted in relation to his offenses, was subsequently transferred from a Florida jail to a minimum-security prison in Texas following the interview with Blanche.
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