Former US President Donald Trump has strongly refuted any association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, dismissing any claims linking the two as false. Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, responded to the release of court documents involving Epstein by asserting that allegations about Trump's ties with Epstein had been thoroughly debunked.
Epstein faced charges in 2019 related to operating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Epstein of abusing her as a minor and implicated Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's girlfriend, in aiding the abuse. Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial, and Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, as per media reports.
Trump and Epstein were reportedly acquainted, with Trump acknowledging their association in a 2002 interview with New York magazine where he referred to Epstein as a "terrific guy." While Trump had flown on Epstein's jet multiple times and had once spoken positively about him, he distanced himself following Epstein's arrest, claiming they had not communicated for years.
In recently unsealed court documents, a deposition from Johanna Sjoberg mentioned traveling from Florida to Atlantic City with Epstein, allegedly planning to visit one of Trump's casinos. Sjoberg's testimony indicated that they did visit a Trump casino, and Giuffre was purportedly barred due to her age. When asked if she had massaged Trump, Sjoberg denied any such occurrence, as reported by Newsweek.
While Trump had flown on Epstein's jet several times between 1993 and 1997, with flights between Florida and New York City, no allegations of wrongdoing were directed at individuals named in the documents. Trump has not been implicated in any offenses associated with Epstein or Maxwell, clarified the news magazine.
The release of these documents prompted MAGA influencers on social media platforms to assert that the documents indicated no involvement of Trump in any unlawful behavior. Additionally, Britain's Prince Andrew, accused by Giuffre of engaging in sexual activities when she was a 17-year-old trafficking victim, was also mentioned in the documents.
Prince Andrew settled a case brought by Giuffre in 2022 outside of court, paying an undisclosed sum thought to be substantial. He denied her allegations without admitting liability. Another former President, Bill Clinton, was also named in the documents without specific accusations leveled against him.
(With Agency Inputs)
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