Recently released court records pertaining to the late Jeffrey Epstein have made accusations against well-known people. In a string of 2016 emails to then-New York Post journalist Maureen Callahan, Sarah Ransome—one of Epstein’s accusers—said she possessed copies of tapes that Epstein had made of some of his well-known pals. These recordings purportedly captured Richard Branson, Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton having sex with an anonymous woman.
Among Ransome’s accusations was that Trump had slept with one of her friends at Epstein’s New York estate. She talked about how Trump seemed to be interested in her acquaintance and brought up his remarks regarding her “pert nipples.” Later on, Ransome withdrew her accusations, saying in an email that she wished to “walk away from this” and that she was worried for her family’s safety.
In a 2019 New Yorker piece, Ransome acknowledged that she had made up the records in order to highlight Epstein’s actions. Trump, Clinton, and Branson’s representatives have refuted the accusations or opted not to respond. A Virgin Group representative rejected Ransome’s accusations as unfounded, citing her admission that she had fabricated the tapes.
The emails were a part of the defamation case that Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre brought against Epstein’s colleague, Ghislaine Maxwell. In an attempt to discredit Ransome, attorneys representing Alan Dershowitz—Epstein’s previous attorney who Giuffre accused of sexual abuse—argued that Ransome’s lack of credibility should be taken into account given the circumstances of the case.
The 327 pages of previously unsealed records add to the wealth of evidence that has come to light on Epstein’s ties to the powerful and wealthy. Accounts from Epstein’s young victims and former colleagues are included in the records, which provide insight into the scope of his illegal activity.