President Donald Trump has initiated an official investigation into prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, for their alleged connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. This move, ordered through US Attorney General Pam Bondi, comes amidst Trump's vow to 'bring down' Bill and Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. A White House source indicated that Trump's argument questions why Democrats did not release the full Epstein Files under President Biden if there was significant information to disclose. Trump has faced scrutiny over his own links to Epstein, claiming he ceased contact before Epstein's 2008 conviction for child sex offences. However, an email released as part of a 20,000-document dump shows Epstein stating that Trump 'knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.' Trump has consistently denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes, labeling the accusations against him a 'political witch-hunt.' This legal action against the Clintons could potentially delay the release of more Epstein documents, as Congress prepares to vote on whether to publish an estimated five million documents to the public. The Clintons have denied any wrongdoing, with Bill Clinton admitting to traveling on Epstein's private plane, dubbed the 'Lolita Express,' but denying visits to his private island. Furthermore, Trump's links to Epstein re-emerged with Democrats releasing emails where Epstein referred to Trump in correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell and author Michael Wolff. One 2011 email from Epstein to Maxwell claimed that a victim 'spent hours at my house with him,' while an August 2018 email from Epstein stated, 'I know how dirty Donald is.' Ms. Leavitt confirmed the victim referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who, according to Ms. Leavitt, had repeatedly absolved President Trump of any wrongdoing. Trump himself dismissed the document release as a 'deflection' from the US government shutdown, calling the renewed focus on Epstein a 'hoax' orchestrated by Democrats.

Separately, newly released emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein's efforts to connect his associates with high-profile individuals, including the former Duke of York, Prince Andrew. In January 2010, just six months after his release from jail, Epstein urged Boris Nikolic, a former adviser to Bill Gates and later an executor of Epstein's will, to meet Prince Andrew during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, asserting that Andrew was 'great fun.' Prince Andrew was officially present at Davos to promote British interests in his capacity as UK special representative for international trade and investment. The email exchange showed Nikolic reporting his meetings with Bill Clinton and Nicolas Sarkozy before his scheduled meeting with Prince Andrew regarding Microsoft. Epstein explicitly told Nikolic, 'You can tell Andrew we are friends,' and insisted Nikolic needed to meet Andrew for laughter and fun. Nikolic, initially skeptical about Andrew's 'fun' reputation, later reported to Epstein that Andrew was 'great.' Nikolic, who was 'shocked' to be named a back-up executor, has stated he would not fulfill these duties.

The extensive cache of over 20,000 documents, obtained by the House oversight committee from Epstein's estate and released by the US Congress, also illuminated other significant connections. One email suggested Epstein helped arrange a 2010 meeting in Davos between Jes Staley, former bank boss at Barclays, Lord Mandelson, and Alistair Darling, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Mandelson, despite publicly denouncing Epstein, remained in contact with him as late as 2016, years after Epstein's conviction. Correspondence revealed Mandelson sought relationship advice from Epstein and was advised by Epstein to 'steer clear of Andrew' while maintaining a relationship with 'Rinaldo [sic],' presumably Reinaldo Avilda da Silva, Mandelson's partner. Mandelson also advised Epstein against speaking to Radio 4's Today programme regarding his relationship with Andrew.

Prince Andrew has faced intense scrutiny and pressure to appear before US politicians due to his links with Epstein. Messages released this week indicate Epstein confirmed the authenticity of the infamous photo showing Prince Andrew with a teenage Virginia Giuffre. In 2011, Epstein urged a journalist to investigate Ms. Giuffre, admitting, 'Yes she was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have.' Ms. Giuffre claimed she slept with Andrew after this photo was taken, a claim the former Prince has vehemently denied. The photo, taken by Epstein on a disposable camera, captured a moment before the group, including Ghislaine Maxwell, went to dinner and a nightclub. As a consequence of his association with Epstein, Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal titles and is set to be evicted from Royal Lodge, his 30-room mansion in Windsor. Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee, Suhas Subramanyam, stated that Andrew has not yet responded to the invitation to testify, though he could do so remotely.

Further messages, dating back to 2011, detail an exchange between Andrew, Epstein, and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, occurring months after Andrew claimed he had broken off all contact with Epstein. As The Mail on Sunday sought comment for an exclusive story, Andrew desperately emailed Epstein and Maxwell, pleading for them to clear his name, stating, 'I can't take any more of this.' The email chain shows Maxwell forwarding the press inquiry to Epstein, who then sent it to 'the Duke,' believed to be Andrew. Andrew's panicked response asked, 'What? I don't know any of this. How are you responding?' Epstein dismissed the claims as 'salcisous [sic] and ridiculous.' Andrew then unequivocally pleaded, 'Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations. I can't take any more of this my end.' In July 2011, Epstein actively lobbied journalists to discredit Ms. Giuffre. He told a reporter that Buckingham Palace would 'love it' if Andrew's accuser was 'proven to be a liar,' describing her as a 'fraud' and promising future access to Ascot. Epstein further dismissed her story as having 'no credibility' and being 'total horses****,' falsely claiming she was never 15 years old working for him and implying she first worked for Trump. Andrew and his allies have long questioned the authenticity of the damning picture, with Andrew denying ever meeting Ms. Giuffre in London and claiming the image might have been doctored during his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview. Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence, also dismissed the image as fake from prison, while Andrew's allies cited differences in his appearance.

The far-reaching impact of the Epstein scandal has also affected Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, whose children's book, 'Flora and Fern: Kindness Along The Way,' was abruptly axed. Initially slated for release, the book was subsequently marked as 'withdrawn from sale' at the publisher's request, with an industry source noting it 'makes total sense commercially.' This development adds to Ferguson's controversy, as emails have shown her continued contact with Epstein despite public condemnations. The ongoing congressional inquiry into why Epstein was not brought to justice at a federal level continues, with a vote expected soon on demanding the release of all Epstein files held by the US Department of Justice.