According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein made efforts to establish connections within Donald Trump’s inner circle during the 2016 presidential election. Epstein, who died in 2019, arranged meetings between two affluent Trump supporters, billionaire Peter Thiel and real-estate investor Thomas Barrack, and Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the U.N.
Sources familiar with Trump and supporting documents confirmed these revelations. However, Thiel dismissed the significance of the meeting with Churkin, stating that it led to “nothing memorable.” Thiel admitted to being oblivious about Epstein’s true agenda as a financier and influencer.
Barrack, on the other hand, declined to comment on the matter when approached by the Journal.
In response to Epstein’s actions, a spokesperson for Trump clarified that none of the individuals Epstein contacted were associated with the Trump campaign. It was further revealed that Trump had banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach, Fla., residence. Although Epstein and Trump were acquainted in the 1990s, they had a falling out and distanced themselves from each other, as widely reported.
Notably, Epstein died by an apparent suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal sex-trafficking charges.
Furthermore, Epstein remains a central figure in two ongoing legal proceedings. The U.S. Virgin Islands has sued JPMorgan Chase & Co. over allegations of facilitating Epstein’s illicit operations. Additionally, JPMorgan has filed a separate lawsuit against Jes Staley, a former bank executive who collaborated with Epstein.
Also read: Leon Black Refuses to Address Financial Dealings with Jeffrey Epstein as Senate Committee Unveils Tax Probe
