US House Committee Subpoenas Epstein's 'Birthday Book' from Estate
A US panel investigating the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein has requested that the executors of his estate produce a number of documents, including a book said to have contained personal messages for his 50th birthday.
The subpoena from James Comer, the leader of the House Oversight Committee, represents an expansion of his investigation into Epstein, the disgraced late paedophile financier.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the birthday book his associate Ghislaine Maxwell created in 2003 contained submissions from various Epstein acquaintances, including a bawdy note allegedly bearing the name of Donald Trump, who was then his friend.
Trump has denied writing any such letter.
The subpoena requests that the executors of Epstein's estate provide all entries contained within the reported leather-bound book compiled by Ms Ghislaine Maxwell with a deadline of 8 September for compliance.
Among other papers, it also requests non-disclosure agreements executed by Epstein over a three-decade period and his will preceding his 2019 death in jail.
It further demands any document or record that could suggest potential clients involved in sex trafficking by Epstein. Unreleased Epstein files could potentially implicate high-profile associates besides Maxwell.
However, the US Department of Justice and FBI have stated that no such client list exists. Maxwell, who is serving time in jail for her involvement in Epstein's offenses, also denied the existence of a list in a recent interview.
As scrutiny increases, Trump's camp has met pressure from supporters and members of his own party to disclose what past investigations revealed about Epstein.
Trump has been informed that his name appears within files related to these investigations. While he has been friends with Epstein, he claims the relationship ended around 2004 and that being mentioned in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
Initially, Trump indicated he would support the release of more information but has since declared the matter closed amid critiques from supporters demanding transparency.
