Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released on Monday a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein, purportedly signed by President Donald Trump, which he has denied writing.
The letter was part of a 50th birthday album compiled in 2003 for Epstein, the wealthy and well-connected financier who was once a friend of Trump’s. On Monday night, the committee released the full album, which also listed names of other prominent figures such as former President Bill Clinton and attorney Alan Dershowitz in a “friends” section, and included other letters with sexually provocative language, AP reports.
Trump has insisted he did not write the letter or create the drawing of a curvaceous woman that frames it, and has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its earlier reporting linking him to the note.
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich shared images on X of Trump’s signature over the years, arguing “it’s not his signature.”
As House Republicans left the Capitol Monday night, many dismissed questions about the letter.
“It’s not his signature. I’ve seen Donald Trump sign a million things,” said Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.
Rep. Thomas Massie, who is leading a bipartisan effort to force a House vote on releasing Justice Department files on Epstein, also downplayed the letter’s relevance.
“It doesn’t prove anything. Having a birthday card from Trump doesn’t help the survivors and the victims,” Massie said.
The disclosure comes as Trump faces growing pressure to push for more transparency in the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell case. Epstein was accused of paying underage girls for massages before molesting them, while Maxwell was convicted of luring teenage girls to be abused by him.
The release also renews attention on Trump’s past friendship with Epstein, which he has said ended about two decades ago after a falling-out. Trump recently claimed he cut ties because Epstein “stole” young women — including Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers — who had worked at his Mar-a-Lago resort spa.
The case against Epstein emerged more than a decade after he reached a secret deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to resolve similar allegations. During his presidential campaign, Trump suggested he would push to open government files on Epstein, though much of the information released so far was already public.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee obtained the birthday album on Monday as part of a batch of documents from Epstein’s estate.
Trump has rejected any link to the note or drawing, calling The Wall Street Journal’s reporting “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
“These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” Trump said.
The letter, released by the committee, matches The Wall Street Journal’s earlier description. It bears Trump’s name and what appears to be his signature, framed by the drawing of a curvaceous woman.
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the letter reads.
The disclosure comes as calls grow in Congress for the release of the so-called Epstein files, amid years of speculation and conspiracy theories. Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance before taking office, have also demanded the release of records.
The Justice Department in August began turning over records from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation to the House Oversight Committee.
Last month, the committee subpoenaed the Epstein estate for documents, including his last will and testament, agreements with prosecutors, contact books, and records of financial transactions and holdings.
