US President Donald Trump came under renewed scrutiny on Monday after the House Oversight Committee released more records from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including a leather-bound album titled ‘The First Fifty Years’. The 2003 birthday compilation, prepared by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, includes a sexually suggestive sketch with a letter purportedly signed by Trump. The White House dismissed the document as “fake news” and vowed to continue legal action against media outlets that previously reported on it.
What does the letter show?
The letter, first described by the Wall Street Journal in July, appears on the outline of a nude woman. It contains a short exchange between “Donald” and “Jeffrey,” ending with the line: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump’s name and signature are printed on the page. The White House insists Trump neither wrote nor signed the message.
Inside ‘The First Fifty Years’:
The leather-bound book, titled The First Fifty Years, contains a mix of handwritten and typed messages from Epstein’s friends, family members and girlfriends, alongside childhood memories. Many of the handwritten entries are difficult to read, according to a review by CBS News.Beyond letters, the compilation includes Epstein’s birth certificate, photographs from his childhood through adulthood, images of women in bikinis, a chocolate chip cookie recipe, pages of math equations, and several sexually explicit stories.The book is organized into sections such as “family,” “Brooklyn,” “girlfriends,” “children,” “friends,” “science,” “girl-friends,” “special assistants” and “business.” A prologue was written by Ghislaine Maxwell.One drawing depicts an adult man handing balloons to young girls, marked with the year 1983. Next to it is a second sketch showing an older man receiving a massage from three nearly nude women in 2003, captioned: “What a great country!” The author of the drawing is unclear.Several women who contributed to the “girlfriends” section described their encounters with Epstein. One recalled that Maxwell had called her to book a massage for her “employer” in 1993.She wrote that she massaged Epstein’s feet and was asked to fly with him to Florida that same evening, though she declined. “Epstein called me when he returned ‘and my life was forever changed,’” she wrote, adding that she was grateful for the opportunities he later provided.Another contributor described meeting Maxwell in Palm Beach, where she was allegedly asked to provide topless photographs for Epstein.“I came to see you some months later, you told me to take off my top,” the woman recalled. “With the usual Epstein smile you looked at my breasts and said ‘yeah, I was right.’ Memory served you correctly. The beauty mark was on the right breast,” according to CBS News. The compilation closes with a note from Maxwell herself, beginning with the words: “To the next fifty years.” She concluded: “The next fifty years will be even more wonderful.”
Contributions from Bill Clinton and others:
The Wall Street Journal reported that there were entries from Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton that appeared in the “friends” section. Clinton’s handwritten note praised Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and friendship.Other contributors included billionaire Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, media mogul Mort Zuckerman and Epstein’s brother Mark.
Congress releases Epstein files:
The release of The First Fifty Years comes a week after the House Oversight Committee made public 33,000 pages of Justice Department records on Epstein, including flight logs, court documents and video footage.Lawmakers across both parties have called for full disclosure of Epstein’s connections, with survivors of his abuse demanding transparency, as reported by CBS News. As part of its latest subpoena, the committee ordered Epstein’s estate to hand over his will, nondisclosure agreements, address books, and financial records, in addition to the birthday album. Former officials, including past attorneys general and FBI directors, have also been summoned for testimony.
White House and Trump’s response:
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said that Trump’s legal team will continue pursuing litigation against the Wall Street Journal for publishing the letter earlier this year. “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it,” she said. Trump himself dismissed the matter as a “hoax” and urged Congress to move on.
