...
By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly said in a letter that "Our President" loved "young, nubile girls," according to newly released files.
A letter signed "J. Epstein" and addressed to an "L.N,"—alleged to be sex offender and former Olympic doctor Larry Nassar—refers to a president who "loved to 'grab snatch'" and is included in the latest collection of Epstein documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The letter—which the DOJ denounced as fake later on Tuesday—is postmarked August 13, 2019, three days after Epstein died in custody in what was ruled a suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The letter also references taking a "''short route' home."
Read More on News
It does not name President Donald Trump, who was in office at the time and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, insisting their friendship ended in the early 2000s.
Newsweek has not been able to verify the letter and cannot verify the allegations it makes.
While the FBI declined to comment to Newsweek, the DOJ said FBI analysis had concluded the letter was fake, as the writing did not appear to match Epstein’s; the letter was postmarked out of Northern Virginia rather than New York where he was jailed; and it did not include his inmate number, which was required for outgoing mail.
The White House referred Newsweek to an earlier DOJ statement that said some of the released documents contain "untrue and sensationalist claims" against Trump which are "unfounded and false."
Why It Matters
The Epstein files have caused continuous problems for the Trump administration. He had called for their release while on the campaign trail, but backtracked once in office, sparking criticism and calls for greater transparency. After Congress voted for their release in November, Trump signed The Epstein Files Transparency Act to publicly release files associated with Epstein.
Since Friday, the DOJ has released hundreds of thousands of documents, videos and audio transcripts in several heavily redacted batches. Critics have raised concerns about transparency, but the DOJ maintains the redactions are necessary to protect victims' identities and ongoing investigations.
What To Know
The letter, which is available on the DOJ's website as part of the tranche of released documents, reads: "As you know by now, I have taken the 'short route' home. Good luck! We shared one thing... our love & caring for young ladies and the hope they'd reach their full potential.
"Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls. When a young beauty walked by he loved to 'grab snatch,' whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair. Yours J. Epstein."
...
A photograph of the envelope shows the letter was sent from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City to Nassar, who was listed as an inmate at a federal prison in Arizona. It is marked as "return to sender," as the addressee was "no longer at this address."
The Associated Press in 2023 reported Epstein had reached out to Nassar via a letter which was found in Epstein's jail mail room weeks after his death, though Newsweek cannot verify this account or whether it was the same letter.
The release comes after the DOJ said on Sunday it had restored an image of Trump in the files that had been removed on Saturday. The department said prosecutors had warned it could expose Epstein victims but that after a review it had been deemed safe to include.
What People Are Saying
The Department of Justice wrote on X Tuesday morning: "The Department of Justice has officially released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.
"To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already. Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims."
Eight hours later, the Department of Justice wrote on X: "The FBI has confirmed this alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is FAKE. The fake letter was received by the jail, and flagged for the FBI at the time. The FBI made this conclusion based on the following facts: -The writing does not appear to match Jeffrey Epstein’s. -The letter was postmarked three days after Epstein's death out of Northern Virginia, when he was jailed in New York. -The return address did not list the jail where Epstein was held and did not include his inmate number, which is required for outgoing mail.
"This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual. Nevertheless, the DOJ will continue to release all material required by law."
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson previously told Newsweek in response to a request for comment: "The Trump administration is the most transparent in history. Attorney General Bondi is doing an excellent job delivering on the president’s promises. If these Democrats cared about truth and transparency they would be demanding answers from Bill Clinton, [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries, and [House delegate] Stacey Plaskett."
What Happens Next
The DOJ has said more files will be released in the coming weeks.
Update, 12/23/25, 4:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new comments from the Department of Justice.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines