Unredacted Epstein Files Contradict Trump's Mar-A-Lago Statements, Lawmaker Says

Rep. Jamie Raskin claims documents show Trump allowed Epstein as a guest, despite previous denials.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, says unredacted documents from the Epstein investigation appear to contradict President Trump's longstanding assertion that he barred the late sex offender from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Raskin claims an email from Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell included details of a conversation between Epstein's lawyers and Trump's attorneys around 2009, in which Trump was quoted as saying Epstein had never been a member but had been a guest and 'never been asked to leave'.

Why it matters

The revelations, if true, could undermine Trump's previous claims about his relationship with Epstein and raise further questions about the former president's ties to the disgraced financier. The Epstein case has long been a political flashpoint, with both Democrats and Republicans seeking to distance themselves from the convicted sex offender.

The details

Raskin said he reviewed the unredacted documents at a new Justice Department satellite office in Washington, D.C. He claims the email from Epstein to Maxwell contained details of a conversation between Epstein's lawyers and Trump's attorneys around 2009, in which Trump was quoted as saying Epstein had never been a member of Mar-a-Lago but had been a guest and 'never been asked to leave.' Raskin said this information was redacted from the public files for an 'indeterminate, inscrutable reason' and appears to contradict Trump's previous statements on the matter.

  • Raskin reviewed the unredacted Epstein documents on Monday, February 10, 2026.
  • The email from Epstein to Maxwell that Raskin referenced was said to have occurred around 2009.

The players

Representative Jamie Raskin

The ranking member on the House Oversight Committee who was granted access to view unredacted copies of the Epstein files at a new Justice Department facility in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who has long asserted that he barred Jeffrey Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, a claim that appears to be contradicted by the unredacted Epstein documents reviewed by Raskin.

Jeffrey Epstein

The late financier and convicted sex offender whose relationship with Trump has been a source of political controversy.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Epstein's co-conspirator who was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges related to Epstein's abuse of underage girls.

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What they’re saying

“And that was redacted for some indeterminate, inscrutable reason. It seems to be at odds with some of the things that President Trump has been saying recently about how he had kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club.”

— Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, House Oversight Committee (Newsweek)

What’s next

The Justice Department has so far released around 3.5 million files concerning Epstein, but Raskin said they have withheld 'three million documents,' and that on Monday he and other lawmakers had been given four computers and been able to review only dozens of files. Further review of the unredacted documents could yield additional revelations about Trump's relationship with Epstein.

The takeaway

The potential contradictions between the unredacted Epstein documents and Trump's past statements about barring Epstein from Mar-a-Lago raise serious questions about the former president's ties to the disgraced financier. This development could reignite political debates over Epstein's connections to powerful figures and the extent to which those relationships were concealed from the public.