A former Florida police chief says Donald Trump told him in July 2006 that “everyone” was aware of Jeffrey Epstein’s actions—an account in FBI files that contradicts Trump’s later public comments about his onetime associate.
Michael Reiter, who stepped down as Palm Beach police chief in 2009, confirmed to the Miami Herald that he was the person whose name was redacted in the FBI record. Reiter described the exchange during an October 2019 FBI interview related to investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse.
The FBI document states that Trump phoned Reiter in July 2006 and said: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him; everyone has known he’s been doing this.” The call came as accusations against Epstein were escalating in Palm Beach, where police had interviewed numerous underage victims throughout 2005 and 2006.
According to the FBI summary, Trump told Reiter that everyone was aware of Epstein’s behavior. This conflicts with Trump’s July 2019 remarks, after Epstein’s arrest, in which he said he knew nothing about Epstein’s abuse of teenage girls.
The Department of Justice said it had no additional evidence verifying Trump’s 2006 call. The statement was issued after questions arose about the FBI document recounting Reiter’s version of events.
Reiter’s FBI interview also included other details from that July 2006 conversation. According to the document, Trump said, “he got the hell out when teenagers were present.” Trump also referred to Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein’s operative and called her evil, urging Reiter to concentrate on her.
Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and later convicted for assisting Epstein. She was found guilty of recruiting, grooming, and abusing underage girls.
The disclosures about Trump’s 2006 comments complicate the timeline of what he knew. After Maxwell’s 2020 arrest, Trump publicly wished her well and acknowledged that he had met her multiple times, especially given their shared Palm Beach ties.
These remarks differ sharply from how Trump characterized Maxwell in 2006, according to Reiter. Calling her evil then stands in contrast to Trump’s more neutral tone years later.
Epstein’s case ended with a disputed 2008 plea deal that spared him federal charges. Despite work by Palm Beach police, the FBI, and federal prosecutors from 2005 to 2006, Epstein secured a lenient agreement, pleading to state prostitution charges rather than facing federal prosecution.
Epstein died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on new federal sex trafficking charges. His death reignited scrutiny of his ties to powerful individuals in politics, business, and entertainment.
The late Virginia Giuffre became one of the most outspoken survivors. She said Epstein abused her and trafficked her to prominent men, including former Prince Andrew, who has denied wrongdoing.
Trump’s connection to Epstein became a topic in his political campaigns, during which he pledged to release the Epstein files—a promise that appealed to supporters demanding transparency about Epstein’s elite network.
The president ultimately signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Department of Justice to disclose all investigative materials. Trump has continued to call the matter a hoax even though records show he and Epstein were close before distancing themselves.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, interviewed Maxwell over two days about the Epstein case while she was in prison. Shortly afterward, in August, she was transferred to a minimum-security facility.
The transfer prompted criticism from Democrats, who raised concerns about possible witness tampering.
Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment during a House Oversight Committee deposition on Monday, February 9. Her lawyer said she would testify in exchange for clemency, claiming she could clear both Trump and Bill Clinton.
The Department of Justice released three million Epstein-related files, offering new insight into the scale of his criminal operations and his ties to influential figures.
The House Oversight Committee released additional documents that further challenged Trump’s narrative about Epstein. The White House responded by reaffirming that Trump removed Epstein from Mar-a-Lago years earlier for inappropriate behavior toward female staff.
Palm Beach police, led by Reiter, played a central role in building the original case against Epstein.
The case remains in the public eye as more DOJ files are released, continuing to highlight the influential figures within Epstein’s circle and raising questions about what they knew regarding his crimes against young women and girls.
