The newest batch of documents reveals connections between some of America’s most powerful government officials and a convicted sex offender. At least six people now serving in top roles within the Trump administration appear in files related to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a detailed review by NBC News.
These files, released by the Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, contain millions of pages. They show a range of ties to the late financier, from brief social contacts to more involved business dealings.
The level of connection varies greatly from person to person. Some officials knew Epstein through casual social events, while others had more regular contact.
Understanding the Connections
Not all connections carry the same weight. Some people appeared in a single email from years ago. Others show up in flight records or business documents spanning several years. The files themselves do not prove wrongdoing by anyone mentioned. Instead, they reveal who moved in similar social circles as Epstein during different points in his life.
Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had previously served time after pleading guilty in 2008 to crimes involving underage girls. Many wealthy and prominent people knew him during his years as a financier and socialite, particularly before his first conviction.
The Mehmet Oz Connection
Dr. Mehmet Oz now runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A 2016 email shows he invited Epstein to a Valentine’s Day party. The message was sent eight years after Epstein’s guilty plea in Florida. The email subject line read “Mehmet and Lisa Oz’s Valentine’s Celebration” and included a link to an invitation for an event at their Palm Beach address.
Whether Epstein actually attended remains unclear. The link to the digital invitation no longer works. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has not commented on the matter.
Stephen Feinberg’s Business Ties
The number two official at the Pentagon, Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, shows up frequently in the documents. Most mentions connect to his company, Cerberus Capital Management. The billionaire financier founded this investment firm decades ago.
Documents from between 2009 and 2018 include business records with Feinberg’s name on them. Some involve Deutsche Bank, which handled banking for Epstein. Email exchanges between bank employees suggest compliance staff were reviewing accounts connected to Cerberus and Feinberg.
Why these papers ended up in the Epstein files stays unknown. Neither Cerberus nor Pentagon officials have explained the connection. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to provide any statement on the matter.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Fossil Hunt
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears in both flight logs and email conversations between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The emails mention a trip they all took together to hunt for dinosaur fossils in the Dakotas.
In a 2012 email exchange, Epstein told Maxwell he had recently gone fossil hunting with an expert. Maxwell replied asking if that was the same trip they took with Bobby Kennedy to North Dakota. During a later interview, Maxwell confirmed the trip happened around 1993 or 1994. She said she never saw Kennedy do anything inappropriate.
Kennedy spoke about these trips publicly before taking his current role. He told NewsNation his wife knew Maxwell, and they accepted a ride on Epstein’s plane when visiting his mother. He emphasized his two children and wife were on that flight. The fossil hunting trip came a year or two later, he said. Kennedy stressed these were his only interactions with Epstein aside from occasional social events.
Howard Lutnick’s Island Visit
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had previously said he avoided Epstein after 2005. He told the New York Post that Epstein disgusted him and that he stayed away from any event Epstein attended. But emails from 2012 tell a different story.
