Ex-police chief said Trump told him in 2006 ‘everyone’ knew of Epstein’s behaviour
Former Florida Police Chief Claims Trump Called Him in 2006 About Epstein’s Behavior
An FBI document released as part of the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files alleges that a former Palm Beach police chief received a call from Donald Trump in 2006. According to the document, Trump told the officer “everyone” knows about Epstein’s behavior, suggesting awareness of his alleged misconduct.
FBI Interview Summary
The document is a written record of a 2019 FBI interview with the former police chief, whose name is redacted. He claims Trump called him after the department initiated an investigation into Epstein. During the call, Trump reportedly said:
“Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.”
The interview subject is identified as Michael Reiter, who later told the Miami Herald that he received the call from Trump. Reiter also stated that Trump informed him in a July 2006 conversation that he had expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club and that “people in New York knew he was disgusting.”
Trump’s Denial and Context
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, asserting he was unaware of his crimes. In 2019, when Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking, Trump said:
“No, I had no idea. I had no idea. I haven’t spoken to him in many, many years.”
Reiter further claims Trump mentioned Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein’s “operative” and emphasized focusing on her, calling her “evil.” Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein’s exploitation of underage girls.
Justice Department Response
A justice department official told the BBC:
“We are not aware of any corroborating evidence that the president contacted law enforcement 20 years ago.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked about the call during a briefing, said:
“May or may not have happened in 2006. I don’t know the answer.”
Leavitt added that Trump’s account of expelling Epstein from Mar-a-Lago “remains true in this call.” If the call occurred, she said it would “corroborate exactly what President Trump has said from the beginning.”
The BBC has also reached out to Reiter for further comment. Trump and Epstein socialized and appeared together in photographs during the 1990s, but the specific details of their relationship and Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s activities remain under scrutiny.
