Epstein spurned Trump because he thought he was a ‘crook’, brother claims
The former president’s name has appeared several times in the recently unsealed court documents which detail information about the disgraced financier’s associates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jeffrey Epstein severed ties to Donald Trump when he realised the former president “was a crook”, his brother has claimed.
Mark Epstein, brother of the late paedophile, said he did not have “any specific information” about the reason that the two fell out, but that he had heard video evidence of Epstein’s claims.
Mr Trump’s name has appeared several times in the recently unsealed court documents which detail information about the disgraced financier’s associates.
While being mentioned does not mean that an individual was involved in or aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein, some of the documents have contained allegations against Mr Trump.
A Trump spokeperson told The Independent that any accusations were “baseless” and had been “fully retracted because they are simply false and have no merit.”
The former president’s relationship with Epstein was well documented, though they reportedly suffered a falling out in the 1990s.
Speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored, Mark Epstein said: “I don’t know any specific information but I’ve also heard Jeffrey say that he stopped hanging out when he realised Donald Trump was a crook - that’s on tape.
“I heard a videotape interview with Jeff and he said he stopped hanging out with Donald Trump when he realised Trump was a crook.”
Mr Trump had previously spoken of his friendship with Epstein, telling New York Magazine in 2002 that he has “known Jeff for fifteen years.”
“He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life,” he told the magazine.
Their falling out occurred prior to Epstein pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008.
However, when Mr Trump embarked on his 2016 presidential campaign, Epstein said he thought he could win and reportedly later boasted that he knew several people in Mr Trump’s elite circle and “several potential cabinet members.”
Despite this alleged rekindling of their associations, Mr Trump once again distanced himself from Epstein when Epstein was arrested in 2019. At the time the former president claimed they had not spoken in about 15 years.
“I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you,” he said at the time.