NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with Rep. Robert Garcia, rating Democratic member of the Home Oversight Committee, about newly-public emails that seem to tie Jeffrey Epstein to President Trump.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
As we speak, Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee launched emails between Jeffrey Epstein and his confidants that counsel that President Trump might have recognized about Epstein’s intercourse abuse operations. In a single e mail, Epstein writes that Trump, quote, “spent hours at my home” with considered one of Epstein’s victims. In one other, he writes that Trump, quote, “knew concerning the women.” Within the third, a author advises Epstein that he can use his historical past with Trump as a, quote, “useful PR and political foreign money” ought to he ever must. Democrats are attempting to drive the Division of Justice to launch extra data from its investigation of Epstein and accuses the White Home of a cover-up.
In response to right this moment’s launch, the White Home stated that these have been, quote, “selectively leaked emails” to, quote, “create a pretend narrative.” And Republicans on the Oversight Committee launched greater than 20,000 pages of paperwork from the Epstein case from which these three emails got here. Let’s hear extra from Consultant Robert Garcia of California. He’s the rating Democratic member of the Home Oversight Committee. Congressman, thanks for becoming a member of us.
ROBERT GARCIA: Positive factor. Pleased to be right here.
DETROW: Let’s begin with this. We have now lengthy recognized now that the longer term president and Jeffrey Epstein have been pleasant earlier than they’d a falling out round 2004, which was effectively earlier than Trump ran for president. What did we be taught that was new right here? Did this carry any new data?
GARCIA: I feel that the emails right this moment present clearly that there’s a relationship between Donald Trump and Epstein. So far as what Donald Trump knew, what he participated in I feel are actual questions. And I feel the factor on everybody’s thoughts, definitely these of us on the committee, is why the cover-up? Why will not the White Home launch the complete Epstein recordsdata?
You have got an e mail right this moment primarily saying that Donald Trump might have spent hours with one of many victims. As you stated, one other e mail that talks about Donald Trump presumably understanding what was occurring with these women. And I feel that is actually disturbing stuff. We wish justice for these girls and these survivors. We all know that many have been abused once they have been underaged. And highly effective males have been concerned. And our entire aim right here is to get to the reality. And we’re imploring the Division of Justice to launch the recordsdata.
DETROW: However once more, we have all been blanketed with the photographs of those two males collectively. We noticed plenty of reporting earlier this yr of those alleged birthday notes that Trump was writing to Epstein. What new data did you be taught from these emails?
GARCIA: Properly, I feel a part of it’s the president admitting that there was an actual relationship right here between him and Epstein. And I feel that’s what right this moment’s emails really additionally present. First, these 23…
DETROW: Properly, these are all different individuals speaking about Trump.
GARCIA: Completely.
DETROW: Trump doesn’t seem himself.
GARCIA: That is proper. That is Jeffrey Epstein’s emails. And there is 23,000 paperwork right here, after all. So what’s essential is, while you spend your complete marketing campaign saying you are going to launch the Epstein recordsdata, after we know that Jeffrey Epstein has stated that Donald Trump was his greatest pal for 10 years – the birthday be aware you simply referenced, Donald Trump, as a reminder, stated it did not exist till we really produced it along with his personal signature.
And so Trump has a file of mendacity about this. And he has a file of claiming that he needed to launch, and now they’re refusing to take action. I feel it is essential to notice that each single piece of proof we need to launch to the general public. That is about transparency, it is about oversight and it is about getting justice for the victims.
DETROW: Curious the way you’re approaching this. It is a case laden with conspiracy theories. These are emails, a lot of whom are coming from not particularly reliable individuals. How are you verifying this data that you are looking at?
GARCIA: Look, I feel the essential factor is that folks take in and browse the paperwork for themselves and make their very own judgments. I feel for us, clearly something that may be a correspondence from Jeffrey Epstein, whether or not it is to Ghislaine Maxwell, which we noticed right this moment in a type of emails, or others is critical. And what we’re attempting to say proper now at this second is the one solution to get the complete image of what occurred is for the DOJ to observe the subpoena despatched by the Oversight Committee and at hand over the entire paperwork.
There are an infinite quantity of paperwork, images, presumably movies that the general public has a proper to know what really occurred. We all know, for instance, that again when the Epstein case was being developed and prosecuted, there have been a number of males that have been going to be named as coconspirators on this and that that was all primarily washed apart by, on the time, Alex Acosta, who then turns into, after all, Trump’s labor secretary. So there’s plenty of questions right here.
DETROW: I need to be certain that we get to some extra factors right here. That is additionally a notable day in that you simply’re about to realize one other Democratic member of the Home, who will signal the discharge petition and drive a vote, presumably, on the Home ground to launch the recordsdata. We all know the White Home is pressuring the 4 Republicans who’ve signed onto that petition to tug their names. Are you in communication with any of those Republican representatives who’ve been having conferences on the White Home right this moment?
GARCIA: Look, I have been speaking to many Republicans. There isn’t any query that if we maintain and so they maintain, this can go the Home, and there can be quite a few Republicans that’ll vote sure. They perceive that that is essential to their constituency. The Epstein recordsdata and its launch could be very bipartisan while you ask the American public. And once more, the query…
DETROW: What particularly is essential? As a result of once more, that is one thing that is been taking part in out for greater than a decade now. That is any individual who’s been lengthy lifeless however continues to make information. Why is that this the precedence for you given the entire different points the federal authorities is going through?
GARCIA: Properly, look, I feel there’s plenty of essential issues. We acquired to deal with well being care. We acquired to deal with reducing prices. This goes straight to the corruption of this administration. And Donald Trump spent his marketing campaign speaking about this. And if you happen to have been going to lean in so arduous on a marketing campaign promise after which primarily return on it, we’ve got to ask why. And in assembly all these girls and these victims and survivors, they need justice. I’ve talked to a lot of them personally, one on one. And so they deserve justice, and so they deserve the reality. I additionally…
DETROW: How do you steadiness…
GARCIA: However let me say another factor as a result of I feel it is actually essential. When you’ve gotten highly effective males – and I do not care what get together they’re in or what their job is. When you’ve gotten highly effective males abuse, rape and visitors girls and but you do not carry justice to these girls, what are we saying to American children, to women, to girls throughout this nation that probably the most highly effective males can get away with this? And that has to additionally drive our investigation.
DETROW: Congressman, we have got about 30 seconds left. However how do you steadiness transparency and defending these victims, who’ve been abused so many occasions at this level ahead, with the discharge of hundreds of pages of data?
GARCIA: What’s most essential on the finish of the day is we have got to guard the victims. And so we’re doing that. We’re redacting names. We have made that promise. And all the pieces else we will get out to the general public.
DETROW: That’s Congressman Robert Garcia of California, the highest Democrat on the Home Oversight Committee. Thanks a lot for speaking to us.
GARCIA: Thanks.
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