It was the summer of 1996 when Maria Farmer sought the authorities to denounce Jeffrey Epstein. According to her, she had been sexually assaulted by Epstein and her longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell. At the time, just over 20, Farmer had also discovered a disturbing episode involving his younger sister – then a teenager – at the Epstein ranch in New Mexico. She also reported having suffered threats from Epstein.
Bringing his concerns to the New York police and the FBI, Farmer claims to have asked investigators to expand their focus to examine people close to Epstein – including Donald Trump, still far from his future presidency. According to her, Trump’s name was also quoted in a new statement to the FBI in 2006.
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This report is one of the clearest nominations of how Trump may have been cited in the unlisted files of the Epstein investigation – a theme that has once again generated controversy in recent weeks.
In recent interviews, Farmer stressed that he has no evidence of criminal conduct by Epstein members, but was alarmed by Epstein’s pattern of behavior, who attracted girls and women while cultivating friendships with influential figures such as Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
Investigations such as Epstein’s usually involve a wide collection of clues, testimonials and evidence – most of which do not reach the case file nor is the basis for formal accusations. Although many investigation records remain unpublished, Trump’s allies have feeded for years the theory that the names of rich and powerful men would have been covered by the authorities.
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Now, after the Attorney General and the FBI director backwards in promises of full disclosure of the files, Trump’s calls with Epstein are examined again. Documents may be expected to contain embarrassing or politically delicate mentions, even if alien to the financier’s crimes.
Trump was never accused of any Epstein -related offense, nor was a formal investigation target. Last week he reached repeatedly denied something to hide. Even so, it is unlikely that these documents clarify the nature of the relationship between the two, which had no central role in criminal accusations.
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Farmer says he even wonders what the authorities have done with their complaints in 1996 and 2006 – especially with regard to Trump. She states that she mentioned her name because of an opinion near Epstein and also because of an episode in 1995 at Epstein’s office in New York.
“She’s not here for you”
According to Maria Farmer, the meeting with Trump took place in 1995, when she was preparing to work with Epstein. Epstein would have called her at night to go to the office, where she arrived wearing race shorts. Soon after, Trump appeared in a suit and, according to her, began to observe her with insistence.
Farmer reports that he felt scared when Trump started to face her until Epstein entered and said, “No. No. She’s not here for you.” The two left the room and, by far, she claims to have heard Trump comment that she thought she was 16.
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After this episode, Farmer said he never had alarming interactions with Trump again, nor did he see him act inappropriately with women or girls.
The White House contested Farmer’s report on Friday, stating that Trump broke with Epstein for years. “The president has never been to his office,” said Steven Cheung, White House Communication Director. “He expelled him from his club for being a repulsive guy.”
Complaints to the authorities
Farmer worked with Epstein between 1995 and 1996, initially acquiring works of art for him, and then taking care of access to his mansion at Upper East Side. In 1996, she went to Epstein’s property in Ohio, in a complex linked to businessman Leslie Wexner, owner of Victoria’s Secret. There, he claims to have been violently begged by Epstein and Maxwell after being called to massage Epstein’s feet.
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She also reported the disappearance of partially naked photos of her two sisters, who were stored in a safe.
Over the years, Farmer has been the subject of attacks on his credibility and was not called to testify at Maxwell’s trial, sentenced in 2021. His sister Annie, however, witnessed that Maxwell massaged her breasts during a visit to the Epstein ranch in New Mexico.
The sisters’ mother confirmed that Maria told about the episode with Trump shortly after the incident. Annie said that Maria reported to the FBI in 1996 concerns with Epstein and figures like Trump and Clinton.
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In his first interview with the New York Times, in 2019, Maria Farmer said that, before looking for the FBI, he reported the case to the 6th New York Police District – a fact confirmed by records dated August 1996.
The FBI records not mentioned Trump, but excerpts from the agents’ handwritten notes, from an interview with a farmer ten years later, indicate that the police suggested that it contact the FBI.
The FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
Unrestrained
Epstein was indicted in 2006 and declared himself to blame on two accusations, including minors, in an agreement that avoided federal accusations. In 2019, he was arrested again on charges of sexual trafficking of dozens of teenagers. Days later, he was found dead in his cell in an apparent suicide.
It is still unclear whether the authorities deepened the investigation of Trump or formally recorded the information passed by Farmer.
The friendship between Trump and Epstein was recorded in videos, public statements and flight lists of the financier. In 2002, Trump described him as “a sensational guy,” but then he said he was never a fan of the financier and that he walked away from him for over 20 years.
In recent years, Trump’s allies have pushed for more transparency in the files of the case. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi, after promising full disclosure, turned back this month, stating that there is no evidence for new accusations.
Faced with the dissatisfaction of supporters, Trump once again attacks requests for more transparency. After the Wall Street Journal reported that Epstein would have received a suggestive birthday card sent by Trump in 2003, the former president classified the article as a scam and sued the newspaper.
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