A library dedicated exclusively to the Epstein files opens in New York

I look at Volume 1,536 of the Epstein filespage 311. This is an early 2016 email thread between Jeffrey Epstein and a woman whose name is redacted by the Department of Justice.

In the wireEpstein asks the unidentified woman for a “naughty selfie” and later directs her to a camera. At the end of February, he replied with another question: “Do you have any friends who might want to work for me?…I’ll give you money if you find someone willing to travel, 22-25, educated. Personally.”

The exchange takes on added resonance when you consider that Epstein is accused of sex-trafficking minors, with the Justice Department estimating he had more than 1,200 potential victims. But I happened to turn to it during my recent visit to the newly opened Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room.

Photo: Anna Maria Lopez / Courtesy of the Institute for Primary Facts

Tucked away in a nondescript gallery in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, the reading room is a massive library of all 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related records released by the Department of Justice earlier this year, compiled into more than 3,700 individual volumes. From 8 to 21 May, the reading room will be open to the public by appointment only.

The library — essentially the Epstein files by analogy — is meant to represent the staggering scale of Epstein’s crimes, as well as the impunity with which he carried them out. More than 17,000 pounds of evidence are on display at the library, said David Garrett, the exhibit’s chief organizer at the Institute for Primary Facts, a nonprofit organization meant to promote transparency and accountability in the U.S. government.

“The evidence in this room is evidence of one of the most horrific crimes in American history,” Garrett says. “When people come through this room, I hope they realize that in America we have the rule of law, and if they stand up they can take action and demand accountability for the crimes that have been committed.”

Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, is now synonymous with systemic corruption and abuse, especially in light of his ties to President Donald Trump. The installation contains a detailed timeline of Epstein’s relationship with Trump, from their alleged initial meeting in Palm Beach in 1987 to Epstein’s attendance in 1993 at Trump’s wedding to Marla Maples to the end of Epstein’s membership at Mar-a-Lago in 2007, when Trump was allegedly seen acting inappropriately towards another daughter. The shelves are organized around a display in support of Epstein’s survivors, with candles laid out on the ground to represent the more than 1,200 victims. Responding to a request for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump had been “completely exonerated of anything related to Epstein,” and claimed he had “done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone.”