Summary
The Wall Street Journal investigated the interactions between Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, highlighting warnings from Trump's then-wife Marla Maples about Epstein. Epstein frequently visited Mar-a-Lago, and Maples warned staff about him years before he was banned from the club in 2003 following a complaint about inappropriate behavior. Despite his ban, Trump and Epstein continued to have business interactions.
Key Facts
- Marla Maples expressed concerns about Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-a-Lago soon after it opened in 1995.
- Epstein was a frequent visitor at Mar-a-Lago in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Spa employees were sent from Mar-a-Lago to Epstein’s nearby home for services like massages and manicures.
- Epstein was banned from Mar-a-Lago in 2003 after an 18-year-old spa employee accused him of inappropriate behavior.
- Trump directed his staff to treat Epstein as a club member, even though he was not officially one.
- Trump and Epstein competed in a property auction in 2004 after Epstein was banned from Mar-a-Lago.
- The Justice Department is releasing documents related to Epstein, some of which mention Trump.
