Greene says Trump's stance on Epstein files is "huge miscalculation"

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Washington — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Friday that President Trump's absorption to releasing files from the national probe into convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein is simply a "huge miscalculation." In an exclusive interrogation connected "CBS Mornings," Greene said she doesn't judge the president has thing to hide, noting that immoderate of Epstein's victims person said Mr. Trump "has done thing wrong."

Greene, of Georgia, was among the 4 House Republicans who joined each Democrats successful signing connected to a discharge petition that forces a ballot successful the House connected a measurement compelling the Justice Department to merchandise materials related to its probe into Epstein. The ballot is expected adjacent week.

Mr. Trump has slammed the absorption connected Epstein arsenic a "hoax" pushed by Democrats to deflect the blasted for the government shutdown, which was the longest successful U.S. past and ended Wednesday.

"Some Weak Republicans person fallen into their clutches due to the fact that they are brushed and foolish," helium wrote connected Truth Social connected Friday. "Epstein was a Democrat, and helium is the Democrat's problem, not the Republican's problem! Ask Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, and Larry Sommers astir Epstein, they cognize each astir him, don't discarded your clip with Trump. I person a Country to run!"

A fewer hours later, helium posted again, calling for the Justice Department and FBI to investigate Epstein's ties to salient Democrats and fiscal institutions.

But Greene told "CBS Mornings" she doesn't recognize Mr. Trump's absorption to releasing the worldly related to Epstein.

"I deliberation it's a immense miscalculation, and I genuinely conscionable basal with the women, and I deliberation they merit to beryllium the ones that we're warring for," she said.

Greene said she has spoken with galore of Epstein's victims, and the president has not been accused of immoderate wrongdoing.

"I judge the women and the women person said implicit and implicit again that Donald Trump did thing wrong," she said. "Even Virginia Giuffre said it nether oath and she wrote it successful her book. And truthful if we perceive to the women, they accidental Donald Trump has done thing wrong."

Giuffre, the astir high-profile of Epstein's accusers, died by suicide successful April. She said she was approached by Epstein subordinate Ghislaine Maxwell and hired to springiness Epstein massages successful 2000, conscionable earlier she turned 17. At the time, Giuffre was working astatine the spa astatine Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump's South Florida club. Giuffre wrote successful her memoir that she met Mr. Trump erstwhile astatine Mar-a-Lago, and said helium "couldn't person been friendlier."

Separate from the effort to propulsion the Justice Department to merchandise its files connected Epstein, the GOP-led House Oversight and Reform Committee has been investigating the national government's handling of the probe into Epstein and Maxwell.

This week the sheet released much than 20,000 pages of records it received from Epstein's estate, which see text and email exchanges with the disgraced financier that reference Mr. Trump.

In 1 email from Epstein to writer Michael Wolff successful January 2019, Epstein wrote, "Of people helium knew astir the girls arsenic helium asked ghislaine to stop," referencing Mr. Trump.

In different email from Epstein to Maxwell successful April 2011, helium wrote, "I privation you to recognize that that canine that hasn't barked is trump.. virginia spent hours astatine my location with him ,, helium has ne'er erstwhile been mentioned."

The emails and substance messages released by the Oversight panel, connected which Greene sits, supply a look into Epstein's contacts with high-profile people. Among them are Steve Bannon, a erstwhile advisor to Mr. Trump; Kathryn Ruemmler, a apical enforcement astatine Goldman Sachs who served arsenic White House counsel to erstwhile President Barack Obama; and an array of figures successful business, amusement and academia.

Green said the documents connection the nationalist a "very absorbing presumption into a satellite that astir of america person ne'er seen."

"It's benignant of similar a web of planetary affairs, concern connections, precise precocious and almighty people, overseas leaders," she said. "And it's conscionable an absorbing world. And adjacent the Intel community."

Mr. Trump and Epstein ran successful the aforesaid societal circles successful New York and Florida from the precocious 1980s to the aboriginal 2000s. But the president said they had a falling retired astir 2004.

State and national authorities investigated Epstein betwixt 2005 and 2006. In precocious 2007, national prosecutors reached a woody with Epstein that allowed him to debar national charges successful speech for pleading blameworthy to 2 authorities prostitution charges and serving an 18-month situation sentence. He ended up serving little than 13 months and was released successful 2009.

Epstein was aboriginal indicted by a national expansive assemblage successful New York successful 2019 connected enactment trafficking charges. He died by termination successful a Manhattan correctional facility portion awaiting trial.