Newly released FBI records summarising interviews with an unidentified woman contain allegations that U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to force her to perform a sexual act when she was a teenager, according to documents published by the U.S. Justice Department.
The documents were released after being wrongly labelled as “duplicative” during the sifting of millions of papers, photographs and videos made public by the department in recent months as part of disclosures linked to the investigation into accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The records, which were posted on the department’s website on Thursday, summarise interviews conducted by FBI agents in 2019 with the unidentified woman.
According to the documents, she claimed Mr Trump attempted to force her to perform a sexual act after Epstein introduced her to the future president in New York or New Jersey in the 1980s, when she was an adolescent.
The FBI interviewed the woman four times as part of its investigation into Epstein. During those interviews, she also alleged that Epstein sexually assaulted her.
Her final interview with agents from the FBI was conducted in October 2019, during Mr Trump’s first presidential term. Agents asked whether she would consider providing more information about the president.
According to the interview summary, she replied by asking “what the point would be of providing the information at this point in her life when there was a strong possibility nothing could be done about it.”
The Justice Department has cautioned that some of the documents released contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Mr Trump.
Reuters reported it could not independently verify the woman’s allegations.
The documents were first reported by the news organisation Politico.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the disclosures but the Trump administration has since said the claims are untrue.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the allegation as “completely baseless accusations, backed by zero credible evidence”, according to Politico.
Mr Trump has said his association with Epstein ended in the mid-2000s and that he was never aware of the financier’s sexual abuse.
Records previously released by the Justice Department show Mr Trump flew several times on Epstein’s plane in the 1990s, which he has denied.
Meanwhile, scrutiny over the government’s handling of documents related to the Epstein investigation has intensified in Congress. A committee in the House of Representatives has voted to subpoena U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to question her about how the disclosures are being managed.
Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on social media apps for 16 and 17-year-olds, expanding planned restrictions aimed at reducing the i...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be...
The United States will complete the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq by 30 September, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced during a ...
New developments linked to Jeffrey Epstein have brought renewed attention to his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell and billionaire Bill Gates. Maxwell is seeking to overturn her conviction, while Gates testified before Congress about his past interactions with the late financier.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A federal judge in New York released a handwritten document described as a suicide note purportedly written by late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, nearly seven years after his death in a Manhattan jail cell. The document was released late Wednesday (6 May).
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
An overnight fire at a popular bar in Bangkok has killed at least 30 people and injured 70 others, making it one of the deadliest pub disasters in the Thai capital in recent years. Authorities say the venue quickly filled with thick smoke, trapping patrons inside.
Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on social media apps for 16 and 17-year-olds, expanding planned restrictions aimed at reducing the impact of excessive screen use on young people.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
A Muslim man was stabbed multiple times at a shopping mall in Utah after a suspect allegedly targeted him because of his religion, according to police.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The United States has announced a campaign to weaken the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the tribunal as a threat to American sovereignty and signalling that further sanctions, visa restrictions and diplomatic pressure on allies could follow.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment