A handwritten note signed "J. Epstein" and addressed to Larry Nassar appears to include crude references to "our president" and was dated August 2019, days after Jeffrey Epstein's death in custody. The Justice Department questioned the letter's authenticity, noting the envelope was postmarked in Virginia, listed a different return address, and was processed three days after Epstein's Aug. 10, 2019 death. The FBI requested a handwriting analysis in 2020, but the lab's findings were not disclosed. Nassar is serving a 60-year federal sentence on child pornography convictions.
Contested Letter Signed "J. Epstein" to Larry Nassar Mentions "Our President" — DOJ Raises Doubts
Larry Nassar sits in a Michigan court in February 2018. - Scott Olson/Getty Images/File
Warning: This article contains language readers may find disturbing.
A brief handwritten note signed "J. Epstein" and addressed to convicted former team doctor Larry Nassar resurfaced in a Justice Department release and appears to include crude references to "our president." The note is dated August 2019, the same month Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide while in federal custody on Aug. 10, 2019.
What the Letter Says
"Dear L.N., As you know by now, I have taken the 'short route' home. Good luck! We shared one thing ... our love and caring for young ladies and the hope they'd reach their full potential. Our President also shares our love of young, nubile girls. Life is unfair."
The short message, which includes a lewd reference to how the president treats women, does not name former President Donald Trump explicitly but refers to "our president." The envelope accompanying the letter was postmarked Aug. 13, 2019.
An envelope addressed to Larry Nassar from a "J. Epstein," released by the US Justice Department. - US Justice Department
Why Officials Question the Note
The Justice Department quickly flagged issues that cast doubt on the letter's provenance. The department noted the envelope:
- Was postmarked in Virginia rather than New York, where Epstein was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center;
- Listed a return address for a different detention facility than the one that housed Epstein; and
- Was processed three days after Epstein's death.
Prison mail is routinely inspected and can be delayed; DOJ said it was "looking into the validity of this alleged letter" and cautioned that some documents in the release contain "untrue and sensationalist claims" about the president.
Investigations And Unanswered Questions
According to Justice Department records, the FBI requested a handwriting analysis in 2020 to compare the note with Epstein's known writings. The publicly posted documents did not disclose the laboratory's conclusion.
A letter written by a "J. Epstein" and released by the US Justice Department. - US Justice Department
It is not known whether Epstein and Nassar had any relationship or motive for the correspondence. Prison officials previously discovered at least one other letter Epstein had sent to Nassar while Epstein was jailed; those contents were not disclosed publicly. The envelope in the latest release was addressed to Nassar at a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, but was marked "Return To Sender" because the addressee was "No Longer At This Address."
Context
Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, is serving a 60-year federal sentence on child pornography convictions; more than 150 women and girls publicly told a court he sexually abused them. Authorities have not accused the president of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
CNN and other outlets have contacted the White House for comment. The Justice Department said some of the files released contain sensational or unfounded assertions and that, if credible, such allegations would already have been pursued.
