Michael Reiter, a retired Palm Beach police chief, told FBI agents in October 2019 that Donald Trump called him in July 2006 and said, “everyone has known he’s been doing this,” according to documents from the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related files. Reiter later identified himself to the Miami Herald as the redacted source. His account contradicts Trump’s 2019 public claim that he “had no idea” and differs from Trump’s later public remarks about Ghislaine Maxwell. The disclosures have renewed scrutiny of the political implications and the handling of Epstein-related investigations.
Ex-Palm Beach Chief Says Trump Told Him ‘Everyone Knew’ About Epstein in 2006 — Documents Contradict Public Comments
Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on 22 February 1997.Photograph: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images(Photograph: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images)
Michael Reiter, a retired Palm Beach police chief, told FBI agents in October 2019 that Donald Trump called him in July 2006 and said: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this,” according to an account included in the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related documents.
Reiter’s Account And The Record
Reiter, who retired in 2009, later confirmed to the Miami Herald that he was the redacted source in the released documents. In his interview summary, Reiter recounts the phone call and also says Trump described Ghislaine Maxwell as Jeffrey Epstein’s “operative,” urging investigators to “focus on her” and calling her “evil.” Reiter added that Trump told him he had once been around Epstein when teenagers were present and that he “got the hell out of there.”
How This Conflicts With Public Statements
The account contrasts with statements Trump made publicly after Epstein’s July 2019 arrest, when he said, “I had no idea,” in response to questions about Epstein’s abuse of teenage girls. In 2020, after Maxwell’s arrest, Trump also publicly said he had met Maxwell “numerous times” and offered a neutral “I wish her well” comment — remarks at odds with Reiter’s description of private criticism.
Investigations And The 2008 Plea Deal
Local police in Palm Beach interviewed several underage victims in 2005–2006, and both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Florida investigated allegations involving Epstein. Those probes ultimately culminated in a controversial 2008 plea deal that resolved state charges and avoided federal prosecution, a resolution that has since drawn widespread criticism.
Political Fallout
Questions about Trump’s relationship with Epstein have been politically sensitive. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to release Epstein-related records; he later signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act requiring the Justice Department to publish investigative files, while publicly calling much of the coverage a hoax. The White House referred requests for comment to the Department of Justice; the Guardian and other outlets have sought comment from the DOJ and the FBI.
Note: This article reports statements attributed to participants and summaries contained in released investigative documents. It does not assert new allegations beyond those sources.
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