As this column is called “The Epstein Files,” I feel obligated to comment on this ongoing saga of whether the files will or will not be released, which may be coming to an end in December due to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The good news about Jeffrey Epstein becoming a household name is that people rarely mispronounce my name anymore. The bad news is that the association with this non-relation can be awkward, like when an airport security agent looks at my passport and says, “Epstein? Like …” and makes a self-hanging gesture, complete with lolling tongue and bulging eyes.
Lovely.
I named my Pikes Peak Bulletin column “The Epstein Files” because I knew I’d be commenting on politics, and for me that means fighting an administration that seethes in corruption, bigotry and fascism.
The Trump administration seems immune to scandal, and cruelty is so on-brand that when the President snaps at a reporter with “Quiet, Piggy,” it’s just another Tuesday.
But the Epstein Files controversy has felt different. This started out as MAGA’s ultimate bludgeon against the Left, a scandal that was going to bring down all the wealthy liberal pedophiles who gathered regularly in the basement of a Washington D.C. pizza parlor. (The pizza place at the center of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory does not have a basement, by the way.)
When Trump’s Justice Department informed him in May that his name was in the files, Trump pivoted, and his lackeys said the infamous Epstein client list that Attorney General Pam Bondi said was on her desk actually didn’t exist.
He tried like hell to block the release of the Epstein Files, threatening his most loyal sycophants who sided with the Dems on releasing of the files. Then, when it was clear that almost all of the Republicans were going to pass a law to release the files, he changed his mind and said he was in favor of their going public. Always had been, apparently.
The Trump Justice Department has until Dec. 19 to release the files. Maybe they will. Maybe Bondi will use up so many sharpies with redactions, Trump won’t have one to mislabel the path of the next hurricane.
But we’ve already seen so much released in drips and drabs over the past few months by a house oversight committee.
One of the more damning revelations came in the form of an email Epstein’s brother Mark sent him in 2018, suggesting that Jeffrey should ask Steve Bannon if Russian President Vladmir Putin had “the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”
MAGA quickly called it a hoax. Trump’s minions had been already pre-mitigating any pedophelia accusations in the files by suggesting sex with older girls, say 13 or 14, is much better than raping 6- or 8-year-olds.
At this point, much of this remains hearsay and speculation. But the questions that dog Trump can’t be ignored.
For example, when Trump said he had a fallout with Epstein when Epstein “stole” some of his female workers from Mar-a-Lago, did Trump know what kind of work they’d be doing, and if so, why didn’t he report that to the police? It’s a strain to believe that Trump knew nothing, especially in light of emails written by Epstein saying Trump “knew about the girls” and calling Trump “the dog that hasn’t barked.”
As we await the possible release of more documents, Trump will continue to do what he’s been doing: create more outrageous distractions, such as prosecuting James Comey and Leticia James.
Naturally, I’m hoping we learn more about Trump’s relationship with “Bubba” and that the files finally become the iceberg he can’t avoid.
And, more than anything, I’m hoping for justice for those brave Epstein victims who have risked their lives coming forward. They, more than any of us, deserve the truth.
We Ain’t Buying It
We have proved through our boycotts of Disney and Tesla that our spending can make a huge difference.
Let’s all join the “We Ain’t Buying It” movement, vowing to shift our spending from Nov. 27 to Dec. away from major chains.
Let’s embrace the independent shops in Manitou Springs, the Westside and Downtown Colorado Springs. Buying local makes a statement, and it supports the businesses that really need our help.
The Epstein Files is a regular Bulletin column featuring Warren Epstein’s take on politics, food, the arts and whatever else is on his mind. There will always be one mention of President Donald Trump as a confirmation that yes, Trump is in The Epstein Files. As Bulletin board chair, Epstein does not accept pay for his writing here.
