The FBI confirmed an alleged letter seemingly written by Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar was indeed fabricated, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
Hours earlier, the purported letter between the late sex trafficker and former USA Gymnastics doctor was included in a release of more than 30,000 files related to Epstein.
The now-debunked letter was addressed to “L.N.” and referenced President Donald Trump, claiming he “shares our love of young, nubile girls.”
The DOJ said the FBI determined the letter was “fake” for three reasons: its handwriting did not match Epstein’s writing style; its northern Virginia postmark was dated three days after Epstein died in New York; and its return address did not meet the requirement of featuring Epstein’s inmate number.
The DOJ reaffirmed its commitment to releasing more of the Epstein files in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by Trump last month.
“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the department concluded. “Nevertheless, the DOJ will continue to release all material required by law.”
The Trump administration has faced intense pushback from Congress for missing the statutory deadline on Friday, by which the DOJ was required to release all of the Epstein files. Instead, it released an initial tranche of documents and records that day.
The DOJ maintains it will continue to publish more files in the coming weeks, as federal officials review and redact sensitive material involving Epstein’s surviving victims and open legal matters.
The department is also facing scrutiny from lawmakers over its admission in the latest trove of documents that at least 10 alleged Epstein co-conspirators were being investigated in 2019. Their names remain undisclosed, but many details were shared in the DOJ’s internal communications.
“Of the 10 co-conspirators, 3 have been located in FL and served GJ subpoenas; 1 in Boston, 1 in NYC, and 1 in CT were located and served. 4 of the 10 are outstanding with attempts having been made. 1 is a wealthy business man in Ohio, a lead is being sent to CV; the remaining 3 are currently out of pocket. The team … is flying out tonight/tomorrow to various locations in Florida to interview approximately 25 victims,” the DOJ message says.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said “anyone involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims” will be charged accordingly.
Epstein’s death on Aug. 10, 2019, was officially ruled a suicide by hanging. The alleged letter, postmarked Aug. 13 that year, apparently referenced his suicide.
“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,” the fabricated letter states.
DOJ DROPS THOUSANDS MORE EPSTEIN FILES, SOME INCLUDING TRUMP’S NAME
During Trump’s first term, Nassar was convicted in multiple cases related to his sexual abuse of underage female gymnasts who were competing in the Olympics. His accusers included gold medalists Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, and Aly Raisman.
Nassar faces up to 235 years in prison on all state sexual assault and federal child pornography charges, ensuring he will die in prison. He is currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania.
