Ex-police chief says Trump told him ‘thank goodness you’re stopping’ Epstein in 2000s
A former Palm Beach, Florida police chief, whose name is redacted in a recently released FBI document, reportedly told the agency in 2019 that he had received a call from Donald Trump in July 2006 regarding the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. According to the FBI report, Trump allegedly expressed relief that Epstein was being stopped, stating that “everyone has known he’s been doing this.”
The police chief, identified as Michael Reiter in previous reports, was instrumental in the initial investigation into Epstein in 2005. Detectives under his command were looking into allegations that Epstein had been recruiting underage girls for sexual massages. The case gained public attention in 2006, prompting Trump to allegedly reach out to Reiter to commend the police department for their efforts.
During the reported call, Trump supposedly informed Reiter that Epstein had been banned from his club, Mar-a-Lago, after it was discovered that he was poaching employees from the spa. Trump also allegedly warned Reiter to focus on Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, whom he described as “evil.”
According to the FBI document, Trump claimed to have distanced himself from Epstein over 20 years ago, and stated that he had left a gathering once when teenagers were present. The report also indicates that Trump was among the first people to contact authorities upon learning of the investigation into Epstein.
Reiter’s frustrations with local prosecutors who opted to take the case to a grand jury instead of filing direct charges against Epstein led him to go public with his concerns in 2006. He later collaborated with federal authorities to launch a separate investigation that culminated in Epstein’s controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2008.
The account of Trump’s alleged call to Reiter, as detailed in the FBI report, sheds new light on the interactions between the former president and key figures involved in the early stages of the Epstein investigation. Reiter has not publicly commented on the specifics of the call as described in the document.
The release of this information comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of Epstein’s connections to high-profile individuals and institutions. It serves as a reminder of the complex dynamics at play in the case and the various actors involved in seeking justice for Epstein’s victims.
