Trump ally promises info on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’
A so-called “black book” containing the list of contacts and alleged clients of deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is set to be released to the public as part of a new declassification campaign, the newly appointed head of a specialized US task force has announced.
The Republican-led congressional task force was created to oversee the release of government files linked to a wide range of high-profile topics, including the 9/11 attacks, the origins of Covid-19, UFOs, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother and political ally Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights campaigner Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Epstein worked as a financier and socialized with the rich and famous for years, introducing them to dozens of young women – some of whom were underage at the time – and flying them to his private island in the Caribbean on a jet dubbed the “Lolita Express.”
He was arrested in 2019 and died in his Manhattan cell later that year, officially ruled a suicide. Evidence related to his case remained classified even after his death, with media reports claiming that the FBI had found videos potentially containing compromising material on his “guests” during searches of his New York residence and Caribbean island.
The newly appointed head of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), has vowed to bring some of this information to light, along with other previously classified materials.
“The federal government has been hiding information from Americans for decades,” Luna said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that “it is time to give Americans the answers they deserve.”
A GOP congresswoman and supporter of US President Donald Trump, Luna has repeatedly demanded “transparency” in the federal government. The 35-year-old lawmaker was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 after serving in the military for six years.
The establishment of the task force was announced by the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, James Comer (R-Ky.), who said it would “build on the Trump administration’s efforts to declassify records of national importance.” Trump signed an executive order to release federal records linked to the assassinations of the two Kennedys and King soon after his inauguration in January.
The publicly known list of Epstein’s friends and acquaintances includes former US President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew. Trump also personally knew Epstein since the 1980s and reportedly flew on his “Lolita Express” private jet.
The US president has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island and maintains that he cut ties with him in the 1990s, years before Epstein’s first arrest for soliciting prostitution in 2006. Trump hinted at the possibility of releasing Epstein’s files in a September 2024 interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast.
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Nancy Mace cites God, Bible in House speech accusing ex-fiancé, other men of sex crimes
Congresswoman credits God with giving her strength to ‘unveil evil’ in South Carolina
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina spoke of the strength she’s derived from God and Scripture as she used her nearly 60 minutes to speak on the U.S. House floor Monday night to expose the names of men she claims raped and victimized her and numerous other women.
Mace, who said she was going “scorched earth” to “unveil the evil” in her state, was supported by Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., seated behind her, along with her mother and survivors who were in the House gallery.
Protected by the speech and debate clause that provides lawmakers immunity from “criminal prosecutions or civil suits that stem from acts taken within the legislative sphere,” Mace publicly shamed the four alleged perpetrators. She also accused South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson of failing to prosecute crimes of voyeurism and the rapes of women who were incapacitated, of which she allegedly provided evidence.
The congresswoman read aloud Jeremiah 6:16 as she reflected on the challenges she’s overcome the last 14 months after allegedly being physically assaulted by her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, on whose devices she claimed to have found disturbing images and videos of women who were unknowingly violated by him and three of his business associates. Mace said that on just one hidden camera, she found over 10,000 non-consensual videos.
“In November 2023, I accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable,” she said. “We're talking about rape, non-consensual photos, non-consensual videos of women and underage girls and the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls.
“I found an app where at least one of the hidden cameras I discovered was stored. I discovered on this app for this tiny little camera there were 10,633 videos on it,” Mace said after putting her hand on a Bible and declaring that her statements were true.
Bryant, whom she repeatedly named, denied Mace’s allegations in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday evening: “I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.”
Mace, who shared that she became a follower of Christ five years ago, said this discovery and the many others that followed turned her world upside down. However, she decided not to shirk from the responsibility that lay before her to be an advocate for the women and girls she alleges were harmed.
The congresswoman said she recognized some of the victims as the wives and girlfriends of her ex-fiancé’s colleagues.
“I found more photos, this time of female employees," she continued. "I found photos of wives of male employees, photos of girlfriends and women who very clearly didn't know their private parts were being filmed and photographed. I found file after file after file.”
After uncovering the alleged sex crimes committed by the four men whom she called “predators,” she accused the state’s attorney general — who might be a Republican challenger if she runs for governor in 2026 — of deliberately delaying the investigation into the evidence she provided over seven months ago.
In a lengthy statement released Monday night, the attorney general’s office disputed Mace’s claims:
“Recent statements made by Congresswoman Nancy Mace regarding the conduct of the South Carolina Attorney General are categorically false. [...] At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters. Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements.
“Regarding her claim that the Attorney General refused to receive evidence of a crime from a victim's attorney, it is important to clarify that the Attorney General is the chief prosecutor. For this reason, the Attorney General would always direct any citizen to provide evidence of a crime to the appropriate law enforcement agency, which would be responsible for the investigation.”
Among the graphic images Mace alleged to have seen was that of an incapacitated woman being raped by one of her ex-fiancé’s colleagues.
“Last year, I had to tell a woman that she'd been raped and she didn't know it. She had no idea because she was incapacitated at the time of the rape. I knew she was raped because I accidentally found the video of her being raped,” she recounted.
Mace, who said she, too, was incapacitated and filmed after being plied with an alcoholic beverage, declared that her speech on the House floor was about “justice” for her and the other alleged victims, among whom she recognized nearly a dozen.
Following Mace’s speech, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed Monday night that it is investigating Mace’s allegations against her ex-fiancé.
“SLED opened an investigation regarding allegations of assault, harassment, and voyeurism on Dec. 14, 2023, after being contacted by the United States Capitol Police,” SLED spokesperson Renee Wunderlich said in a statement. “Since that date SLED has conducted multiple interviews, served multiple search warrants, and has a well-documented case file that will be available for release upon the conclusion of the case.”
During her speech, Mace highlighted 13 bills she’s introduced over the last 14 months with the goal of protecting women. Those include the Stop Voyeurs Act, the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, the Safe Shelters Act, the Rape Shield Enhancement Act, the Stop Invasion of Women's Spaces Act, and the Prison Rape Prevention Act, among others.
Throughout her speech, Mace cited Bible verses relevant to her points, including Romans 12:19, Genesis 19:26, Ecclesiastes 4 and Proverbs 27:17.
“As a woman of faith, I draw strength from the teachings of Jesus Christ, in that Christ confronted injustice wherever He saw it,” she said, later adding that she's aware she must extend forgiveness even if she doesn’t want to.
“But also, the Bible reminds us that forgiveness does not forfeit justice,” she said as the number to a victims' hotline in South Carolina was displayed beside her.
