Trump Reportedly Told Police Chief That Epstein's Crimes Were Well-Known In New York And Palm Beach: 'Thank Goodness You're Stopping This'

President Donald Trump celebrated criminal sex charges against Jeffrey Epstein 20 years ago, telling the then-Palm Beach police chief that the activities were well-known there and in New York.

The Miami Herald reported that Trump told Michael Reiter "thank goodness you're stopping him, everyone has known he's been doing this." This stands in contrast with Trump's repeated claims that he had no knowledge of Epstein's sex crimes.

Reiter made the claim in a 2019 interview with the FBI included in the case files held by the Justice Department. He went on to say that Trump claimed Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was his "operative" and called her "evil."

Elsewhere in the interview, Reiter said Trump told him "he was around Epstein once when teenagers were present and Trump 'got the hell out of there.'" The former police officer confirmed he was interviewed by the FBI in 2019 and had a conversation with Trump in July 2006.

However, an FBI agent denied that Trump called Reiter. "We are not aware of any corroborating evidence that the President contacted law enforcement 20 years ago."

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said his party would seek to interview Trump as part of the Epstein investigation if they regain control of the House after the midterm elections and get subpoena and investigative authority through the committee.

In a separate interview published Thursday by Politico, Garcia said Democrats believe the Justice Department has not fully complied with disclosure requirements tied to Epstein records and described the investigation as ongoing. "The DOJ thinks this investigation is over. We think it's just getting started," Garcia said. He also said, "There is a subpoena that's been in place since the summer. They have been unresponsive."

Garcia told the outlet that if Democrats retake the House, oversight priorities would include corruption investigations and continued scrutiny related to the Epstein case. "We're going to get folks in front of Congress and folks in front of Oversight that have caused harm to the American public," he said, adding that public pressure and court action can also be used to enforce compliance with congressional demands.

The renewed focus on potential testimony comes as the House Oversight Committee moves forward with depositions of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in its Epstein investigation, as both have agreed to testify after the committee prepared contempt proceedings over earlier refusals to appear. Bill Clinton is scheduled to sit for a deposition on Feb. 27, with Hillary Clinton set to appear the day before.

• Marjorie Taylor Greene Celebrates Hillary Clinton's Request To Hold a Public Hearing Over Epstein Files: 'Much Needed Right Now'
• Rep. Robert Garcia Says He Will Seek To Interview Trump Over Epstein Files If Dems Retake The House In The Midterms

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