House Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Monday released a page from Jeffrey Epstein’s so-called 2003 “birthday book” that depicts a handwritten joke about Epstein selling a woman to former President Donald Trump for $22,500.
The page includes a photograph of Epstein and longtime Mar-a-Lago member Joel Pashcow holding a large novelty check and a handwritten caption that reads, “Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [name redacted] to Donald Trump for $22,500. Showed early ‘people skills’ too. Even though I handled the deal I didn’t get any of the money on the girl!” Two faces in the photograph and the woman’s name on the check are redacted.
The check shown on the page bears a signature rendered as “DJ Trump.” The White House has argued the handwriting does not match President Trump’s known signatures and has called the letter fake. Social media users and some legal commentators, including George Conway, noted that Trump has at times used a “Donald” signature, though officials have not authenticated the page.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the woman referenced in the caption was someone Trump and Epstein socialized with in the 1990s. The report said two faces in the photograph were redacted and that one redaction obscures the woman’s name on the check.
The page was released as part of a larger trove of documents from Epstein’s estate that Democrats made public on Monday. Among the documents is an image of what Democrats said was a birthday message to Epstein from Trump, placed inside a crude drawing of an outline of a woman’s body; Trump has denied writing that message.
Committee officials have said the materials are being released to provide transparency about Epstein’s connections and to inform congressional oversight. The documents arrived amid renewed pressure from lawmakers across the political spectrum for a full accounting of files related to Epstein and his circle.
Joel Pashcow and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment from reporters. A lawyer for the woman said she did not know Pashcow and had “no knowledge of the letter,” calling the item a “disgusting and deeply disturbing hoax.” The White House maintained its position that the signature and certain items are inauthentic, while Trump dismissed inquiries about his ties to Epstein as a “Democrat hoax.”
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender whose relationships with wealthy and powerful figures have been scrutinized for years. The release of the estate documents by House Democrats is likely to intensify debate in Washington about how federal agencies and political figures handled information related to Epstein and whether additional documents should be made public.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for further review of the newly released material. The Oversight Committee did not immediately provide an independent forensic authentication of the handwriting or the documents, and officials said review and redaction of sensitive information was ongoing as the materials were posted publicly.