The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Monday posted the first batch of documents it received from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, including an image of a note from a 2003 “birthday book” that appears to bear President Donald Trump’s name. Democrats on the panel said the volume, compiled by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, contains dozens of letters and drawings from acquaintances and that the page shows a typewritten message framed by an outline of a nude woman with a handwritten signature beneath it.
The typewritten passage ends, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret," and the Democrats' image shows what they described as a squiggly signature below the drawing. Trump has denied writing the note and sued the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the material, alleging defamation. Trump told the Journal at the time, "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words."
The Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Epstein’s estate seeking a broad set of records, including the birthday book, Epstein’s will, the 2008 nonprosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida and assorted financial documents. Committee Democrats said the materials were part of an ongoing inquiry into unanswered questions stemming from Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges and his death by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell weeks later.
"The Oversight Committee has secured the infamous ‘Birthday Book’ that contains a note from President Trump that he has said does not exist," Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement. "It’s time for the President to tell us the truth about what he knew and release all the Epstein files. The American people are demanding answers."
White House deputy chief of staff for communications Taylor Budowich responded on X, writing that the page "is not his signature" and posting several more recent examples of Trump's handwriting and signatures. The president has repeatedly characterized efforts to obtain and publicize Epstein-related records as politically motivated and called the broader inquiry "a hoax."
Vice President J.D. Vance, in a social media post on July 17, denounced the Journal’s reporting as false and vulgar, saying, "Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls—t. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it." Other Trump allies have echoed calls for caution and criticized the speed and scope of the disclosures.
The birthday volume was created by Maxwell, who was later convicted of sex-trafficking-related charges. The Wall Street Journal and other outlets have reported that the professionally bound book includes notes and drawings from a range of Epstein’s acquaintances, including former President Bill Clinton and financier Leon Black. The release of material from Epstein’s estate follows a subpoena campaign from House Democrats seeking records that could shed light on Epstein’s network and the handling of the 2008 nonprosecution agreement that has long drawn public scrutiny.
The Oversight Committee said it has already obtained roughly 33,000 pages of records from the Justice Department, but Democrats have complained those disclosures contained little new information. The Justice Department in July said it did not maintain a compiled "client list" of people who participated in Epstein’s abuse, a statement that inflamed some of Epstein’s critics who contend investigators and prosecutors have withheld names and documents.
Trump and Epstein were known to socialize in the 1990s in Palm Beach, Florida, when Epstein was a frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club. Flight logs show Trump flew at least once on Epstein’s private jet. After Epstein’s 2019 arrest, Trump said the two had fallen out about 15 years earlier after Epstein hired away some of Trump’s employees.
Separately, a bipartisan effort in the House is attempting to compel a floor vote that would force the Justice Department to release all its files related to Epstein. Representatives Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, are spearheading an effort to collect the 218 signatures needed to bypass leadership and force the vote. So far, four House Republicans — Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina — have joined the push, leaving supporters several Republican votes short of the threshold.
Lawmakers said the newly released documents and images are likely to intensify pressure on the Justice Department and congressional committees to produce more records. Oversight committee officials said they will continue to review materials obtained from Epstein's estate and could hold additional hearings or issue further subpoenas depending on what the documents reveal.
The release comes as investigators and legislators seek to resolve lingering questions about Epstein’s network, the 2008 prosecution that has drawn allegations of a lenient deal, and whether any officials or influential individuals failed to act. Committee Democrats said the birthday book page is a tangible example of the kinds of documents that may clarify who associated with Epstein and the nature of those relationships. Republicans aligned with the president have criticized the timing and motive behind the disclosures and defended Trump’s denials.
The Oversight Committee did not immediately say whether it would seek testimony from people connected to the birthday book or pursue legal action to compel additional disclosures from the estate. The committee's findings and any subsequent actions could influence broader congressional and public scrutiny of Epstein-era records in the coming months.