The House Oversight Committee on Monday released thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, including a 238-page scrapbook compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday that contains notes attributed to public figures, family messages and intimate photographs.
The glossy “birthday book,” assembled in 2003, was among materials the committee made public as part of an expansive probe into Epstein’s network and the handling of files related to his activities. The book includes what the House Oversight release identifies as a note from former President Bill Clinton praising Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and “drive to make a difference,” as well as a message from attorney Alan Dershowitz that jokes about influencing the focus of a magazine article.
Maxwell wrote at the front of the book that she sought to “gather stories and old photographs to jog your memory about places, people and different events,” and that she hoped Epstein would “derive as much pleasure from looking through it” as she did assembling it. Photographs in the volume range from Epstein as a child and teen to candid images of him shirtless, embracing women and laughing with Maxwell; one image of the pair at a pool was censored in the release.
The entry attributed to Clinton, as released by the committee, praises Epstein’s curiosity and his circle of friends, with portions marked as illegible in the public files. Dershowitz’s birthday note references an early version of a media story — identified in the documents as the Vanity Unfair article — and includes a jocular claim that he shifted the piece’s focus away from Epstein and toward Bill Clinton.
Other personal entries include a handwritten note from Epstein’s mother, Pauline Stolofsky Epstein, recalling childhood memories and social mentions such as a Cosmopolitan feature that described him as a “Bachelor of the Month.” The scrapbook also contains photographs of animals and what the committee described as family drawings and candid party images.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and related offenses and is serving a 20-year sentence. Prosecutors have said Maxwell played a central role in luring underage girls into situations that escalated to sexual abuse. The committee release includes a note that Maxwell, when interviewed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in August, said she could only remember parts of the book and that it had been years since she compiled it.
The release comes as the House Oversight Committee advances an investigation into Epstein-related records and the handling of materials by federal and private entities. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee’s chair, accused House Democrats of previously “cherry-picking” documents and said Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring “transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people.”
Committee documents also indicate plans for Epstein’s estate to turn over additional materials to lawmakers, a development cited by House Democrats and Republicans in the public filings. Lawmakers and aides have said the newly disclosed materials are part of a broader effort to assemble a comprehensive record of Epstein’s contacts, activities and the responses of officials and institutions.
The files released by the committee include a range of materials from calendars and correspondence to photographs and personal notes. Committee staff and some lawmakers have said the trove may shed light on Epstein’s relationships and the extent of his social and political connections. Legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual abuse have urged careful review of the documents as investigators and Congress weigh next steps.
The Oversight Committee did not release all material in the public filing; some portions of images and documents were redacted. The committee’s release follows years of litigation and requests by lawmakers, journalists and survivors seeking access to records generated during and after federal and private investigations into Epstein and his associates.
Officials on the committee said the materials will be reviewed as part of ongoing oversight work; lawmakers have not yet announced a public timetable for hearings specifically tied to the newly released files. The documents add to an expanding public record that investigators and survivors’ advocates say is necessary for understanding the full scope of Epstein’s activities and the networks that surrounded him.