A newly uncovered Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interview from 2006 found US President Donald Trump called convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell "evil".
The interview documents have emerged as part of a newly released series of millions of documents related to the Epstein scandal which continues to create a political headache for Trump, weeks after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files to comply with a bipartisan bill.
They have prompted questions about Trump's assertion that he knew nothing about Epstein's and Maxwell's role in child sex abuse and trafficking.
In July 2019, when asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he had any suspicions about Epstein "molesting … underaged women", Trump responded: "No, I had no idea. I had no idea. I haven't spoken to him in many, many years."
In 2025, Trump told reporters while hosting a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein."
Maxwell was found guilty of a scheme to exploit and abuse multiple minor girls over the course of a decade alongside Epstein, leading to a 20-year prison term, which she's currently serving.
What does the newly released FBI interview allege?
In July 2006, as Epstein's first sex crime charges became public, the police chief in Palm Beach, Florida, received a call from Trump, according to the summary of a 2019 FBI interview with the police chief that was among the files.
The police chief, Michael Reiter, cited Trump as having told him: "Thank goodness you're stopping him, everyone has known he's been doing this."
Trump told Reiter that people in New York knew about Epstein and advised him that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, was "evil," according to the document. Trump also said he had once been around Epstein when teenagers were present and that he "got the hell out of there."
Reiter, who retired in 2009, confirmed the details of the FBI interview to the Miami Herald, which first reported its existence.
Asked about the reported conversation, the Justice Department said, "We are not aware of any corroborating evidence that the president contacted law enforcement 20 years ago."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday (local time): "It was a phone call that may or may not have happened in 2006."
With a current US congressional hearing looking into Epstein's crimes, Maxwell has refused to provide any information, bu her lawyers have said she would speak if granted clemency by Trump.
Relationship between Trump and Maxwell
Maxwell told the Department of Justice she "may have met" Trump in 1990 because her father, a wealthy media baron, liked him.
Trump has been photographed with Maxwell multiple times in the early 2000s, usually with Epstein nearby.
In New York magazine in 2002, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" and "a lot of fun to be with ... it is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side".
But according to Trump in 2019, they had a falling out, telling reporters: "I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you."
When Maxwell was arrested in 2020, Trump told reporters: "I haven't really been following [the case] too much. I just wish her well frankly."
"I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach."
The transcript of an interview between the US justice department's deputy attorney-general Todd Blanche and Maxwell was released in 2025, where she said she'd never seen Trump "in any inappropriate setting in any way."
Maxwell stated Epstein and Trump were only ever together in "social settings" and not "private settings".
Between 2009 and 2018, many women came forward alleging they were Epstein's victims, and in 2019, he was arrested on sex trafficking charges. In August 2019, he was found dead in his New York cell, with authorities determining he had died by suicide.
New York prosecutors charged Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and close associate, with scouting girls for Epstein's abuse. In December 2021, she was convicted of sex trafficking, conspiracy and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In July 2025, the House Oversight subcommittee issued a subpoena for Maxwell to testify before committee officials in August, alongside the vote to subpoena the justice department for the Epstein files.
Maxwell was said to be open to cooperating with Congress, but only if she was guaranteed immunity by politicians first, according to her lawyers.
Towards the end of 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed US Congress to urge the justice department to release all the unclassified documents relating to Epstein.
In December, the first of the files were released, giving further insight into Maxwell's operations with Epstein, thus leading to her deposition.
Why didn't Maxwell answer Congress' questions?
Maxwell was subpoenaed by the US House Oversight Committee to provide more information.
However on Monday, she refused to answer any of their questions, pleading her fifth amendment privilege.
Her attorney David Markus said she would be prepared to speak publicly if granted clemency by Trump.
Lawmakers were disappointed, and the committee's chair and Republican representative James Comer told reporters: "We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators."
A recording of the deposition released by the committee showed Maxwell speaking via a video link. She was asked questions about whether her fellow co-conspirators surrounded themselves with the rich and famous to "curry favour" and avoid scrutiny, and whether Trump ever engaged "in sexual activity with an individual introduced to him by you or Jeffrey Epstein".
"I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence," she said.
The committee called off their questioning early.
The White House has not yet responded to Markus' comments regarding clemency, but back in July 2025, Trump told reporters: "I'm allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody's approached me with it."
Democrats within the committee denounced her request, noting that Trump not yet ruling out that possibility has hampered their inquiry.
"That is why she is continuing to not cooperate with our investigation," Democratic representative Suhas Subramanyam said.
If granted clemency, can Maxwell walk free?
Trump is no stranger to granting clemency for people convicted of crimes in the US.
Of those convicted or charged for the 6 January Capitol riot, more than 1,500 were pardoned.
Trump also pardoned his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election result, in which Joe Biden won the presidency.
However, in this case, the pardoning was symbolic, as they only can apply to federal crimes, while Giuliani was charged at a state level.
Maxwell was charged in Manhattan federal court by US circuit judge Alison Nathan, meaning Trump can pardon Maxwell due to her federal convictions.
It doesn't imply innocence, but it could result in a reduced sentence. Pardoning also restores a person's civil rights, such as voting.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agency.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
