Trump latest: 'In effect, Epstein files have been released' - after 20,000 pages published

As we mentioned earlier, Adelita Grijalva, who was just sworn in as a representative, also pledged to sign a petition that will force a vote on the release of all the Epstein files.

She has now officially done so as the official list of signatures indicates. This brings the petition to the required 218 votes, or a simple majority, that will trigger a vote.

During the weeks between her election and her swearing in, when the US government was shut down, the Democrats had alleged that the House speaker Mike Johnson was avoiding swearing her in because she would be the majority-making vote on the petition.

Here's what happens next:

• The petition is now frozen and no member can remove their name;
• After a waiting period of seven legislative days, legislators can call for floor consideration for the attached bill, that directs the department of justice to release all files related to Epstein;
• The petition allows it to bypass the usual gatekeeping by the Republican House leadership and the speaker must schedule a vote;
• Several obstacles remain, however: aside from a House majority, the bill needs a majority in the Senate and must be signed by the president - all of which seems unlikely at this point.

Lisa Phillips, who survived being groomed by Jeffrey Epstein, has been speaking to our chief presenter Anna Botting on The World.

When asked what she made of today's releases of files, she says: "I'm deeply upset, it wasn't what I was expecting... I'm saddened... it's upsetting and very confusing."

She adds that any and all the information that's released brings people "closer to the truth".

But she says we're still "very far" from the truth.

Watch her speaking in full here...

The House of Representatives has now started debating the funding bill, that would effectively end the US government shutdown, if passed.

The debate is slated to go on for one hour.

Two of the spectators in attendance at the House are notably - especially given today's news - victims of Jeffrey Epstein: Liz Stein and Jess Michaels.

Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva recognised them during her maiden speech earlier.

Stein commented on the latest Epstein revelations earlier today, saying it has been "long established that Trump and Epstein had a close friendship".

She added: "I think that it's important for us to remember that there were many high-profile men that were friends with Epstein, and I anticipate that we might see more information coming out also about them."

Remember, you can watch proceedings in the House live - use the stream below...

In the House of Representatives, members are not just talking about the US shutdown tonight.

A bipartisan duo had previously been pushing to bypass Republican leaders to force a vote in the House on the full release of the Epstein files.

The two needed one more signature on the petition for that - which Adelita Grijalva, the Democratic representative who was just sworn in, has now officially pledged to provide in her maiden speech.

Grijalva said she wanted the House of Representatives to "hold Trump accountable as a co-equal branch of government that we are".

"That is why I will sign the discharge petition right now to release the Epstein files."

"Justice cannot wait another day," she added.

In the initial release of "Epstein files" by Democrats today, one person was named alongside Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell - Michael Wolff (see our previous post).

Emails between him and Epstein are contained within the documents that reference Donald Trump. 

Wolff also features in the much bigger release of files today, with 20,000 pages of documents released by Republicans.

But who is he?

Wolff is an American journalist and author who has written extensively about Trump.

Born in 1953, his most well-known and controversial book was the 2018-published Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House.

The book's description of the US president was such that Trump and one of his lawyers issued a cease and desist, claiming it carried false statements and was defamatory.

There were allegations about the accuracy of the book, which reported Trump's behaviour in an unflattering light.

This was the first of four books Wolff wrote about Trump, with the latest being released this year.

American author Michael Wolff was named in the documents released today, in emails between himself and Jeffrey Epstein.

Wolff has written a number of books about Donald Trump.

Posting on his Instagram for the first time since today's story broke, Wolff said in a video:

"This morning, the House Oversight Committee released emails directly linking Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

"In fact some of those emails are between Epstein and me, with Epstein discussing his relationship with Donald Trump.

"I have been trying to talk about this story for a very long time now and perhaps we're getting close to the smoking gun.

"These two men... had the closest of relationships for more than a decade."

 The Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has just opened the first session of the assembly in 54 days.

His first act was to swear in Democratic representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, who is now giving her maiden speech.

Johnson had refused to call the House back into session during the shutdown, avoiding a broader negotiation over government spending with House Democrats.

Later, the delegates are slated to vote on the funding bill passed in the Senate on Monday, which is supposed to end the longest government shutdown in US history.

Watch live below...

Today was shaping up to be all about the House vote on the end of the US government shutdown in Washington.

But the release of new emails from the Epstein files, followed by the release of more than 20,000 extra pages, has overshadowed that debate.

It's just after 21.00 UK time - here's a quick rundown of today's key developments:

What happened?

• In the early afternoon, UK time, the Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee published new email correspondence from Jeffrey Epstein, which they said linked Donald Trump to the disgraced financier;
• The Republicans retaliated shortly after by releasing more than 20,000 pages from Epstein's files, accusing the Democrats of "cherry-picking" their documents.

What's in the emails released by the Democrats?

One email alleges that Donald Trump spent hours with a victim.

In another, Epstein writes of Trump "of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine [sic] to stop", according to the release by the Democrats.

See who said what in that initial leak below...

How has Trump responded?

Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has previously called the allegations against him a "hoax" - and he did again today, adding that they're a political "trap" set by Democrats and a "deflection" from the US shutdown.

The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the released emails were an attempt to "smear" Trump. She later added that they proved "absolutely nothing".

What do we know about the larger batch of files?

Newsrooms around the world continue to trawl through the documents in search of new revelations.

• So far, it's clear the files contain emails, articles, images, and a few videos;
• There is at least one email from former British ambassador Peter Mandelson - see our previous post. 
• Trump also gets mentioned;
• The docs also contain new revelations about, and email exchanges with, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Epstein appears to confirm that the King's brother had his picture taken with underage victim Virginia Giuffre, which the former prince had denied. 

'In effect, Epstein files have been released'

"In effect, the Epstein files, as they have become known, appear today to have been released," our US correspondent Mark Stone summarised.

It could mark a momentous day for the ongoing investigations into Epstein's links with the Washington establishment after years of conspiracy theories and demands for the release of all files.

Watch: Mark Stone explains the Epstein files release

But is this over?

Don't bet on it - as we've been reporting, Democrats continue to call on Trump to "release the files" - despite today's massive release of documents.

Their argument is that there are more revelations to come, with more files yet to be published (see our 20.17 post for more on this).

More to bring you now from the tranche of Epstein files released earlier today.

According to the documents, Peter Mandelson, who was sacked as the UK ambassador to the US in September due to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, was still in contact with the convicted sex offender in 2016.

Bear in mind, Mandelson lost his job after Keir Starmer learned about emails between him and Epstein from 2005 to 2010 - including after Epstein's conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. 

Mandelson's links to Epstein were known before he was appointed as ambassador but the government argued it did not know how long their association had continued.

Back-and-forth emails, revealed in today's release of Epstein files, apparently show an exchange between Epstein and Mandelson dated 6 November 2016 - six years on from the last known contact.

In one, sent on 6 November 2016 at 19.15, Epstein said: 

63 years old. . you made it

Mandelson's birthday was in October, a few weeks before. 

In a response less than 90 minutes later, according to the documents, Mandelson says:

Just. I have decided to extend my life by spending more of it in the US

Epstein then replies, two days before the 2016 US presidential election:

in the donald white house

Epstein goes on to say: 

trump/ and having agreat [sic] deal of fun. In hindsight. you were right about staying away from andrew. I was right in your staying with rinaldo

And according to the documents, Mandelson responds:

Of course, donald in WH. Will he get there? Yes, without Andrew it would not have gone nuclear. Did you advise me to stay with R ? Such a handful but loyal and never embarrassing.

In another earlier email chain, from 2011, Epstein forwards to Mandelson a request for an interview from BBC Radio 4's Today programme sent to his attorney, Jack Goldberger.

The broadcaster expresses an interest in speaking to him about "stories which are circulating, however inaccurately, about both him and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York".

Mandelson replies: "No!!"

In May this year, Paste BN asked Mandelson if he stayed at Epstein's flat, to which he replied: "I'm not answering any questions about him. My knowledge of him is something I regret, I wish I'd never met him in the first place." 

Asked why he had an association with Epstein while he was in jail, Mandelson replied: "Why did many people meet him? He was a prolific networker. And I wish I'd never met him in the first place."

Read more here on the former UK ambassador to Washington and how he lost his job earlier this year...

Lisa Bloom, a lawyer representing a number of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, told our chief presenter Mark Austin earlier that the Epstein emails released today are "disturbing".

She claimed the emails amounted to Epstein "pointing the finger at Donald Trump... from the grave".

But she adds that this "drip, drip, drip" of emails is "ridiculous" and a "slap in the face" to the victims of Epstein.

"Of course all of the files should be released," she says - echoing calls from Democrats to publish all the documents, despite the mass release of 20,000 pages by Republicans today (see previous post).

Watch her speaking here...

For his part, Trump has denied any wrongdoing, or knowing about Epstein's crimes at the time. And, as we've been reporting, the White House has today said the files released "prove absolutely nothing" - apart from the US president's innocence.

As Austin points out, the White House also says Virginia Giuffre herself - a victim of Epstein - apparently praised Trump's professionalism and behaviour.