Palm Beach, Florida — Newly released FBI documents reveal that in 2006, Donald Trump made a personal call to the police chief of Palm Beach to express gratitude for investigating Jeffrey Epstein. Trump urged the chief to focus on Ghislaine Maxwell, calling her an “evil” accomplice of Epstein.

Michael Reiter, who served as the police chief from 2001 to 2009, recalled in a summary of a 2019 FBI interview that Trump was among the first to reach out once word spread about Epstein’s activities. At the time, Epstein was under scrutiny for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with minors, reportedly as young as 14.

During the call, Trump expressed relief that authorities were taking action against Epstein. He recounted an unsettling experience where he avoided Epstein upon seeing teenagers present, saying, “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.” Reiter also noted that Trump claimed to have ejected Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago estate, emphasizing that he was aware of Epstein’s troubling reputation well before law enforcement’s investigations ramped up.

The document, first reported by a local news outlet, highlights Trump’s concerns that surfaced as investigators began to probe Epstein’s considerable connections and power. Trump further characterized Maxwell as “Epstein’s operative,” directing the chief to concentrate resources on her as part of the ongoing investigation.

Reiter’s identity was redacted in the FBI summary, but the information aligns with his known involvement in the early stages of the Epstein case. Reiter mentioned that he met Epstein during a separate incident when the financier reported an employee for theft. Following that introduction, Epstein allegedly donated significant funds to the police department, including $40,000 for security technology and other community support.

The Palm Beach Police Department began receiving reports about Epstein around 2003. Despite building a complex case that included allegations against his associates, Reiter indicated challenges in prosecuting due to perceived credibility issues of the victims, which he claimed were used against them in court.

The FBI interview summary emerged as part of a larger document release concerning Epstein, who in 2008 entered a controversial plea deal for soliciting a minor, serving only a fraction of his sentence. His 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges led to his untimely death in a Manhattan jail shortly thereafter.

In another development, Maxwell recently invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a virtual deposition with Congress, refusing to respond to questions about her connection to Epstein or her alleged role in trafficking young women. Currently serving a 20-year sentence in Texas, Maxwell’s attorney mentioned that she would be willing to cooperate if granted clemency by Trump.

The White House has clarified that no clemency for Maxwell is being contemplated, although Trump indicated he would “take a look” at the situation. His comments regarding potential clemency raised eyebrows but emphasized his ongoing connection to the high-profile case.