Emails Reveal Michael Wolff Advised Jeffrey Epstein on Trump Relations

Recently released emails have unveiled that journalist Michael Wolff provided advice to Jeffrey Epstein on handling his interactions with Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. In a December 2015 email, Wolff informed Epstein that CNN planned to question Trump about their relationship and suggested, "I think you should let him hang himself." Wolff further advised that if Trump denied their association, Epstein could use this as "valuable PR and political currency."

In October 2016, Wolff emailed Epstein about an "opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him." This correspondence occurred shortly after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape featuring Trump's controversial remarks about women.

Wolff, known for his 2018 book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," had previously disclosed interviewing Epstein for the publication. In 2019, Epstein faced federal charges for sex trafficking of minors and was later found dead in his Manhattan jail cell, with authorities ruling it a suicide.

The release of these emails has raised questions about the nature of Wolff's relationship with Epstein. Edward Wasserman, a journalism professor at the University of California, Berkeley, commented, "This is not his job. He's becoming a participant, a player and a shaper of the news he's going to report on."

Wolff, 72, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement to ABC News, he mentioned he couldn't recall the specifics of the email exchange but noted discussions with Epstein about his relationship with Trump, aiming to encourage Epstein to speak publicly on the matter.

In an Instagram post, Wolff acknowledged the emails and emphasized the significance of the Trump-Epstein relationship, stating it was "central to our time." He also expressed disappointment that the pre-election release of his Epstein interviews had "little effect."

In October, Wolff filed a lawsuit against Melania Trump after her counsel accused him of defamation and threatened legal action seeking over $1 billion in damages. Wolff's complaint argued that the claims were intended to "harass, intimidate, punish or otherwise maliciously inhibit" his freedom of speech.

Wolff has authored several books on Trump and contributed to various publications, including Vanity Fair and New York magazine. His reporting style has faced criticism; in a 2004 article, Michelle Cottle wrote that "the scenes in his columns aren't recreated so much as created — springing from Wolff's imagination rather than from actual knowledge of events."

His 2018 book "Fire and Fury" attracted significant attention, though fact-checkers identified several errors. During a promotional appearance on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," Wolff hinted at an alleged extramarital affair involving Trump, leading to speculation about Nikki Haley, then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Haley denied the allegations, calling them "disgusting."

In a 2019 interview, Wolff stated, "As a journalist — or as a writer — my obligation is to come as close to the truth as I possibly can. And that's not as close to someone else's truth, but the truth as I see it."