Photo of novelty check suggests Epstein ‘sold’ Trump a woman for $22,500

A scrapbook for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday released on Monday contains a photo of him holding a novelty check bearing Donald Trump’s signature, along with a note suggesting Epstein “sold” him a woman for $22,500, shedding further light on the longtime relationship between the president and the convicted sex offender.

The photo shows Epstein and Joel Pashcow, a longtime member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, and a third figure, apparently a woman, whose face is redacted in the image, which was shared by Democrats on the House oversight committee. The caption, apparently from Paschow, reads: “Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [redaction] to Donald Trump for $22,500.”

Epstein “showed early ‘people skills’ too”, the caption continued. “Even though I handled the deal I didn’t get any of the money on the girl!”

The check is signed “DJ Trump” in a style that differs from most of his signatures at the time.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the woman was someone whom Epstein and the now two-time US president “socialized with” in the 1990s. The woman’s lawyer told the newspaper that she cut ties with Epstein around 1997 and had no romantic relationship with either Epstein or Trump, does not know Pashcow, and had no knowledge of the letter, which she called a “disgusting and deeply disturbing hoax”.

Attempts to contact Pashcow were not immediately successful.

House oversight committee Democrats began publishing details from Epstein’s so-called birthday book on Monday, as the Trump administration has faced bipartisan criticism for its handling of files pertaining to the disgraced financier.

While campaigning for president in 2024 Trump pledged to release a full list of Epstein’s clients, but after he took office in January the justice department declared no such list exists. Trump has since taken to referring to the ongoing bipartisan furore over Epstein as a Democratic “hoax”.

The book was apparently compiled by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.

Trump and Epstein were longtime friends who had a falling out in 2004. In July, Trump told reporters that he and Epstein became estranged because the latter “stole” workers from the Mar-a-Lago spa. One of those workers was Virginia Giuffre, who was later abused by Epstein.

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor and died in 2019 in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

NBC reported that it reached Trump by phone Tuesday morning, and the president declined to comment about Epstein, saying it was a “dead issue”.

Trump has been repeatedly linked to conduct demeaning women. In 2016 he was recorded saying his fame enabled him to “do anything” to women and he could “grab ‘em by the pussy”, and he has been accused of sexual harassment by dozens of women, while denying all claims.

In 2023 and 2024, civil jurors found Trump liable for sexually abusing the writer E Jean Carroll in the 1990s and later defaming her. An appeals court on Monday ruled Trump cannot claim presidential immunity to avoid paying her $83.3m in damages.