Republican Representative Thomas Massie said that billionaire John Paulson, a major donor to President Donald Trump’s campaign, was listed in Jeffrey Epstein’s “black book.”
Paulson’s name previously appeared in Epstein’s “little black book,” a communications log seized during the investigation. Massie raised this issue amid fierce opposition from the Trump administration over its handling of Epstein-related records.
Paulson’s inclusion in Epstein’s “black book” does not necessarily indicate that he committed a crime. While the log contains names, phone numbers, and addresses, it does not indicate the nature, frequency, or legality of the contacts.
A spokesperson for Paulson told Newsweek that there was no relationship between him and Epstein “at any level.” The spokesperson accused Massie of launching a “baseless attack.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House by email for comment.
Why It Matters
Epstein survivors, lawmakers, and the public have called for the full release of documents relating to the convicted sex offender to understand who may have facilitated or benefited from his abuse.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee investigating Epstein released approximately 34,000 documents it received from the Justice Department and posted them online. However, the move hasn’t silenced calls for full disclosure, with Epstein accusers saying authorities are still withholding the documents.
Massie told Newsmax’s “Rob Schmidt Tonight” that while Paulson’s name had been mentioned previously, it “indicates the type of people who may be implicated or embarrassed by the full release of these records.” The Kentucky Republican also said Paulson is one of “three billionaires currently running ads” against him.
Worth knowing
On Wednesday, several high-profile Epstein survivors spoke at a Capitol Hill press conference alongside Massie.
One survivor, former model Lisa Phillips, said, “We Epstein survivors have discussed creating our own list. We know the names. Many of us were victims of abuse.”
During the Newsmax interview, Rob Schmidt asked Massey to name some of those names. The congressman replied, “Let me give you the name of a billionaire who has spent $2 million on advertising in my district since I started this initiative. His name is John Paulson.”
“He’s a hedge fund manager, a major Republican donor, a major donor to the Speaker of the House, a major donor to the presidential campaign, and he’s on Epstein’s hit list.” »
“It’s public, but it illustrates the type of people who could be implicated or embarrassed by the full disclosure of these files.”
A spokesperson for Paulson told Newsweek: “If John Paulson is on Epstein’s hit list, it’s news to him. He didn’t share a meal or even a drink with Epstein.” He never attended a party he hosted, never visited Epstein at any of his residences, never flew with him, and never visited the island.
“In other words, this is a futile attempt to insinuate a relationship with Epstein that never existed. Mr. Paulson believes Congressman Massie betrayed his constituents and should be replaced. Massie’s response is a fabricated attack devoid of any merit. He should be ashamed and retract his statement.”
Contacted for comment, Massie’s office referred Newsweek to the actor’s August post, which included a screenshot of Paulson’s name “as it appears on Epstein’s blacklist,” according to a spokesperson.
Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) have urged the Justice Department to release more information about the Epstein case.
They co-sponsored a bill requiring the Justice Department to release the Epstein files within 30 days. Massie also introduced a motion to exempt the Justice Department from liability in order to force a vote on the bill. If all House Democrats sign the motion, six Republicans would need to join them to obtain the minimum 218 votes needed to override the House decision.
On Wednesday, Khanna joined Massie and Epstein’s victims at the press conference, along with three leading figures in the Make America Great Again movement: Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Who is John Paulson?
Paulson, worth $4 billion, is the founder of the New York-based investment firm Paulson & Associates. According to Forbes, he amassed his fortune by betting on subprime mortgages at the height of the credit bubble in 2007.
The 69-year-old closed the firm to outside investors in 2020, returning their funds and transferring them to a family office.
He has been mentioned in Epstein’s book for about a decade. In 2015, the blog Gawker widely disseminated a redacted version of Epstein’s contact log, leading to the publication of more complete, unredacted versions.
John Paulson’s Relationship with Donald Trump
Paulson is known to be a longtime ally of Trump and a major donor to his campaign and the Republican Party.
According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in American politics, Paulson donated $763,800 to Republicans in 2024 alone. This figure was even higher in 2020, when he donated $1.26 million to Republicans.
Paulson has also donated to Democratic candidates over the years, but the amounts were much smaller: $1,270 in 2024 and $6,710 in 2020.
In April 2024, Trump held a fundraiser at Paulson’s home, where he and Melania Trump posed for photos with Paulson and his fiancée, Alina de Almeida.
“It was a great night even before it started, because people wanted to contribute to the cause of ‘Making America Great Again,'” Trump said before the event.
The Wall Street Journal reported in October, citing “sources familiar with the matter,” that Trump was considering Paulson as a potential Treasury secretary.
Paulson later told the Wall Street Journal: “While many media outlets have mentioned me as a potential Treasury secretary, my complex financial commitments would prevent me from holding an official position in President Trump’s administration at this time. Nevertheless, I intend to remain actively involved with the president’s economic team and help implement President Trump’s major policy proposals.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on September 3: “This is a Democratic hoax without end… To my knowledge, thousands of pages of documents have been presented. But this is really a Democratic hoax because they are trying to spin something that has absolutely nothing to do with the success we’ve had as a nation since I’ve been president… I know that no matter what you do, this is going to continue.”
He added: “We’re in the most successful eight months in the history of a president. And that’s what I want to talk about. That’s what we should be talking about, not the Epstein hoax.”
Representative Thomas Massie told Newsmax: “Victims’ attorneys have said that President Trump helped them nine years ago with their case by providing them with contact information and helping them track down this information. And just nine months ago, the entire administration was in favor of releasing these files. The problem is, they’ve completely changed their minds.”
He added: “I think they were literally asked to cover this up. The problem is, this isn’t a hoax. There are survivors. There are hundreds of them, and we heard testimony today from some who have never spoken publicly.”
What happens next?
It remains to be seen whether Massie’s petition will cross the 218-vote threshold required to force the House to vote on his bill to release the records.