Epstein Was Tipped Off About Journalist Digging Into Him by Then-NY Times Reporter: ‘I Told Him You Were One Hell of a Guy’
The late sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein was tipped off about a journalist’s investigation into him by then-New York Times reporter Landon Thomas Jr. back in 2016 and 2017.
In one email addressed to Epstein on June 1, 2016, Thomas wrote:
Keep getting calls from that guy doing a book on you — John Connolly. He seems very interested in your relationship with the news media. I told him you were a hell of a guy:) One oddity: he said he had been told that that quote from Trump about you in the original NY Mag story had been manufactured. ie, that I did not actually speak to Donald. Which is bull shit of course. I am sure that is what Trump told him as they have been getting a lot of questions from reporters about you.
He actually seemed to be a sensible guy/solid reporter — just from the few conversations I had with him. I think he is close to finishing up.
Did you ever speak to him?
In a subsequent message sent on September 27, 2017, Thomas wrote the following under the subject line, “Got another call from Connelly..”:
He is digging around again — not clear if its another book/or expanded paperback version. Was asking me all sorts of questions about why you hired Ken Starr. I told him I had no idea — I think he is doing some Trump-related digging too.
Anyway, for what it’s worth…
The emails, which were flagged by investigative reporter Daniel Boguslaw on X, appeared to pertain to Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy – The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein, the book published by Connolly, James Patterson, and Tim Malloy in October 2016.
The Amazon description of the book reads as follows:
Jeffrey Epstein rose from humble origins into the New York City and Palm Beach elite. A college dropout with an instinct for numbers — and for people — Epstein amassed his wealth through a combination of access and skill. But even after he had it all, Epstein wanted more. That unceasing desire — and especially a taste for underage girls — resulted in sexual-abuse charges, to which he pleaded guilty and received a shockingly lenient sentence.
Thomas was the author of the famous, 2002 New York Magazine profile of Epstein titled “Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery.” The piece included the following passage, which Connolly supposedly thought might have been fabricated:
Epstein likes to tell people that he’s a loner, a man who’s never touched alcohol or drugs, and one whose nightlife is far from energetic. And yet if you talk to Donald Trump, a different Epstein emerges. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump booms from a speakerphone. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
The emails from Thomas to Epstein were included among the 20,000 pages of Epstein-related documents released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Thomas left the Gray Lady in 2019, a few months after he told his editors that he had solicited a $30,000 charitable donation from Epstein for a Harlem Montessori preschool.
