--- title: Unredacted Epstein Files Contradict Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Claim, Says Lawmaker description: Rep. Maxwell Frost says newly reviewed Epstein files refute Trump’s claim that he banned the financier from Mar-a-Lago. canonical: https://time.com/7379910/epstein-files-trump-maxwell-frost-mar-a-lago/ author: Philip Wang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-02-20T11:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:14:24.785Z article:section: Politics og:title: Lawmaker Says Epstein Files Refute Trump og:description: Rep. Maxwell Frost says unredacted files contradict Trump’s account of banning Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. og:url: https://time.com/7379910/epstein-files-trump-maxwell-frost-mar-a-lago/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6898c6a187baf0c3/69b0485dfa0d7190ff728be3/GettyImages-2256152330.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6853 og:image:height: 3855 og:image:alt: ICE Out for Good Protest and Vigil in Washington, DC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lawmaker Says Epstein Files Refute Trump twitter:description: Rep. Maxwell Frost says unredacted files contradict Trump’s account of banning Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6898c6a187baf0c3/69b0485dfa0d7190ff728be3/GettyImages-2256152330.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:44 video:published: 2026-02-19 section: politics topics: Epstein files, document redactions, alleged cover-up, unredacted files, victims and survivors, government accountability, child abuse, billionaires and elites, hoax claims, justice for survivors genre: interview, political commentary tones: serious, critical, somber, determined, emotional emotions: anger (high), sadness (high), determination (high), empathy (medium) sentiment: negative audience: political news followers, general news viewers, policy watchers, advocates for abuse survivors people: Maxwell Frost, Donald Trump content_suitability: crime [00:58-01:11]; politics [00:00-01:44]; profanity [01:16-01:18]; tragedy [01:24-01:38] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Trump Said He Banned Epstein From Mar-a-Lago. A Lawmaker Who Reviewed Unredacted Files Says They Tell a Different Story > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b38c502e-affb-448c-8f1d-764613401361&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Rep. Maxwell Frost Says Viewing the Epstein Files is "Rough," But Necessary VERTICAL [Watch (HLS stream): Rep. Maxwell Frost Says Viewing the Epstein Files is "Rough," But Necessary VERTICAL](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hOulMjcs.m3u8) (1:44)  _Published 2026-02-19. Rep. Maxwell Frost says documents he reviewed refute Trump’s account of barring Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Rep. Maxwell Frost describes his view of the administration's handling of redactions in released Epstein documents, which he characterizes as a cover-up. He says only victim names were supposed to be redacted, yet some victim names were left visible while others were protected. He recounts the emotional toll of viewing the unredacted files and rejects claims that the matter is a hoax. He credits survivors he has met with keeping him engaged in the effort. ## Key points - Frost says the agreed standard was no redactions except victim names, not to protect friends of Donald Trump, billionaires or elites. (00:02) - He alleges the administration tried to protect billionaires and in many cases did not even redact victims' names. (00:17) - He says the documents were produced nearly a month late, which was explained as being for the purpose of redacting victim names. (00:24) - Frost says he is one of the only people in the country who can enter the room and view the unredacted files. (00:48) - He says the day he viewed the files was very rough and that reading about what happened to children and teens 'messes you up.' (00:40) - He says viewing the files shows how real the matter is and made him angrier at people, including Trump, who call it a hoax. (01:11) - Frost says survivors, whom he and colleagues have met with multiple times, are what keep him going on this issue. (01:24) - He says survivors retraumatize themselves daily because they want justice for themselves and to ensure it never happens again. (01:29) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:29] Accusing administration of redaction cover-up. Frost says the administration protected billionaires instead of only redacting victim names and delivered documents nearly a month late. - [00:29 to 00:58] Viewing the unredacted files. Frost discusses accountability measures and explains why he goes into the room to view the unredacted files. - [00:58 to 01:24] Emotional toll and rejecting hoax claims. He describes how reading about the victims affected him and says it proves the matter is real. - [01:24 to 01:44] Survivors as motivation for justice. Frost credits survivors who relive the trauma for justice as the reason he continues. ## Key quotes - [00:17] Maxwell Frost: "And what this administration did is they decided to try to protect billionaires." - [00:56] Maxwell Frost: "and I must do it to make sure that we have justice for everyone." - [01:05] Maxwell Frost: "it messes you up." - [01:19] Maxwell Frost: "who say this is a hoax because it's not this is real." - [01:38] Maxwell Frost: "and so if they can do it, we have to do it." ## Questions this video answers - What does Maxwell Frost say was wrong with the redactions in the Epstein files? [00:00] - Why does Frost say the documents were produced late? [00:24] - Why does Frost view the unredacted files? [00:48] - How did viewing the files affect Frost? [00:40] - How does Frost respond to people who call the matter a hoax? [01:14] - What motivates Frost to keep pursuing the issue? [01:24] ## Content suitability - crime [00:58-01:11]: Speaker refers to the abuse of girls, children and teens described in the files, without graphic detail. - politics [00:00-01:44]: Partisan criticism of the administration and Donald Trump regarding the handling of released documents. - profanity [01:16-01:18]: Mild profanity ('pissed off') used by the speaker. - tragedy [01:24-01:38]: Discussion of survivors' ongoing trauma from abuse.  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Feb 20, 2026 11:00 AM UTC  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Feb 20, 2026 11:00 AM UTC A Democratic lawmaker who has reviewed unredacted portions of [the Jeffrey Epstein files](https://time.com/7362445/epstein-files-million-pages-trump-department-justice/)—with the help of Reddit users—says they directly contradict President Donald Trump’s account of barring Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. **Read more:** [_New Investigation Launched into Epstein’s 7,600-Acre Zorro Ranch. Here’s What We Know_](https://time.com/7379228/epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation/) [Rep. Maxwell Frost](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/6218235/maxwell-frost-2/) told TIME that multiple witness statements in the files refute Trump’s claim that he expelled the convicted sex offender from the Palm Beach club in 2007\. Frost said he plans to disclose further details in a speech on the House floor in the coming weeks, where members of Congress are shielded from defamation lawsuits under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause. “I read many documents that completely refute what Donald Trump has said in terms of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Frost said, adding that there was a “specific document” in the files containing multiple witness accounts that contradict the President’s version of events. Trump said in 2025 that he banned Epstein after learning the financier had recruited young female spa workers away from Mar-a-Lago. But The New York Times previously reported that Trump told associates he removed Epstein for a different reason—that Epstein had behaved inappropriately toward the teenage daughter of a club member. Frost also said he reviewed material he believes undermines statements made by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about his relationship with Epstein. “This is obviously the administration engaged in some sort of cover up, because we said we don't want any redactions unless it's victim names,” he said during a phone interview from Orlando, Florida. “That's it, victim names—not to protect friends of Donald Trump, not to protect billionaires and elites in this country, the names of victims.” In response to a request for comment, a White House spokesperson directed TIME to a video clip of remarks Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered last week. In the clip, Leavitt said Trump “kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club at Mar-a-Lago because, frankly, Jeffrey Epstein was a creep,” and said the President “cut off his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and was honest and transparent about that for years and years.” Frost is one of dozens of members of Congress who have access to the unredacted version of the Epstein files. Since Congress passed the law that demands the release of the full Epstein files in November, congressional [members](https://khanna.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/khanna.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/reps-khanna-and-massie-letter-to-dag-blanche-1.30.26-final.pdf) and [committees](https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2026-01-31-raskin-to-blanche-doj-re-epstein-files.pdf) have sent letters to the DOJ demanding to see the unredacted version of the Epstein files. As bipartisan lawmakers head to the Department of Justice to dig through caches of documents, congressional Democrats are assigning documents to lawmakers to make sure they are not viewing the same ones. “We need to essentially divide and conquer and try to figure out how we can put this picture together with the limited time that we have in there,” said. Frost, the 29-year-old progressive congressman widely viewed as part of a rising generation reshaping the Democratic Party, described the emotional toll of confronting the material firsthand. Elected in 2022 as [the first Gen Z member of Congress](https://time.com/6221606/new-class-of-next-generation-leaders/), Frost has used his online platform to [update followers](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUn7KHhgMKU/) on his review of the Epstein files. But he told TIMEthat the day he went into the DOJ to review the Epstein files was a “rough day” for him. “Reading about what happened to these girls, to these children, to these teens. It messes you up, it really does, and it shows you just how real this whole thing is,” he said. Frost has turned to Reddit to help identify specific document numbers to review, after keyword searches yielded an unmanageable number of results. His [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Epstein/comments/1r19pws/im%5Fcongressman%5Fmaxwell%5Falejandro%5Ffrost%5Fand/) in a subreddit on the platform dedicated to the Epstein files quickly generated thousands of leads pointing to specific documents among the 3.5 million newly released files, many of which were heavily [redacted](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00828161.pdf). Frost said his team then compiled 11 pages of document numbers that Reddit users provided. “Honestly, crowd sourcing information from the people is something politicians need to do more of,” Rep. Maxwell said. “We don't know everything. We have a limited staff, but out there, there are people who are combing through these documents, who themselves have put pieces together that maybe we haven't even thought of.” This past week, Frost went to the DOJ focusing on documents relating to his home state of Florida, where Epstein was first convicted of child prostitution in 2008\. Even after hours of review, Frost said he had barely scratched the surface. “Usually in these types of investigations, it's not one document where you go, ‘Oh, my God, I cracked the code.’ I mean, it doesn't really work that way,” Frost said. “You look through these documents, and you put the puzzle together to figure out who is involved, how were they involved? What do they know, and why have we been lied to?” Although congressional Democrats say they plan to review more documents before pursuing additional criminal referrals relating to the Epstein investigation, Frost is already escalating his response. He has called for the impeachment of Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing her of excessively redacting the Epstein files and surveilling lawmakers’ [search histories](https://time.com/7378099/epstein-files-bondi-jayapal-unredacted-search-history-spying/) as they examine the Epstein files. Bondi faced bipartisan criticism after she was photographed with a document that detailed Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s search history of the Epstein files during her congressional hearing. “These pictures of having the search history of Pramila, I think it's disgusting. And think about it this way. If they have nothing to hide, why are they spying on members of Congress?” he asked. “There's a separation of powers for a reason, and we have to be able to do the work that we're doing without being spied up on by this administration and without having that information being used against us.” Frost also said the DOJ has limited lawmakers to two-hour sessions to review the Epstein files. [Multiple](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/members-congress-view-unredacted-epstein-files-monday-rcna257836) [outlets](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/12/nx-s1-5712359/for-the-first-time-lawmakers-are-reviewing-unredacted-copies-of-the-epstein-files) have reported that lawmakers must schedule appointments at the DOJ at least 24 hours in advance to assess the documents at a secure facility. They are also prohibited from bringing any electronic devices with them, making it harder for lawmakers to make redacted information available to the public. Despite these constraints, Frost plans to go back to the DOJ at least twice next week in an effort to delve deeper into the investigation. “This is about people who have evaded justice for a long time. And the sad part is that it's not new in this country. Billionaires, elites, politicians, people with power have been able to do whatever they want without facing the consequences forever in the United States,” he said. He also pointed to the House Oversight Committee’s [subpoenas](https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-subpoenas-banks-for-epstein-records-seeks-information-from-usvi-attorney-general/) to JP Morgan and Deutsche Banks for their financial records of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, five [additional depositions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAtLySLWfr4) scheduled in the coming months, and more investigations into the Epstein estates. “This investigation into not just the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, but the crimes of many people, I think are not just going to bring a lot of them down, but it's a reckoning for this nation,” he said. “It goes deep, and every single one of them needs to be held accountable.” ## Transcript [00:00] This is obviously the administration [00:02] engaged in some sort of cover [00:04] up because we said we don't want [00:06] any redactions unless it's victim names. [00:09] That's it. Victim names. [00:11] Not to protect friends of Donald Trump, [00:13] not to protect billionaires and [00:15] elites in this country. The names of victims. [00:17] And what this administration did is [00:19] they decided to try to protect billionaires. [00:22] And in many cases, they didn't [00:23] even redact the names of the victims, [00:24] which is the whole reason we were told that [00:26] these documents were produced damn near a month late. [00:29] So, you know, there's a lot that [00:31] we need to do here, but, um, [00:33] we'll see what the accountability measures look [00:37] like in terms of viewing these documents unredacted. [00:40] The day I went in was a very rough day for me. [00:42] I mean, it is reading [00:45] this type of stuff is not something I seek. [00:48] Uh, but I noticed part of my job [00:50] because I'm one of the only people in [00:52] the country that can go into [00:53] that room and view the unredacted files, [00:56] and I must do it to [00:57] make sure that we have justice for everyone. [00:58] But reading about what happened to [01:00] these girls, to these children, [01:02] to these teens, um, [01:05] it messes you up. [01:08] It really does. Um, and [01:11] it shows you just how real this whole thing is. [01:14] And it's, you know, coming out of there, [01:16] I was even more pissed off [01:18] when I hear people like Trump and people [01:19] who say this is a hoax because it's not this is real. [01:23] People have been impacted, and it's really [01:24] the survivors that we've met [01:26] with multiple times that keep me going in this. [01:29] They lived through this every day. [01:31] They retraumatize themselves every [01:33] day because they want justice, [01:35] not just for them, but to make [01:36] sure it never happens again. [01:38] Um, and so if they can do it, we have to do it. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7379910/epstein-files-trump-maxwell-frost-mar-a-lago/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7379910/epstein-files-trump-maxwell-frost-mar-a-lago/"},"headline":"Trump Said He Banned Epstein From Mar-a-Lago. A Lawmaker Who Reviewed Unredacted Files Says They Tell a Different Story","datePublished":"2026-02-20T11:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T08:14:24.785Z","description":"Rep. 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