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LOADINGERROR LOADING Journalist Michael Wolff, who apparently advised Jeffrey Epstein on how to manipulate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for his own benefit, is speaking out after his emails with the disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker were made public by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. In a 2015 email released by the committee, Epstein wonders to Wolff what then-candidate Trump should say if he’s asked about their relationship during a presidential debate. Advertisement “I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency,” the journalist advised Epstein. “You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt,” Wolff continued. “Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.” Following the publication of the emails — which suggest that Epstein had the ability to “hang” Trump if he denied visiting and traveling with him — Wolff appeared on Instagram to address Epstein and Trump’s relationship. Advertisement In his video, Wolff tried to sidestep the ethical issues inherent in his advising Epstein, claiming the release of their 2015 emails would get investigators closer to understanding the sex offender’s relationship with Trump. Wolff began the video by noting that “this morning, the House Oversight Committee released emails directly linking Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein,” and that “some of those emails are between Epstein and me, with Epstein discussing his relationship with Donald Trump.” Wolff claimed he had “been trying to talk about this story for a very long time now,” and suggested the newly released emails are a sign that “this is, well, perhaps we’re getting close to the smoking gun.” Advertisement Epstein and Trump “had the closest of relationships for more than a decade” and “shared everything,” including airplanes, women and business and financial advice, Wolff said. “You know, it’s curious that Epstein’s relationship with so many people in public life has damaged them considerably, but the one person who he was closest to has not been held accountable. That’s Donald Trump.” Advertisement Wolff then noted he had released his own tapes of Epstein talking about his relationship with Trump “to really little effect” before the election. The journalist ended the video by noting that he had sued first lady Melania Trump last month for trying to stop him from reporting and writing about her alleged ties to Epstein. The lawsuit, he argued, “will allow me to ask the questions of her, and also of her husband, and of the many people that surrounded their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.” So,WhatNow? Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Join HuffPost The shutdown may be ending, but the story isn’t. A deal’s been struck, but serious questions remain. Your membership powers the reporting that digs deeper and follows what happens next. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. “And at this point, I think we can all focus on the main issue, which is to get to the bottom of this relationship,” Wolff added.
