Epstein Emails Reveal 2018 Exchanges With Council of Europe Chief on Possible Russian Contacts

Newly released U.S. congressional documents show Jeffrey Epstein discussed potential links to senior Kremlin officials with then–Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland, raising fresh questions about the disgraced financier’s international network.

WASHINGTON / STRASBOURG | Newly disclosed documents from the U.S. House Oversight Committee reveal that Jeffrey Epstein engaged in direct email exchanges in 2018 with Thorbjørn Jagland, then the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, discussing potential connections to senior Russian government officials—including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The trove of messages, released as part of a broader congressional document dump, provides a rare glimpse into Epstein’s attempts to remain connected to high-level political actors long after his 2008 sex-crime conviction. The exchanges also cast new light on how Europe’s leading human rights organization intersected, however indirectly, with Epstein’s global network.

Addressing Trump’s Claims About the Pardon of Binance Founder

In defending his Oct. 23 pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, President Donald Trump claimed that Zhao was the victim of a Biden administration “witch hunt.” The billionaire executive known as “CZ” pleaded guilty to allowing money laundering through his cryptocurrency company. He was fined $50 million and served a four-month sentence in a low-security prison and halfway house.

Trump’s comments came during a Nov. 2 interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” Trump said, “I don’t know who he is” and “I know nothing about the guy,” though Zhao’s company assisted in business dealings that benefit World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture run by Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Nov. 4 briefing that the president meant “he does not have a personal relationship with” Zhao. Leavitt also claimed that the judge who heard the case said the sentencing sought by the Biden administration was “egregious and went too far. And so the president is correcting that wrong.”

Prosecutors in the case had sought a three-year sentence for Zhao, while the defense asked for probation with no jail time. The judge agreed that Zhao’s action didn’t warrant a three-year term, but sentenced him to four months in prison. Trump’s pardon did not change the prison sentence, which ended in September 2024.

Experts have concerns about Trump’s pardon of Zhao and the appearance of a conflict of interest on the president’s part.

Here, we’ll look at the basis of the Zhao case, Trump’s claims about the Biden administration’s prosecution of Zhao, and concerns about Trump’s pardon.

Sen. Dick Durbin Admits Democrats “Caved” on Shutdown — Just to Prove a Point About GOP Health Care Policies 🔥

As Democrats face backlash for ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history without health care concessions, Durbin defends the move as symbolic — even as premiums are set to soar.

Washington, D.C. | In a stunning admission that’s fueling backlash across the Democratic base, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said his party “caved” on the government shutdown to make a symbolic point about Republican indifference to rising health insurance costs. The move, which reopened the federal government after a record-long shutdown, came without securing Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions — a core demand of Democrats.

“We proved that Republicans are not sensitive to health care insurance premiums and we are,” Durbin told The Intercept. “National polls show we’ve made a national issue out of it.”

Durbin, the Senate Minority Whip and one of eight Senate Democrats to side with Republicans, insisted that the decision, while unpopular, highlighted the party’s policy values. But critics argue that symbolism came at an enormous cost — both politically and economically.