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By Jordan King
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Republican Representative Thomas Massie has said billionaire John Paulson, a major donor to President Donald Trump's campaign, was in Jeffrey Epstein's "black book."
Paulson was previously named as someone in Epstein's "little black book," a contact book that was seized during investigations. Massie has raised the issue amid the backlash plaguing the Trump administration over its handling of files related to Epstein's case.
Being listed in Epstein's black book does not imply criminal conduct. While the book recorded names, phone numbers and addresses, it did not indicate the nature, frequency or legality of any contact.
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A spokesperson for Paulson told Newsweek that no relationship between Paulson and Epstein "existed at any level or of any kind." They accused Massie of carrying out a "fabricated attack with no substance at all."
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Epstein survivors, lawmakers and the public have pressed for fuller disclosure of documents tied to the convicted sex offender to understand who may have enabled or benefited from his abuse.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee examining the Epstein probe released some 34,000 documents it had received from the Department of Justice, posting them online. However, the move has done little to silence demands for a full disclosure, with Epstein's accusers saying officials were still holding back documents.
Massie said on Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight that while Paulson had been named before, it was "indicative of the types of people who may be implicated or just embarrassed by a complete release of these files." The Kentucky Republican also said Paulson was one of "three billionaires right now running ads" against him.
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What To Know
On Wednesday, several known Epstein survivors spoke at a news conference on Capitol Hill alongside Massie.
One of the survivors, former model Lisa Phillips, said: "Us Epstein survivors have discussed creating our own list. We know the names. Many of us were abused by them."
In the Newsmax interview, Rob Schmitt asked Massie for some of these names. The congressman said: "Well, let me give you the name of one of the billionaires who's running $2 million of ads in my district since I started this effort. His name is John Paulson.
"He's a hedge fund manager and a major donor to the Republican Party, a major donor to the speaker of the House, a major donor to the president's campaign, and he's in Epstein's black book.
"Now, that's public, but that's indicative of the types of people who may be implicated or just embarrassed by a complete release of these files."
A spokesperson for Paulson told Newsweek: "If John Paulson is in Epstein's black book, it's news to him. He never shared a meal or even a drink with Epstein. Never went to a party he hosted anywhere, never visited Epstein at any of his residences, was never on his plane and never on the island.
"In other words, this is a weak attempt to imply a relationship with Epstein that never existed at any level or of any kind. Mr. Paulson believes Congressman Massie has failed his constituents and should be replaced. Massie's response is a fabricated attack with no substance at all. He should be ashamed of himself and withdraw the statement."
When contacted for comment, Massie's office referred Newsweek to an X post the representative shared in August, which included a screenshot of Paulson's name "as it appears in Epstein's 'Black Book,'" a spokesperson said.
Massie and Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, have urged the Justice Department to release more information related to Epstein's case.
The pair co-sponsored a bill that would require the DOJ to release the Epstein files within 30 days. Massie also filed a discharge petition to force a vote on the bill. If all House Democrats signed the petition, six Republicans would have to join them to meet the 218-vote threshold to bypass House leadership.
On Wednesday, Khanna joined Massie and the Epstein survivors at the news conference, as did three major 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 investment firm Paulson & Co. He made his fortune betting against subprime mortgages at the peak of the 2007 credit bubble, Forbes reported.
The 69-year-old closed the firm to outside investors in 2020, returning their money and turning it into a family office.
He was named in Epstein's book within the past decade. In 2015, the media blog Gawker made a redacted copy of Epstein's contact book widely available, which triggered the publication of fuller, unredacted versions.
John Paulson's Relationship With Donald Trump
Paulson is a known longtime ally of Trump's and a major donor to his campaign and the Republican Party.
In 2024 alone, Paulson donated $763,800 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics. This number 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 sums were significantly smaller: $1,270 in 2024 and $6,710 in 2020.
In April 2024, Trump hosted a fundraiser at Paulson's home, where he and Melania Trump were photographed with Paulson and his fiancée, Alina de Almeida.
"This has been some incredible evening before it even starts because people, they want to contribute to a cause of making America great again," Trump said before the event.
Trump once considered Paulson as a potential nominee for Treasury secretary, The Wall Street Journal reported in October, citing "people familiar with the matter."
Paulson later told the outlet: "Although various media outlets have mentioned me as a candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, my complex financial obligations would prevent me from holding an official position in President Trump's administration at this time. However, I intend to remain actively involved with the President's economic team and helping in the implementation of President Trump's outstanding policy proposals."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on September 3: "This is a Democrat hoax that never ends. … From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given. But it's really a Democrat hoax because they're trying to get people to talk about something that's totally irrelevant to the success that we've had as a nation since I've been president. … I know that no matter you do it's going to keep going."
He added: "We're having the most successful eight months of any president ever. 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: "The survivors' lawyer said that nine years ago President Trump helped them with their case by giving them contacts and helping them track this stuff down. And it was just nine months ago that the entire administration was for releasing these files. The problem is they've done a 180-degree turn on this."
He added: "I think they've literally been told to try to sweep this thing under the rug. The problem is it's not a hoax. There are survivors. There are hundreds of survivors, and we heard from some of them today who have never spoken publicly."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Massie's petition will pass the 218-vote threshold required to force a House vote on his bill to release the files.
Update 9/5/25, 11:57 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to include a comment from Representative Thomas Massie's office.
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