Trump insider Tom Barrack kept in regular contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years, files show

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Barrack, 78, is the founder and former chairman of a publicly-traded real estate investment trust that had vast holdings in the hotel and casino sectors and in 2008 bought Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. He rose to prominence in the political world as a leading fundraiser for his friend Donald Trump's 2016 bid for president. After the election, Barrack became a close adviser to Mr. Trump, especially on matters in the Middle East.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, in Damascus on Feb. 4, 2026.
Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Getty Images

He was one of several in Mr. Trump's inner circle to face scrutiny from special counsel Robert Mueller for his foreign entanglements, eventually facing charges on allegations he served as a back-channel for the United Arab Emirates while working inside the White House. A jury acquitted him in 2022. Barrack returned to Mr. Trump's orbit for his second term, accepting a pivotal diplomatic post in Turkey.

How Barrack first met Epstein is unclear, but in the book "Fire and Fury," Michael Wolff described Trump, Barrack and Jeffrey Epstein as "a 1980s and '90s set of nightlife Musketeers." Epstein's emails indicate that both Barrack and Epstein had served as sources for Wolff's book. Mr. Trump called the book "full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist." Mr. Trump has also said he cut ties with Epstein years ago and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

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In September 2009, just months after Epstein's release from the Palm Beach County jail, Barrack wrote to him, "Thinking about u, hope u r good and life is calm again" — a sentiment that marked the beginning of an extended period of contact between the two. Over the following years Epstein encouraged meetings and facilitated introductions between Barrack and individuals including Palantir CEO Peter Thiel, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-barrack-jeffrey-epstein-files/