A former Palm Beach police chief claims Donald Trump told him in 2006 that "everyone" knew about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, contradicting the president's public statements. Michael Reiter, who retired in 2009, said Trump called him during the investigation, thanking him for stopping Epstein and remarking that everyone had known about the financier's activities.

Reiter's account, revealed in recently released Justice Department documents, contrasts sharply with Trump's 2019 statement that he had "no idea" about Epstein's abuse of teenage girls. The former investigator confirmed to the Miami Herald that he was the redacted source in the FBI interview, where he detailed the July 2006 conversation.

This revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump's relationship with Epstein, which has become a political liability. While Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act mandating document release, he previously waffled on promises to release files, drawing criticism from supporters. The case against Epstein ultimately ended in a controversial 2008 plea deal, allowing him to avoid federal prosecution despite mounting evidence of sex trafficking and abuse.