WH COS Susie Wiles admitted in Vanity Fair interview that she has read “the Epstein file” and President Trump “is in the file”; “was on [Epstein’s] plane”; and is “on the manifest”
Washington, D.C. – Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter last week to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles demanding answers on her access to sensitive materials in the Epstein Files, and her role in the Department of Justice’s bungled and potentially illegal partial release of the files in accordance with the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Whitehouse and Durbin wrote to Wiles, “In a recent Vanity Fair profile, you said you have read ‘the Epstein file’ and that President Trump ‘is in the file’; ‘was on [Epstein’s] plane’; and is ‘on the manifest.’ Please be kind enough to explain when and where and under what authority you gained access to this material.”
Whitehouse and Durbin requested answers to the following questions by January 5, 2026:
- What were the materials in “the Epstein file” you referred to in your Vanity Fair interview?
- Had material in the file you reviewed been presented to a grand jury?
- When did you first gain access to “the Epstein file” and what was the schedule of your review of it?
- For what purpose did you gain access to this information?
- Did you share with President Trump any information contained in the file you reviewed?
- Please describe your role in any process related to the review, redaction, withholding, or release of material in the “Epstein file,” including any processes involving the Department of Justice or Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here.
December 22, 2025
Susan Wiles
White House Chief of Staff
Executive Office of the President
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Ms. Wiles:
In a recent Vanity Fair profile, you said you have read “the Epstein file” and that President Trump “is in the file”; “was on [Epstein’s] plane”; and is “on the manifest.” Please be kind enough to explain when and where and under what authority you gained access to this material, as requested below. It would be good to have your responses to the following questions by January 5, 2026.
- What were the materials in “the Epstein file” you referred to in your Vanity Fair interview?
- Had material in the file you reviewed been presented to a grand jury?
- When did you first gain access to “the Epstein file” and what was the schedule of your review of it?
- For what purpose did you gain access to this information?
- Did you share with President Trump any information contained in the file you reviewed?
- Please describe your role in any process related to the review, redaction, withholding, or release of material in the “Epstein file,” including any processes involving the Department of Justice or Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
