Tonight in Your Rights: 'The dog that hasn't barked'

What was Epstein telling Ghislaine Maxwell about Trump? The answer could be elementary.

Look out for my analysis of the latest Epstein revelations on CNN’s Laura Coates Live at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.

Shortly after serving his first sentence for child sex crimes, Jeffrey Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Donald Trump was the “dog that hasn’t barked,” according to emails released by Democratic members on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

It’s worth reflecting on the origin of the well-known expression: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of Silver Blaze.”

“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”

“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”

“The dog did nothing in the night-time.”

“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes.

For Holmes, the dog’s silence was a clue that the dog must have known the horse thief, and the image has come to signify how the absence of a reaction can also be telling.

This is the exchange with the cryptic reference, however one interprets it, in full:

What’s most striking about the exchange is the familiarity. Maxwell never asks Epstein what he meant about Trump. She instantly understands the image during an exchange from April 2, 2011, a little less than two years after Epstein’s sentence from his first prosecution. It’s also dated about a month before Trump abandoned his flirtation with a run in the 2012 presidential race.

Eight years later, Epstein would tell writer Michael Wolff about Trump: “of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” That message was dated Jan. 31, 2019, months before Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges.

Among the thousands of other emails released by Epstein’s estate, there are several other ugly, embarrassing messages about Trump. In one, Epstein describes Trump gawking “through the door leaving his nose print on the glass as young women were swimming in the pool and he was so focused he walked straight into the door.” In another, Epstein told New York Times reporter Thomas Landon Jr. about photos of Trump and bikini-clad young women “in my kitchen.” Epstein wrote in the same exchange that he “gave” Trump his ex-girlfriend: Norwegian businesswoman Celina Midelfart. Epstein also wrote in the exchange about “Hawaiian Tropic girl Lauren Petrella,” who reportedly accused Trump of making unwanted sexual advances at her.

In an exchange about the Stormy Daniels scandal, Epstein wrote, “I know how dirty [D]onald is,” but those revelations aside, Maxwell’s reactions to Epstein about Trump in the trove take on particular importance.

In July, Trump’s former attorney turned Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche repeatedly prompted Maxwell to distance his boss from the scandal. Maxwell obliged. “I don’t recall ever seeing [Trump] in [Epstein’s] house for instance,” Maxwell told him at one point. She made that statement even after being told that lying during the interview could get her prosecuted for false statements.

Instead, Maxwell received a transfer to a “Club Fed”-style prison, where she’s reportedly receiving concierge service.

Following extensive delay, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva was officially sworn in on Wednesday, becoming the critical 218th signature to a discharge petition to force a vote to release the Epstein files expected to take place next week. This latest trove, however, comes from Epstein’s estate, which previously produced the infamous birthday book.

Journalists are continuing to uncover new revelations inside the document dump, published by the House Oversight Committee as raw, unsearchable images. Politico found a tantalizing exchange showing Epstein claiming that he gave the Russian government insight into Trump.

Comey and James preview

A federal judge will hold a hearing on Thursday morning to decide whether to disqualify Trump’s former lawyer turned rookie prosecutor Lindsey Halligan from the cases against James Comey and Letitia James.

If Halligan’s appointment is ruled illegal, the judge could decide to dismiss the cases entirely.

I’ll be reporting live from federal court in Alexandria, Va., and I broke down some of the key issues before the judge in the video below.