An unclassified Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) memo from the Jeffrey Epstein files includes a series of unverified and incendiary allegations concerning US President Donald Trump, Israel, Russia and a major Jewish religious movement, according to documents released by the US Justice Department on Friday (January 30).
The memo, written in 2020, forms part of an FBI investigation into possible improper domestic or foreign influence over the US political and electoral system. It is based entirely on information provided by a confidential human source (CHS) and does not reflect verified findings or conclusions by the FBI.
The document is among more than three million Epstein-related files made public as part of a large-scale declassification exercise.
Allegations concerning Trump and Israel
According to the memo, the confidential source claimed that President Trump had been “compromised by Israel” during his first term in office.
“Trump has been compromised by Israel,” the source told the FBI, adding that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was “the real brains behind his organization and his Presidency.”
The memo does not provide evidence to support the claim and does not state that the FBI substantiated it.
Claims about Chabad-Lubavitch
The document alleges that Chabad-Lubavitch, a global Orthodox Jewish movement founded in 18th-century Russia, sought to exert influence over Trump’s presidency.
“CHS advised Chabad is doing everything they can to co-opt the Trump presidency,” the memo states.
The source further claimed that Chabad functioned as a political tool of the Russian state.
“Chabad is basically state-sanctioned Judaism. It is used by Putin to keep tabs on all the Russo-Jewish oligarchs,” the memo quotes the source as saying.
Chabad-Lubavitch operates thousands of religious and educational centres worldwide and has not been accused by US authorities of political interference.
Kushner named as supporter
The memo identifies Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a supporter of Chabad and a central figure within Trump’s inner circle.
It references a claim by the source that Kushner and Ivanka Trump visited the gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a key Chabad leader, on the day Trump was elected president in 2016.
“On the day Trump was elected President, Ivanka Trump and Jared [Kushner] were at the gravesite of Rabbi Schneersom [sic],” the memo states.
Epstein and intelligence allegations
The memo also contains claims about convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, alleging he worked with US and foreign intelligence services.
“CHS became convinced Epstein was a co-opted Mossad Agent,” the memo states, while noting the claim was based on the source’s assessment and prior FBI reporting.
The source further alleged that Epstein had ties to Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Barak, who previously served in senior Israeli military intelligence roles.
“Epstein was close to the former Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, and trained as a spy under him,” the memo adds.
Public records show Barak visited Epstein’s New York townhouse multiple times between 2013 and 2017, though Barak has denied any wrongdoing.
Alan Dershowitz reference
The document references an alleged conversation involving Epstein’s former lawyer, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, and then–US Attorney Alex Acosta in connection with Epstein’s 2008 plea deal.
According to the memo, the source claimed Acosta was told Epstein “belonged to intelligence.” The memo further alleges, based on the source’s belief, that Dershowitz himself had “been co-opted by Mossad.”
Dershowitz has repeatedly denied allegations of intelligence ties or misconduct.
Trump real estate transaction flagged
The memo also discusses Trump’s purchase and resale of a Beverly Hills mansion, which the source described as containing “numerous oddities and red flags.”
According to the memo, the property was purchased for about $800,000 below market value and later sold at a loss, with the source suggesting the transaction may have been intended to launder funds.
The memo does not indicate that the FBI confirmed or pursued those claims.
No findings or conclusions
The FBI memo makes clear that the information reflects the statements, beliefs and interpretations of a single confidential source.
It does not state that the FBI corroborated the claims, reached investigative conclusions, or found evidence of wrongdoing by Trump, Kushner, Chabad-Lubavitch, Israel or Russia.
