“Why wouldn’t they have been released the last four years when President Biden was in office?” a reporter asked Schumer.

“That’s the question every American is asking. Not every American, but so many Americans are asking. What the hell is [Donald Trump] hiding? Why didin’t he want them released? Schumer said, immediately pivoting to blaming President Donald Trump.

Documents released by the US Justice Department show that a friend of the sole representative of the US Virgin Islands in the U.S. Congress asked Jeffrey Epstein to help set up a meeting between the politician and Schumer.

The contact with Epstein was made on behalf of Stacey Plaskett, who is the islands’ representative in the House of Representatives. Plaskett was trying to get Schumer to help the Caribbean recover from two hurricanes in 2017, according to the documents.

“We have to help Stacey get a meeting with Schumer. Any thoughts?” Erika Kellerhals, a tax lawyer in the US Virgin Islands, wrote to Epstein in an email on January 24, 2018.

“[S]hould not be a problem need to know the reason and subject,” Epstein wrote back a few hours later.

“She has been unable to confirm a meeting with him. He is driving the disaster relief bill and has only been talking about Puerto Rico and not the [Virgin Islands]. She’s concerned we will be ignored,” Kellerhals told Epstein in response.

After his conversation with Kellerhals, Epstein emailed Kathy Ruemmler, who used to be the chief counsel for US President Barack Obama, and asked her to help him set up a meeting with Schumer.

“schumer is driving the puerto rico . virgin islands relief=bill. the VI congressional rep Stacey plaskett , h=s not been able to get a meeting. confirmed with him. ca= you help?” Epstein wrote to Ruemmler, who is now the chief lawyer to Goldman Sachs.

“I do not have any relations=ip with him, but let me see whether I can get to his COS,” Ruemmler said in response, referring to his chief of staff.

Newly released Epstein-related records also show that fundraisers working for top Democratic leaders, like Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, asked Epstein for campaign donations and to attend fundraising events years after he was convicted of sex crimes in 2008.

According to The Washington Times, records show that partner Darren Rigger of the political fundraising firm Dynamic SRG repeatedly reached out to Epstein on behalf of well-known Democratic lawmakers.

On September 18, 2012, Epstein was invited to an event called “Schumer Senate Candidate Reception” to help then-Rep. Martin Heinrich’s successful campaign for the New Mexico Senate.

The Times also reported that fundraisers asked Epstein to help New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (who was a House member at the time) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Rigger invited Epstein to a fundraising dinner with President Obama in May 2013 on behalf of Jeffries.

He called the Brooklyn congressman “one of the rising stars” in the New York delegation and “Brooklyn’s Barack.”

Later that same year, more requests for information related to Jeffries came in.

Reports from outside sources have confirmed that Jeffries and Dynamic SRG did try to raise money in 2013.

Jeffries has said in public that he didn’t know about the outreach that was done in his name and that he has never met Epstein.

According to records from the Federal Election Commission, Epstein did not give any money to Jeffries’ campaign.

As recently as July 2017, Epstein was invited to a dinner and meet-and-greet with Hakeem Jeffries in St. Thomas.