Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said records she reviewed at the Justice Department raised questions about Jeffrey Epstein’s possible intelligence ties, including an alleged alias passport found with cash and diamonds.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Friday that records she reviewed at the Department of Justice suggest convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have had ties to intelligence operations, raising new questions as lawmakers continue pressing for fuller disclosure of Epstein-related files.
Luna, a Florida Republican, discussed the matter in an interview with The New York Times, saying she came across an unredacted document while reviewing Justice Department records that referenced an alias used by Epstein.
“I discovered a document in going through some of the records unredacted over at the D.O.J., and he did have an alias,” Luna said. “It was a passport, and his address was located, I think, in Saudi Arabia.”
Luna said she believed the document was an Austrian passport and that it had been found in Epstein’s safe along with valuables.
“I believe it was an Austrian passport,” she said. “And that was in his safe that he had with a bunch of other cash, diamonds, et cetera.”
Luna said the discovery raised serious questions about Epstein’s activities and the people or institutions that may have known about them.
“Most people don’t have a completely fake name in a safe with that type of information,” Luna said. “He definitely had intel connections.”
“I think the guy dealt in intelligence and exchange of information,” she added.
Luna said she wants to know whether any evidence connected to Epstein’s possible espionage or intelligence-related activities was destroyed.
“This type of operation could not have existed without the intelligence agencies knowing about it, so what exactly was he doing?” Luna said.
The comments come as Congress continues scrutinizing the federal government’s handling of Epstein files and the scope of materials released to the public. Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking minors, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Luna also defended President Donald Trump, who had previously been friends with Epstein and initially opposed releasing the files before later supporting disclosure legislation.
Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19. The law requires the Justice Department to publish nearly all unclassified Epstein-related materials within 30 days.
Luna said Trump’s frustration over accusations against him should be understood in that context.
“When he said, ‘Democratic hoax’ … when you have someone that’s accusing you of trafficking people and saying that you are a rapist, that you are going to get upset and you’re going to call it — like, if I was being accused of that, I would probably say the same thing,” Luna said.
She said her own conversations with Trump over the files were not hostile and emphasized that she strongly supported releasing the records.
“However, I want to be clear that my conversations with him were not personal and nasty, and I was the biggest proponent of releasing these things,” Luna said.
The Justice Department says it has published roughly 3 million pages of responsive records. Federal reviewers, however, made redactions after some releases exposed victims’ identities.
Democrats have argued that the administration has not released all relevant records. House Oversight Democrats have said millions of pages remain withheld and have pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify, according to a statement from the committee’s ranking member.
Luna’s remarks add to renewed debate over whether Epstein’s finances, travel documents and international contacts point to activity beyond his known criminal conduct. The question now facing lawmakers is whether remaining Justice Department records can clarify whether Epstein had intelligence connections, whether any agencies possessed related information and why some materials remain unreleased.
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