On September 14, 2016, someone named Richard Kahn sent Jeffrey Epstein an email with the subject line "trump making a nice move." The message contained nothing but polling data. No commentary. No context. Just numbers showing Donald Trump closing the gap with Hillary Clinton less than two months before the election.
The EFTA00818213.PDF document preserves this email, sent to an address listed as [email protected]. The polling compilation showed Trump leading in several key states, including a five-point advantage in Ohio and surprising strength in Maine's second congressional district.
What the Email Contains
The message is a straightforward copy-paste from RealClearPolitics, a polling aggregator website. It shows results from multiple polls conducted in mid-September 2016:
- LA Times/USC Tracking: Trump 47, Clinton 42
- Ohio Bloomberg poll: Trump 48, Clinton 43
- Maine CD2 Colby College poll: Trump 47, Clinton 37, Johnson 8, Stein 5
- Kansas Trafalgar Group poll: Trump 48, Clinton 36, Johnson 8, Stein 2
The compilation also included congressional race data, Obama approval ratings, and generic ballot numbers. Every data point painted the same picture: momentum shifting toward Trump in crucial battleground areas.
The Sender and the Timing
Richard Kahn's name appears in various Epstein documents, though his exact role remains unclear from public records. What stands out is the timing. September 14, 2016 fell during a critical period in the campaign. Trump had recently hired Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon. Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment had just dominated news cycles. The race was tightening.
The subject line suggests Kahn thought Epstein would find the data interesting. Not alarming. Not concerning. Just noteworthy enough to forward along.
Epstein's Political Landscape
Jeffrey Epstein cultivated relationships across the political spectrum. Flight logs show Bill Clinton on his plane. Photos place him at events with Donald Trump in earlier decades. His address book contained numbers for political figures from multiple parties.
But this email captures something different than social connections. It shows someone updating Epstein on campaign dynamics in real time, assuming he cared about the outcome or at least found the horse race interesting enough to follow.
The vacation email address adds another layer. By September 2016, Epstein was a registered sex offender who had served time in county jail. He maintained multiple residences and traveled frequently. Someone sending him polling data knew which email account to use for non-business correspondence.
What the Document Does Not Show
The email contains no evidence of coordination with any campaign. It does not suggest Epstein had inside information or played any role in election activities. It shows no response from Epstein, no indication of what he thought about the numbers, no follow-up discussion.
The document is notable precisely because it is mundane. Someone with access to Epstein thought he would want to see Trump gaining in the polls. That assumption of interest tells us something about how people in his circle understood his attention and priorities.
The Archive Context
This email sits among 1.43 million documents in the Epstein archive. Most concern financial transactions, travel arrangements, property management, and communications with victims and co-conspirators. Political content appears less frequently, making each instance worth examining.
Documents show Epstein engaged with people across industries and sectors. He presented himself as interested in science, education, finance, and philanthropy. The polling email suggests political developments also held his attention, or at least the attention of people who communicated with him regularly.
Questions Without Answers
The document raises straightforward questions: Why did Richard Kahn think Epstein needed to see these numbers? Did Epstein request political updates? Did he have financial interests that depended on election outcomes? Was this part of regular conversation between the two men, or an unusual message?
The [email protected] address appears in other documents, establishing it as one of several email accounts Epstein used. The "vacation" designation suggests informal communication, separate from business dealings conducted through other addresses.
September 2016 also marked a period when Epstein's legal troubles had supposedly ended. His 2008 plea deal was years in the past. He had completed probation. He maintained homes in Manhattan, Palm Beach, New Mexico, Paris, and the Virgin Islands. Someone in his network saw fit to keep him updated on presidential polling data.
The Significance of Small Documents
Not every document in the archive shows criminal activity. Some reveal the everyday flow of communication between Epstein and his associates. These routine messages help establish patterns, relationships, and the normal rhythm of his network.
The polling email shows Epstein remained connected to current events and people who tracked political developments. It places him in a context beyond the criminal conduct that eventually led to his arrest in July 2019. The document captures a moment when someone assumed Epstein would care about Trump's improving poll numbers, and took time to forward that information to his vacation email address.
That assumption matters. It reflects how Richard Kahn understood his relationship with Epstein and what topics merited their communication. The subject line "trump making a nice move" carries no obvious enthusiasm or concern. Just observation. Just information someone thought worth sharing.