Michael Reiter’s account of a conversation with Trump, contained within the justice department’s release of 3m Epstein files, dramatically contrasts with the US president’s public statements. After Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, Trump said “I had no idea” when asked if he knew about his former friend’s abuse of teenage girls.

Reiter, who retired in 2009, confirmed to the Miami Herald on Monday that he was the person whose name was redacted from this document. The former investigator recounted this conversation during an October 2019 FBI interview.

Reiter said this conversation took place in July 2006; around this time, allegations against Epstein were growing. He told the FBI that Trump telephoned him and remarked: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.”