A newly declassified FBI memo included in the latest release of Epstein-related files contains incendiary and unverified allegations involving U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel, and religious and intelligence-linked networks.
The memo, written in 2020 as part of an FBI investigation into potential domestic or foreign influence over the U.S. electoral process, draws on information provided by a confidential human source (CHS). It appears among a vast cache of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday.
According to the memo, the CHS alleged that Trump was “compromised by Israel,” claimed that convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein worked with Israeli intelligence, and asserted that a Jewish religious group known as Chabad-Lubavitch attempted to exert influence over Trump’s first term in office.
“CHS advised Chabad is doing everything they can to co-opt the Trump presidency,” the memo states.
Chabad-Lubavitch is a hardline ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect founded in Russia, with an estimated global following of around 90,000 members. Its messianic ideology has been repeatedly associated by critics with hardline settler-colonial politics in Palestine.
The memo also references Berel Lazar, a prominent Chabad member and former chief rabbi of Russia, describing him as a close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Chabad is basically state-sanctioned Judaism. It is used by Putin to keep tabs on all the Russo-Jewish oligarchs,” the FBI memo claims.
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is identified in the document as a supporter of Chabad and a central figure within Trump’s inner circle.
“On the day Trump was elected President, Ivanka Trump and Jared [Kushner] were at the gravesite of Rabbi Schneerson [sic], who was the most powerful Rabbi in the Chabad network,” the memo states.
The source goes further, alleging: “Trump has been compromised by Israel. And Kushner is the real brains behind his organization and his Presidency.”
The memo also contains claims about Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged intelligence ties, asserting that he worked with both U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies.
“CHS became convinced Epstein was a co-opted Mossad Agent,” the memo states, citing prior FBI reporting.
It further alleges: “Epstein was close to the former Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, and trained as a spy under him.”
The FBI memo does not present these claims as established facts, and the allegations are attributed solely to a confidential source. No corroborating evidence is provided within the document, and none of the individuals named have been charged in connection with the claims outlined in the memo.
