Jeffrey Epstein maintained a close connection with a pair of notable journalists, as revealed by the latest collection of emails related to the notorious financier.

The recently disclosed documents shed light on his ties with journalist Michael Wolff and Landon Thomas Jr., a former reporter for The New York Times.

These emails provide a glimpse into the interactions between the convicted sex offender and these journalists, showing that their association continued even after his conviction.

Epstein frequently exchanged gossip and information with the two men, who, in return, provided him with advice and alerted him to any potential media coverage that might mention him.

The emails indicate that in June 2016, Landon reached out to Epstein to inform him about John Connolly, an investigative journalist and former NYPD detective.

Connolly was looking into Epstein at the time for a book, with Landon telling Epstein: ‘Keep getting calls from that guy doing a book on you – John Connolly.

‘He seems very interested in your relationship with the news media. I told him you were a hell of a guy:).’

Thomas said that Connolly had inquired about an article that he had previously written for New York Magazine in 2002 about Epstein, in which Donald Trump was quoted in. 

The quote from Trump said: ‘I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. 

‘It is even said that he likes beautiful woman as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.’ 

Thomas added: ‘One oddity: he said he had been told that the quote from Trump about you in the original NY Mag story had been manufactured.

‘I.e that I did not actually speak to Donald. Which is bull s*** of course. I am sure that is what Trump told him.’  

Connolly, who has since died, published ‘Filthy Rich: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein’, in October of that year alongside author James Patterson.

Landon asked Epstein at the end of that email chain if he had ever spoken to Connolly, he responded: ‘No.’

An earlier exchange between Landon and Epstein was also uncovered amongst the trove, in which Epstein offered him alleged images of Trump with girls in bikinis. 

Landon emailed Epstein in December of 2015 referencing the above quote from Trump, saying: ‘Because of this. That story will never die.’

‘Would you like photso [sic] of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen’, Epstein responded. Thomas replied: ‘Yes!!’.

Epstein’s reply made reference to Lauren Petrella who had previously accused Trump of unwanted sexual advances during a pageant. 

Thomas then asked Epstein if he could share her contact details with a fellow colleague of his at the Times. 

He added: ‘I won’t do it unless you say OK because after that I would have no say as to where story goes.’ 

Epstein proceeded to name drop Norwegian cosmetics businesswoman Celina Midelfart, before Landon replied: ‘Maybe I will wait for the pics in your kitchen:).’

It was unclear whether Epstein possessed such images. Thomas told his former employer that Epstein never handed them over.

Connolly again came back up in conversation between Thomas and Epstein in September of 2017, when Thomas tipped Epstein off he was ‘digging around again’.

He added: ‘Not clear if its another book/or expanded paperback version. Was asking me all sorts of questions about why you hired Stan Kerr. 

‘I told him I had no idea – think he is doing some Trump-related digging too. Anyway, for what its worth…’, it was unclear if Epstein ever responded to the email. 

The 2002 New York Magazine story wasn’t the only time that Thomas had written about Epstein, he also penned a story in 2008 for The New York Times after Epstein started his controversial 13 month sentence for soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Thomas wrote that he spoke with Epstein on Little St. James Island in the British Virgin Islands, which he referred to as Epstein’s ‘palm-fringed Xanadu’. 

Epstein was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of girls on the island, with Thomas quoting Epstein as describing his abhorrent crimes as ‘playfulness’.

Thomas left The New York Times in 2019 after he told top brass that he had solicited a $30,000 charity donation from Epstein. 

Staffers at the newspaper of record previously told NPR that Thomas told higher ups that Epstein was a great source and had become something of a close friend. 

He allegedly left editors ‘aghast’ after suggesting he would never report on or investigate Epstein, they quickly moved to have him dismissed. 

A New York Times spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘Landon Thomas Jr. has not worked at The Times since early 2019 after editors discovered his failure to abide by our ethical standards.’

As for Wolff, who authored several best-selling books about Trump, he offered advice to Epstein especially when it came to his relationship with the president. 

His relationship with the pedophile kicked off in 2014 when Epstein directly approached him to become his biographer. 

Wolff informed Epstein in December of 2015 that Trump might be questioned about his relationship with him during a Republican presidential debate on CNN. 

After informing Epstein, Wolff then advised that if Trump tried to downplay the relationship Epstein would then be able to use that as leverage. 

He wrote: ‘I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. 

‘You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt.’

Their relationship greatly benefited Wolff, with Epstein providing sources that formed the basis of his 2018 book ‘Fire and Fury’ on Trump. 

In an earlier email from October of 2015, Wolff asked Epstein: ‘There’s an opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him. Interested?’, it is unclear if Epstein responded. 

As for the book Connolly was working on, Wolff also advised Epstein that the publication of it offered Epstein a chance to become ‘an anti-Trump voice’.

He added that such a move would provide him a ‘certain political cover which you decidedly don’t have now’.

Wolff added: ‘I know a bunch of people who could be very helpful here. This would involve something along the lines of you writing an op-ed, doing a high profile television interview (Charlie Rose, I’d say), and perhaps some social media efforts.’ 

In 2019, Epstein reached out to Wolff and told: ‘Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop’, the reference to resigning seemingly refers to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. 

Trump expelled Epstein in around October 2007, according to the Mar-a-Lago’s Club registry.

The president has since revealed Epstein was ‘stealing’ young women who worked at his estate.

Wolff was pulled up on his close relationship with the pedophile by The Daily Beast’s Joanna Coles this week. 

The two co-host the outlet’s ‘Inside Trump’s Head’ podcast, and she said the emails had left her ‘shocked’ saying he was ‘advising a convicted pedophile’. 

He responded: ‘What emails sound like – would one have rewritten in hindsight? Yeah, of course. Emails always are – that’s embarrassing.

‘Remember what is going on here, I am where no one else is. I am in proximity to a story.’

When asked directly if he was Epstein’s media adviser by Coles, he said: ‘No, given the fact how badly he has managed the media.

‘I would not want credit for that in anyway.’

Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell from an apparent suicide while awaiting trial in 2019. 

The Daily Mail attempted to contact Thomas via a cellphone number that is still registered to The New York Times, an e-mail associated with his substack newsletter was also contacted. A call and text to Wolff’s cell phone seeking comment went unanswered.