(CNN) — For years, President Donald Trump has sought to downplay his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who for years moved in the same social circles as Trump in Palm Beach and Manhattan.

Trump has alternately called Epstein a “terrific guy” — in 2002 — and later insisted he was “not a fan,” saying the two men had a falling out long before Epstein faced his most serious legal troubles.

But a new batch of emails from Epstein’s estate, released this week by the House Oversight Committee, adds fresh detail to a relationship that has long been scrutinized.

The newly released messages don’t fundamentally rewrite the known history between Trump and Epstein, but they do introduce three notable new elements:

Epstein’s claim that Trump “spent hours” with a t

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