WASHINGTON – Disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had spent 13 months in jail but the questions he raised, as federal investigators closed in on sex trafficking charges, were whether he’d have to testify before Congress – and wear a tie.

Epstein had served 13 months in jail after pleading guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, which carried a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. He died by suicide a month later in jail, awaiting trial.

But in May 2019, in an email to author Michael Wolff, Epstein said he was being pursued by journalists asking if President Donald Trump had set him up during his first term.

Epstein's concerns about investigation were revealed in emails among 23,000 pages of documents that the House Oversight and Accountability Committee subpoenaed from his estate and released Nov. 12.

Epstein mentioned Trump repeatedly in emails, saying he "spent hours at my house" and "knew about the girls." Trump had attended Epstein's parties and flown on his plane during the 1990s, but later ousted Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club for recruiting his female workers.

Trump has forcefully denied knowing about Epstein's misconduct and said the release of emails is part of a Democratic plot to distract from his administration's accomplishments. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the emails mentioning Trump prove nothing.

Epstein argued in the email to Wolff that “never before was there a prosecution of erotic massage by women for money in someones home.” He said every girl got money and returned.

But the federal indictment accused Epstein of abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls to celebrities and rich men. Epstein was routinely photographed wearing an open-collar button-down or polo shirt, whether standing next to the future president Trump or not.

“some concern on my team that i will get a cong subpoena,” Epstein wrote on May 30, 2019. “do i have to wear a tie?”

Michael Wolff was a freelance USA TODAY contributor from 2012 to early 2017. USA TODAY had no knowledge of any relationship between him and Jeffrey Epstein, nor any actions beyond his submissions for publication. We are committed to integrity and transparency, as we uphold our editorial standards and maintain the trust of our readers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'do i have to wear a tie?' Epstein worried Congress would demand he testify

Reporting by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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