Lesley Groff And The Transcript From Her Epstein Related Trip to Congress (Part 15) (7/11/26)

Summary

Episode Summary:

Lesley Groff And The Transcript From Her Epstein Related Trip to Congress (Part 15)
The Epstein Chronicles with Bobby Capucci (7/11/26)

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Main Theme

In this episode, Bobby Capucci reads and analyzes a Congressional transcript from the testimony of Lesley Groff, Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time personal assistant. The discussion zeroes in on Groff’s knowledge of Ghislaine Maxwell’s role, allegations of trafficking, Epstein’s network, and connections to high-profile figures such as Donald Trump and Virginia Roberts Giuffre. The tone is methodical and anchored in the direct Q&A of the transcript, occasionally punctuated by Capucci’s incredulity and commentary.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Groff’s Understanding of Maxwell’s Role

• Groff describes Maxwell as Epstein’s “dear friend” and possibly his office manager but denies any supervisory relationship.
  • “I thought they were dear friends who had known each other for quite a long time… I believe that she was his office manager.” (00:42)
• Denies knowledge or involvement in Maxwell soliciting or arranging for minors.
  • “Were you ever aware of Ms. Maxwell soliciting minor girls to massage Mr. Epstein?” — “No.” (01:25)

2. Surveillance, Evidence, and Advance Knowledge of Law Enforcement Activity

• Groff acknowledges cameras facing the street at Epstein’s NY residence but is unaware of other surveillance.
  • “I knew that there were cameras that looked out onto 71st Street.” (03:11)
• Flatly denies any advance warning or participation in removing evidence ahead of police or FBI searches at Epstein’s homes in New York, Palm Beach, or Little St. James.
  • “Did you have any kind of warning or advanced knowledge…?” — “No.” (04:18–06:24)
  • “Did you ever remove any photographs from that home?” — “No.” (04:32)
• Denies any involvement with private investigators, aside from learning later that Epstein had hired some.
  • “I didn't know that he hired private investigators.” (04:55)

3. Epstein’s Connections to Donald Trump

• Host brings up new revelations about DOJ flight logs contradicting Trump’s public denials.
  • “Yikes. Not good for Trump, right? Why are you lying about being on the plane, bro?” — Capucci (07:23)
• Groff testifies she never arranged or booked travel for Trump or his family during her tenure (2001 onward), nor communicated with Mar-a-Lago or arranged for Trump in any nonstandard way.
  • “Did you ever arrange, confirm or log any travel for Mr. Trump or his family?” — “No.” (08:54)

4. Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Her Recruitment

• Groff is questioned about Virginia Roberts (Giuffre), her recruitment from Mar-a-Lago, and whether Groff handled her travel or compensation.
  • Groff repeatedly says she doesn’t recall any direct involvement, but concedes it’s possible she scheduled meetings, as appointments in Palm Beach were not always in her purview.
  • “So it's possible that you had knowledge of those meetings?” — “It's possible.” (12:14)
  • “Did you ever arrange travel, scheduling or compensation for Ms. Roberts?” — “I don't recall. I don't know.” (12:49)

5. Financial Dealings and Legal Settlements

• Groff did not sue the Epstein estate, but settled out of court for reimbursement of legal fees, around $300,000.
  • “So 200,000 W. 300,000 to lib. 300,000 W approximately. For legal. For reimbursement of legal fees.” (15:27)

6. Groff’s Role in Scheduling, Booking Massages, and Interactions with Women

• Groff admits to booking massages for Epstein early in her employment, strictly following his directions on whom to call.
  • “He would tell me who to call. Yes.” (17:10)
• She claims she never saw anyone come out “crying,” never questioned or knew the ages of those she booked, and only worked at the Helmsley Palace hotel.
  • “I didn't work at his home.” (17:45)
  • “I only worked at Helmsley Palace.” (17:52)
• Denies that any women refused her calls or that she noticed anything suspicious in their voices or responses.
  • “No, I don't know. Okay.” (18:10)

7. Relationship Between Epstein and Trump

• Groff only occasionally patched Epstein through to Trump by phone, but was not privy to the substance of their relationship, which fizzled out over time.
  • “That was it. Did the relationship change over time?... Over time, there were no more phone calls to Mr. Trump?” (19:06–19:22)
• Never met Trump, never heard Epstein comment about Trump, and never arranged any travel or communication beyond the phone.
  • “Did Mr. Epstein ever discuss President Trump with you at all?” — “No.” (20:08)

8. Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein’s Finances

• Groff had no knowledge of Maxwell’s access to Epstein’s bank accounts or financial dealings.
  • “Could you please describe any accounts that Ms. Maxwell had access to?” — “I don’t know what accounts she had access to.” (20:54)

9. Visa Applications

• Groff helped Epstein with visas only twice—once for Russia, once for Japan—and never for anyone else or for guests.
  • “I never applied for a visa for anyone else.” (21:30)

10. Recognition of Survivors

• Groff acknowledges recognizing only one survivor, Sarah Kellen, but claims she didn’t arrange massages for her.
  • “Did you recognize any of them?” — “Yes.” (22:26)
  • “Sarah Kellen.” (22:38)
  • “Did you arrange—did she arrange massages? Did you arrange massages for him, Mr. Epstein, with her?” — “No.” (22:46)

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Trump Flight Log Revelations:
  “Yikes. Not good for Trump, right? Why are you lying about being on the plane, bro?” — Bobby Capucci (07:23)

• Groff’s Reluctance and Evasiveness:
  “It was a really long time ago. But it’s possible.” — Lesley Groff (12:15)
  Groff repeatedly responds, “I don’t know,” or “I don’t recall,” when faced with potentially incriminating or sensitive questions.

• Clarification on Legal Settlement:
  “We made a claim, but we didn’t commence a lawsuit… For reimbursement of legal fees.” — Groff’s legal counsel (15:27)

• On Arranging Massages:
  “He would tell me who to call. Yes.” — Lesley Groff, emphasizing how she acted strictly under Epstein’s instruction (17:17)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 01:25: Groff questioned on Maxwell’s role and solicitation of minors
• 03:11 – 06:24: Surveillance, evidence removal, private investigators, law enforcement searches
• 07:23 – 08:54: Congressional questioning about Trump’s flight log and Groff’s denials
• 12:14 – 12:49: Discussion regarding Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s recruitment and Groff’s involvement
• 15:27: Legal settlement with the Epstein estate
• 17:10 – 18:10: Groff’s role booking massages and her claimed lack of awareness of abuse
• 19:06 – 20:08: Relationship and interactions between Epstein and Trump
• 20:54 – 21:30: Maxwell’s financial access and visa applications
• 22:26 – 22:46: Recognition of survivors, especially Sarah Kellen

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Conclusion

This episode gives listeners a granular, transcript-based look at Lesley Groff’s Congressional testimony, spotlighting both what she claims to know (and not know) about the innermost workings of Epstein’s criminal enterprise. The exchanges underscore the insularity, evasiveness, and compartmentalization that characterized Epstein’s operation and the network surrounding him. Capucci’s tone maintains skepticism and critical analysis, emphasizing the ongoing gaps and obfuscations from Epstein’s closest staff.

Transcript

[A]

What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to pick up where we left off with Leslie Groff. Transcript from her visit to Congress. Question. I'd like to ask you some questions about Glenn Maxwell. What was your understanding of her relationship with Mr. Epstein? Answer I thought they were dear friends who had known each other for quite a long time before I arrived there at the office, and I believe that he. That she was his office manager. Question so it was your understanding that she worked for Mr. Epstein in addition to being his friend? Correct. Answer. Correct question. Do you know what Mr. Epstein paid Ms. Maxwell while she worked there? No Question. Do you know when Ms. Maxwell stopped working for Mr. Epstein? I don't know when she truly stopped, but I think it was around 2010, 2011, something like that. Was Ms. Maxwell your supervisor at any point? No. Were you ever aware of Ms. Maxwell soliciting minor girls to massage Mr. Epstein? No. There have been reports that Ms. Maxwell would say things like, I've gotta go get girls for Jeffrey. Did you ever hear him say anything like that? No. Did Ms. Maxwell ever instruct you to solicit minor girls to massage Jeffrey Epstein? No question. Did Ms. Maxwell ever instruct you to contact a specific person, a girl or a woman, to massage Mr. Epstein? No question. Do you believe that Ms. Maxwell should be pardoned for her crimes? Knowing what I know now, yes. No. I think Mr. Bell has some questions. Mr. Bell, question good afternoon. I have a few questions. First, I want to talk about surveillance cameras in the Epstein homes. Were you aware of surveillance cameras in his New York residence? In Mr. Epstein's New York residence? Ms. Groff I knew that there were cameras that looked out onto 71st Street. Mr. Bell. So that would be a yes. Mr. Groff? Ms. Groff yes. Question what about in his Palm beach home? Ms. Groff. No. And to that, her lawyer, Bachner, jumps in. No, you're not aware or no, they didn't exist? Grof I'm not aware that they existed. Bell. Do you know where the recordings from any of those cameras were stored? Grof. No. Bill and do you know who has those recordings as of today? Groff. No question. Did you have any kind of warning or advanced knowledge that the Palm Beach Police Department was going to search Mr. Epstein's home in Palm beach in 2005? Answer no question. Did you remove any photographs from his home? Answer no question. Cameras? Answer no question. Files? Answer no question. Hard drives? Answer no question. Or other documentary or electronic material from his home in advance? Of that search? Ms. Groff? No question. Did you instruct anyone to do so? No question. Are you aware of anyone removing such items from the home before the search? Ms. Groff? No question. To your knowledge, did Mr. Epstein ever hire private investigators? Ms. Groff? I don't know. Question. Are you aware now that he hired private investigators? Ms. Groff? After preparing for this testimony, I heard someone say that he had hired. Mr. Bell. Cuts her off. So you're aware now, Ms. Groff? Aware now? Yes. What was your understanding of why Mr. Epstein hired private investigators? Ms. Groff? I didn't know that he hired private investigators. Mr. Bell, what's your understanding now of why Mr. Epstein hired private investigators? Answer I don't know. Are you aware to your understanding, are you aware of what Mr. Epstein instructed them to do? Ms. Groff? No question. Did you have any role and hiring, overseeing or paying private investigators on Mr. Epstein's behalf at any time? Ms. Groff? No question. Did you have any kind of warning or advance knowledge that the FBI was going to search Mr. Epstein's home in New York City on July 6 and 7, 2019? Ms. Grof? No question. Did you ever remove any photographs from that home, Ms. Groff? No question. Cameras? Answer no. Files? Answer no. Hard drives? Answer no. Or other documentary electronic material from his home in advance of that search? Answer no question. Did you instruct anyone to do so? Answer no Question. Are you aware of anyone removing such items from the home prior to the search? Answer no Question. Did you have any kind of warning or. Or advanced knowledge that the FBI was going to raid Mr. Epstein's island, Little St. James, on August 12, 2019? Answer no question. Did you remove any photographs from Epstein's Island, Little St. James? Answer no. Files? Answer no. Any cameras? Answer no. Any hard drives? Answer no. Any other documentary or electronic material from his home in advance of that search? Answer. Answer no question. Did you instruct anyone to do so? Answer no question. Are you aware of anyone removing such items from the island before the raid? Answer no question. I think that's all I have. Now it's Representative Walkinshaw doing the questioning. Thank you, Ms. Groff. In January of 2024, President Trump posted on Truth Social, I was never on Epstein's plane or at a stupid island. On December 23, 2025, the DOJ released a January 2020 internal email from an Assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, reported on by multiple outlets. And the email reads, for your situational awareness, I wanted to let you know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump traveled on Epstein's private jet many more times than previously has been reported or that we were aware of, including during the period we would expect to charge in the Maxwell case. Yikes. Not good for Trump, right? Why are you lying about being on the plane, bro? In particular, he listed as a passenger on at least eight flights from between 1992 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present. Ms. Groff, obviously the flight records described predate your employment with Mr. Epstein, but I want to focus on the time that you were working for him. February 2001 and onward. During your tenure working for Mr. Epstein, did you ever arrange, confirm or log any travel for Mr. Trump or his family? Grof. No. Walkinshaw. Anyone identifying themselves as acting on his behalf aboard any of the aircraft that belonged to Mr. Epstein? Grof. No. Walkinshaw were you ever instructed by Mr. Epstein or anyone else to handle any Trump related travel or correspondence through any channel other than your normal scheduling procedures? Grof. No. Walkinshaw okay. Were you aware at any point during or after your employment that Mr. Trump's mar a Lago Club had been subpoenaed in the Maxwell case? Grof. No. Walkinshaw. Did you ever communicate directly or indirectly with anyone at Mar A Lago in connection with any law enforcement or grand jury inquiry into either Mr. Epstein or Ms. Maxwell's conduct? Ms. Grof. No. Walkinshaw okay, switching gears. During your time of employment with Mr. Epstein, were you aware of Virginia Roberts at the time known as Virginia Roberts, had been recruited from Mar A Lago and Epstein's orbit in or around the summer of 2000? Ms. Grof. No. Walkinshaw. Did you ever arrange travel, scheduling or compensation for Ms. Roberts in your capacity as Mr. Epstein's assistant? Grof. I don't recall. Walkinshaw did you have any knowledge or awareness of any meeting between Mr. Epstein and Ms. Roberts at the time? Grof. Did I coordinate a meeting Answer. Or did you have any knowledge of any meetings? Grof. It's possible. I don't know. It was a really long time ago. But it's possible. Walkinshaw. So it's possible that you had knowledge of those meetings? Grof. Well, if I was directed to make an appointment, it's possible, but Palm beach was not really my area of where I was booking appointments. Walkinshaw. Okay, so it's possible that you arranged scheduling related to Ms. Robert's role, which you believed was as Mr. Epstein one of his assistants. You might have. Grof didn't Know what her position was? Walk and Shaw. But it's possible you scheduled meetings, gets cut off by Groff. An appointment. It's possible. Walk and Shaw. Okay. Did you arrange or is it possible that you arranged any travel or compensation for Ms. Roberts during that time period? Grof. I don't recall. I don't know. Walkinshaw. Okay. And did you have any awareness of travel or compensation being arranged to Ms. Roberts? Groff. No, I don't recall. Walkinshaw. Okay, thank you. That's all I have. Next up, Ms. Talib. Do I get recognized or just go. Go ahead, Talib. Go ahead. Do you have something to say? Groff? No. Question okay. Where were you based primarily? Ms. Groff? I was based in New York. Question New York. Okay. Did you do travel for him? I know you probably got asked this before. Did you book Travel forum? Groff I did book some Travel forum. Question Even for his guests? Answer yeah, for his guests as well as him. Question Was President Trump any of his guests that you booked travel for? Answer I never booked travel for Mr. Trump. Question but he was never. He was never one of the guests that you book travel for? Groff Correct. Question Okay. What did you receive from the Epstein estate? I know you sued them. You sued the Epstein estate. How much money did you receive from them? Mr. Whitcomb Just for clarity, she never sued them. Question. Okay, you all sued Whitcomb. We made no, we made a claim, but we didn't commence a lawsuit. Question okay. Oh, you settled out of court. Whitcomb correct. To lib. Okay, for the record, he pointed that you settled out of court. You did get something. Are you allowed to tell us how much you got through that settlement? We w. Yes. Yes, I think several hundred thousand to live. Okay, you don't have the exact number. So 200,000 W. 300,000 to lib. 300,000 W approximately. For legal. For reimbursement of legal fees. Question okay. Did you ever witness women crying? Answer no. Question Coming out of. Because you said you booked massages for him, right? Grof. Early in my employment, yes. Question yes. When you booked the massages, you had to call the women and arrange it. Groff. As directed by Mr. Epstein. He would tell me who to call. Yes. Question and you called them? Yes. You had all their numbers, Everything, right? Groff. He would sometimes provide a number. Yeah. Answer and the name. And you never saw any of them come out crying? Question I didn't work at his home. Okay. Question. Answer. I only worked at Helmsley Palace. Question Any of them. You called them Said, no, I don't want to come? Answer no Question okay. And you don't know how old the youngest was that you booked a massage? 4. Answer no question did they even sound young on the phone? I don't know. Okay. You don't know. Okay. You said you arranged travel for his guests. Were any of them women that you booked massages for? No. Question okay. During the time that you worked for Mr. Epstein, what was your understanding of his relationship with President Trump? Groff I just merely would connect Mr. Epstein with Mr. Trump. Gets cut off by Talib by phone. Grof on the phone. On the phone. That was it. Did the relationship change over time? Over time, there were no more phone calls to Mr. Trump? Question okay, was Mr. Mr. Trump calling Mr. Epstein and then Mr. Epstein telling you, I don't want to talk to him? Answer I don't recall. No, that. No Question no. Okay. What was your understanding of why their relationship ended? Groff at the time, I did not know why the relationship ended. Question okay. Have you ever met President Trump? Answer no. Question okay. Or has President Trump ever discussed Mr. Epstein with you when you called? Answer no. Question okay. Did Mr. Epstein ever discuss President Trump with you at all? Answer no. Question Never mentioned. Just said, hey, can you get through on the phone for him? Answer Correct. Question it was just like, get him on the phone for me. Answer Correct. Question Was it a number of times per day? Was it more than one year? Then the other? Answer no. Question okay. Answer it was sporadic every so often. Question Every week, every month? Question I wouldn't say no. Question Every month? Groff Answer maybe once a quarter. I don't know. Talib. You don't know? Grof I don't know. Talib. Did Mr. Epstein ever discuss President Trump with you? Answer no. Question okay. Did Maxwell ever have access to any of Mr. Epstein's bank accounts or any financial accounts? Grof I don't know. Question. Question Did Ms. Maxwell ask you to arrange travel for any of his guests? Answer I don't know. Question for any young women? Answer no. Question okay. Could you please describe any accounts that Ms. Maxwell had access to? Ms. Groff I don't know what accounts she had access to? Question. Any financial accounts? Answer I don't know. Question okay. Would anything involve visas that you had to deal with, like applying for visas for travel? Groff the only visas that I helped apply for were Mr. Epstein's twice. Once for Russia, once for Japan. Question Are you sure about that? Answer yes. Question you're positive? Answer I never applied for a visa for Anyone else? Answer or question and you never arranged any travel for any of his other guests? Answer Will I arrange travel for his guests? Question and that was all domestic travel. Grof no. Question did you ever have to apply for visas for any of his guests? I did not apply for visas. What I mean by that is you submitted the documents or you gave the documents to the guests and have them, like, tell them you have to do this or whatever to get the visa. No. Grof no. Never. Question to come to the United States? GROF Correct. I never supplied anyone with visa documents to fill out when all of this obviously slowly came out. Have you seen photos and images and testimony from some of the survivors of Epstein? GROF I've seen some of it. Question did you recognize any of them? This is my last question. Did you recognize any of them? Grof yes. Question yes. Mr. Gross. Yes. Ms. Tlaib did you any of the women, did you have to arrange massages for him with them? Whitcomb Just Objection of form. She said one woman she recognized so far. Question 1 woman answer by Whitcomb. Sarah Kellen. Question did you arrange did she arrange massages? Did you arrange massages for him? Mr. Epstein with her? Groff no. Question okay, that's it. Thank you. All right, folks, we're going to wrap up right here, and in the next episode, we're going to pick up where we left off. All the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.