The Trump-appointed head of a major U.S. government investment agency had documented personal ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including joint investments and social interactions, according to emails released by the Department of Justice.

The Guardian's review of over 5,000 Epstein emails reveals that Ben Black, the Trump-appointed Senate-confirmed head of the $205bn Development Finance Corporation (DFC), invested in Environmental Solutions Worldwide alongside Epstein in 2011, communicated with him about buying an $11.5m townhouse in 2014, and had a woman ("Chik") ask Epstein for help responding to texts from Black after she and Black kissed, while his father Leon Black paid Epstein $170m for tax and advisory services.