For Elon MuskThe US Department of Justice released 3 million additional files related to criminal investigations of Jeffrey Epstein last month was immediately embarrassed. Attention in particular fell on emails sent by Musk to the financier several years after he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution and procuring minors to engage in prostitution in Florida and registered as a sex offender.

“Which day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” Musk wrote in November 2012, for example, appeared to be seeking an invitation to Little Saint James, Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.

While there has been no confirmation that any such visit took place, the messages contradict Musk’s long-standing insistence that he Epstein didn’t know much and have always refused his offers. Other files reveal that an associate of Musk’s spent weeks matching Epstein behind the scenes of a major drama for Tesla and its embattled chief executive.

Musk did not return a request for comment.

A set of emails reviewed by WIRED show that in 2018, after Musk posted on social media that he “is considering taking Tesla private“In a move that never materialized, one of the CEO’s surrogates asked Epstein for advice on financing the deal and potential board members for a renewed Tesla. They also repeated Musk’s leadership qualities.

Musk has struggled in 2018, facing challenges at his companies as his increasingly erratic behavior on social media seems to have damaged his public image. That June, as the world waited in suspense for the rescue of a Thai youth soccer team trapped in a submerged cave, he decided to get involved himself. What he offers is a small submersible that he claims can take children through narrow underwater tunnels to safety. The idea was dismissed as impractical, with one cave diver dismissing it as a publicity stunt. Musk criticized this man on Twitter, calling him “pedo man.” He later deleted the post and apologized, but repeated the insult in emails to BuzzFeed News, which they are published.

The incident led to that individual filing a lawsuit against Musk, alleging defamation, and Musk eventually won the court case a year later. But amid the unfolding PR disaster, Musk took advice from high-powered lobbyist and consultant Juleanna Glover as she seeks to limit the blowback. It was Glover who later backchanneled Epstein about a plan to take Tesla private.

The idea of ​​buying Tesla was clearly outlined in another now-infamous Musk tweet. “I’m considering taking Tesla private at $420,” he posted on August 7, 2018, added: “The fund is secured.” In fact, he did not get the funds, and on September 27, the US Securities and Exchange Commission filed a fraud case against Musk, claiming “security fraud for a series of false and misleading tweets.” Musk quickly SETTLED in the tone of a $20 million finewith Tesla paying a fair penalty, and resigning as chairman of the electric vehicle company. (Musk has neither admitted nor denied the truth of the SEC’s allegations.)

In the weeks between Musk’s no-nonsense tweet and the SEC charge, Glover worked behind the scenes to make the deal a reality—and sought Epstein’s advice, emails published by the DOJ show.

“If you are advising on: sovereign wealth funds looking to help a well-known company go private, let me know if I can help with any additional information,” Glover wrote Epstein on August 12. Epstein replied: “Smart.”