vault backup: 2026-09-25 20:44:34
This commit is contained in:
parent
6a6e61a37c
commit
b208eb6051
124 changed files with 8803 additions and 839 deletions
80
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Alan Dershowitz.md
Normal file
80
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Alan Dershowitz.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- AlanDershowitz
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- HarvardLawSchool
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
- VirginiaGiuffre
|
||||
- Defamation
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Alan M. Dershowitz
|
||||
- Alan Morton Dershowitz
|
||||
- Professor Dershowitz
|
||||
summary: "Alan Dershowitz is a Harvard law professor emeritus who was on Jeffrey Epstein's 2006 to 2008 defense team, was accused by Virginia Giuffre, denied it, and settled the litigation in 2016 and 2022."
|
||||
born: 1938-09-01
|
||||
location: "Brooklyn, New York (born)"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
|
||||
role: "Harvard Law School faculty; Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law"
|
||||
start: 1964
|
||||
end: 2013
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "member of defense team, Florida investigation"
|
||||
start: 2006
|
||||
end: 2008
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
|
||||
role: "Senate impeachment trial defense"
|
||||
start: 2020-01
|
||||
end: 2020-02
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Alan M. Dershowitz (born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and professor emeritus at [[Harvard University|Harvard Law School]] who was a member of [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s defense team during the 2006 to 2008 federal investigation in [[Florida]] that ended in the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]]. In December 2014 lawyers for [[Virginia Giuffre]] alleged in a court filing that Epstein had trafficked her to Dershowitz when she was a minor; Dershowitz denied the allegation from the outset, and it was withdrawn by her lawyers in a 2016 settlement and by Giuffre herself in a 2022 settlement in which she said she "may have made a mistake."[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Dershowitz was born in Brooklyn and graduated from [[Brooklyn College]] and [[Yale Law School]]. He clerked for Judge [[David Bazelon]] of the District of Columbia Circuit and Justice [[Arthur Goldberg]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]], and joined the Harvard Law School faculty at 25, becoming the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law. He retired from teaching in 2013. As an appellate and criminal lawyer he won the reversal of [[Claus von Bülow]]'s attempted murder conviction, served as an appellate adviser to [[O. J. Simpson]]'s defense in 1995, and in January 2020 joined [[Donald Trump]]'s defense team for his first Senate impeachment trial.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Defense
|
||||
|
||||
Dershowitz was among the lawyers Epstein assembled after the [[Palm Beach Police Department]] investigation and the 2006 federal referral, alongside [[Jay Lefkowitz]], [[Kenneth Starr]], [[Roy Black]], [[Lilly Ann Sanchez]], and others. The U.S. Attorney's Office under [[Alexander Acosta]] had drafted a 53-page federal indictment by May 2007 and instead signed the non-prosecution agreement on September 24, 2007, which immunized Epstein and "any potential co-conspirators." In a 2011 letter defending the agreement, Acosta wrote that the team, which he said included Dershowitz, Starr, and Black, had waged "a year-long assault on the prosecution and the prosecutors," that "[d]efense counsel investigated individual prosecutors and their families," and that one member of the team had warned him that "the office's excess zeal in forcing a good man to serve time in jail might be the subject of a book if we continued."[^3][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### In the Prosecutors' Record
|
||||
|
||||
The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] described Dershowitz as "a self-described close friend of Epstein." Palm Beach State Attorney [[Barry Krischer]] told the office that Epstein's local counsel brought Dershowitz to see him and the assistant state attorney on the case, and that Dershowitz was "overly aggressive" and threatened, "We're going to destroy your witnesses; don't go to court because we're going to destroy those girls"; according to Krischer, Dershowitz so "tainted the waters" that Epstein also hired the local attorney [[Jack Goldberger]]. In the federal phase Dershowitz joined [[Gerald Lefcourt]] and Roy Black. He and Black met the line prosecutors on February 20, 2007 to present "witness issues," and on June 26, 2007 he led the defense presentation at a meeting at the Miami U.S. Attorney's Office with First Assistant [[Jeffrey Sloman]], Criminal Division chief [[Matthew Menchel]] and others, arguing that the state should handle the case because these were "traditionally state offenses."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The federal prosecutors' 51-page chronology of the case lists a document from Lefcourt and Dershowitz to Menchel titled "Data that strongly supports the arguments made that no charge can or should be made under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b)." In September 2007 the lawyer Nathan Z. Dershowitz represented Epstein's employee [[Harry Beller]] and a second Epstein employee when they were subpoenaed to the federal grand jury, and on September 12 he told the prosecutor that Epstein's assistant [[Lesley Groff]], also subpoenaed, would proceed by interview rather than testify. In late November 2007, after the agreement was signed, the chronology records an "Unscheduled meeting between Jay Lefkowitz, Alan Dershowitz and Jeff Sloman," a drop-in by Lefkowitz and Dershowitz. On December 7, 2007 the former federal judge [[Herbert J. Stern]] sent Dershowitz a 27-page letter, and the defense forwarded to the office the "independent ethics opinions" of Stern and the former Justice Department official [[Joe D. Whitley]] on the federal investigation.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In May 2008 the U.S. Attorney's Office's Professional Responsibility Officer asked the Department whether Alexander Acosta should recuse himself from the case because he was considering a visiting professorship at [[Harvard Law School]] in 2009, while Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor, was representing Epstein "as a private, paying client"; the Department found no basis for recusal. In March 2009, while Epstein was on work release, Sloman met Dershowitz in Miami for what Dershowitz called "a relaxed drink and conversation." Dershowitz then thanked him for his "assurance that the feds will not interfere with how the Palm Beach sheriff administers" Epstein's sentence "as long as he is treated like any similarly situated inmate"; Sloman replied that the office would not interfere but would object to alternative custody or home detention if asked. A week later Dershowitz thanked Sloman for his "willingness to call the sheriff and advise him that your office would take no position on how he handled Epstein's sentence," adding, "[L]et's put any call off for a while." In December 2009 Sloman told Dershowitz that the office opposed early termination of Epstein's community control and would object to transferring his supervision to the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]].[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Giuffre Allegation and the Edwards-Cassell Suit
|
||||
|
||||
In December 2014 [[Bradley Edwards]] and [[Paul Cassell]] filed a motion in the victims' [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] case, [[Doe v. United States]], seeking to add a client identified as Jane Doe 3, later publicly identified as Giuffre. The filing alleged that Epstein had trafficked her as a minor to Dershowitz, among others. Dershowitz said he had never met her, called the accusation fabricated, and said the lawyers should be disbarred. In April 2015 Judge [[Kenneth Marra]] struck the allegations as "immaterial and impertinent" to the case without ruling on their truth. Edwards and Cassell sued Dershowitz for defamation, and Dershowitz countersued.[^2][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
The suits settled on April 8, 2016. In a joint statement issued through the mediator Jeffrey Streitfeld, "Edwards and Cassell acknowledge that it was a mistake to have filed sexual misconduct accusations against Dershowitz," and Dershowitz withdrew his accusations that they had acted unethically. The statement said the dispute concerned the lawyers' due diligence and "not whether the acts of alleged misconduct in fact occurred." Giuffre was not a party and stood by her allegations at the time. Dershowitz required that the financial terms remain confidential. He released a statement by former [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] Director [[Louis Freeh]], whom he had given access to his records, that "[t]he totality of the evidence found during the investigation refutes the allegations made against Professor Dershowitz."[^2][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Giuffre v. Dershowitz
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre sued Dershowitz for defamation in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] in April 2019, and he countersued in November 2019. Dershowitz separately sued her lawyer [[David Boies]], alleging an effort to pressure Giuffre into false statements. In November 2022 the parties and Boies settled all of the litigation with prejudice, without costs or fees, in a resolution that the parties said "does not involve the payment of any money by anyone." Giuffre stated: "I have long believed that I was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Alan Dershowitz. However, I was very young at the time, it was a very stressful and traumatic environment, and Mr. Dershowitz has from the beginning consistently denied these allegations." She added that she "may have made a mistake" in identifying him. Dershowitz described the result as vindication. Giuffre died in April 2025.[^3][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Harvard Law School, "Alan M. Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus," faculty biography. https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/alan-m-dershowitz/ ; "Alan Dershowitz," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Dershowitz
|
||||
[^2]: "Lawyers Call Sexual Misconduct Case Against Dershowitz 'A Mistake,'" *The Harvard Crimson,* April 11, 2016. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/4/11/lawyers-drop-dershowitz-case/ ; Wiley Rein LLP, statement of Alan Dershowitz, April 8, 2016. https://www.wiley.law/assets/htmldocuments/April%208%202016%20AD%20Statement.pdf
|
||||
[^3]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake,'" *CNN,* November 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped ; "Epstein victim drops her lawsuit against lawyer Alan Dershowitz," *NBC News,* November 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-victim-drops-lawsuit-lawyer-alan-dershowitz-rcna56250
|
||||
[^4]: *The Harvard Crimson* and *Encyclopaedia Britannica* on the von Bülow reversal, the Simpson defense, and the 2020 impeachment defense. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Dershowitz
|
||||
[^5]: Conchita Sarnoff and Lee Aitken, "Jeffrey Epstein: How the Hedge Fund Mogul Pedophile Got Off Easy," *The Daily Beast,* March 25, 2011, quoting R. Alexander Acosta's 2011 letter. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-how-the-hedge-fund-mogul-pedophile-got-off-easy/ ; Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435, at 3, 7-8. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284, Prior DOJ Disclosures, Office of Professional Responsibility report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation, November 2020, pp. 8, 14 to 15, 35, 156. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00224943, DataSet 9, "Epstein Investigation Timeline," Exhibit A-1, privileged chronology of the federal investigation, pp. 9, 12, 14, 23, 26. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00224943.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284 (see note 8), pp. 117 to 118, 152 n. 224.
|
||||
[^9]: "Settlement Reached In Litigation Between Alan Dershowitz, Paul Cassell, And Bradley Edwards," *Above the Law,* April 2016. https://abovethelaw.com/2016/04/settlement-reached-in-litigation-between-alan-dershowitz-paul-cassell-and-bradley-edwards/ ; "Sex allegations against Dershowitz called 'mistake,'" *The Boston Globe,* April 8, 2016. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/08/settlement-reached-alan-dershowitz-defamation-case/JJ7u49HDH0gNb888f9v06J/story.html
|
||||
[^10]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake,'" *CNN,* November 8, 2022, on the April 2019 complaint, the November 2019 counterclaim, the claims against David Boies, and the terms of the global settlement. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped
|
||||
113
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Albert Bryan.md
Normal file
113
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Albert Bryan.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Political Figure"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- VirginIslands
|
||||
- Governor
|
||||
- EconomicDevelopmentCommission
|
||||
- GovernmentCapture
|
||||
- SouthernTrust
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Albert Bryan Jr.
|
||||
- Albert Bryan, Jr.
|
||||
- Albert Bryan Jr
|
||||
- Governor Albert Bryan
|
||||
- Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.
|
||||
summary: "Albert Bryan Jr. is the ninth governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who chaired the Economic Development Commission when it certified Jeffrey Epstein's Southern Trust Company and later fired the attorney general suing JPMorgan."
|
||||
location: "St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]"
|
||||
start: 2007-05-03
|
||||
end: 2015-01-05
|
||||
role: "Commissioner of Labor"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Economic Development Commission]]"
|
||||
start: 2013
|
||||
end: 2014
|
||||
role: "chairman"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-01-07
|
||||
role: "governor"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Denise George]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-03
|
||||
end: 2022-12-31
|
||||
role: "attorney general, fired December 31, 2022"
|
||||
fn: 9
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Gordon Rhea]]"
|
||||
start: 2024
|
||||
role: "attorney general"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Yolanda Bryan]]"
|
||||
role: "husband"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Albert Bryan Jr. is the ninth governor of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], in office since January 7, 2019. He served as the territory's Commissioner of Labor under Governor [[John de Jongh]] from 2007 to 2015 and, while still Labor Commissioner, chaired the [[Economic Development Commission]], the tax-incentive body that on January 24, 2014 issued [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein's]] [[Southern Trust Company]] a certificate of benefits bearing Bryan's signature. As governor he appointed [[Denise George]] as attorney general in 2019 and fired her on December 31, 2022, four days after she sued [[JPMorgan Chase]] over its handling of Epstein's accounts. George later told the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] that Bryan had pressed her for a waiver of Epstein's sex-offender travel-reporting requirement and later to settle the territory's case against the Epstein estate for less than it recovered. Bryan has denied that Epstein received any special treatment from his administration.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Early Life and Career
|
||||
|
||||
Bryan was born on [[St. Thomas]], the oldest of five sons of Albert Bryan Sr. and Genevieve Pilgrim, and grew up in the Savan neighborhood of [[Charlotte Amalie]]. He moved to [[St. Croix]] as a teenager, graduated from St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School in 1985, took a bachelor's degree in economics from [[Wittenberg University]] in 1989, and earned an MBA from the [[University of the Virgin Islands]] in 2003. He worked at the [[Hess Corporation|Hess]] oil operation on St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Housing Authority, and [[Innovative Communications Corporation|Innovative Communications]].[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Governor John de Jongh appointed Bryan Commissioner of Labor on May 3, 2007, the year de Jongh took office and the year de Jongh's wife, [[Cecile de Jongh]], began drawing a salary as office manager of Epstein's territorial companies. Bryan held the post through the end of de Jongh's second term on January 5, 2015. After leaving government he ran the consulting firm Aabra Group and the recruiting firm Master Strategies and served as executive director of the Virgin Islands chapter of [[Junior Achievement]].[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Chairman of the Economic Development Commission
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's companies held Economic Development Commission certificates from 1999, first through [[Financial Trust Company]] and then through Southern Trust Company, and the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]] granted him tax benefits that Carlyn Irwin, a consultant retained by JPMorgan, later put at about 300 million dollars. Southern Trust applied for benefits in October 2012, and at a public hearing before the commission on November 15, 2012, Epstein and his attorney [[Erika Kellerhals|Ericka Kellerhals]] described the company as providing "cutting edge consulting services" in "biomedical and financial informatics." According to the transcript of that presentation, no commissioner asked about Epstein's 2008 conviction or his status as a registered sex offender.[^2][^3][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
The certificate awarding Southern Trust its benefits is dated January 24, 2014 and bears the signatures of Bryan, as chairman of the commission, and Epstein, as the company's president. The same day, Cecile de Jongh emailed Epstein: "I have been fundraising for John's final State of the Territory reception on Monday night. I have raised $15K of the total $35K budget. Would you be willing to match that? John and I will cover the balance." An hour later she asked Epstein's accountant [[Richard Kahn]] to "prepare a check for $15,000 made payable to Governor's Special Events Fund." Bryan was serving as commission chairman and Labor Commissioner at once in 2013, and both he and Governor de Jongh signed off on an extension of Southern Trust's benefits.[^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
The package ran from February 1, 2013 to January 31, 2023, with a 90 percent exemption from income taxes and full exemptions from gross-receipts, excise, and withholding taxes. The territory's 2022 complaint against the Epstein estate put the taxes Epstein avoided through the Southern Trust certificate at 80,576,236 dollars and alleged that the company had no visible clients and performed no informatics work.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2018 Election and Epstein's Money
|
||||
|
||||
Bryan announced his candidacy for governor in April 2018 with [[Tregenza Roach]] as running mate, won the August 4 Democratic primary with 39.23 percent, and defeated the incumbent [[Kenneth Mapp]] in a November 2018 runoff. On December 20, 2018, Cecile de Jongh emailed Epstein: "I got a call from the Bryan/Roach Inaugural Committee and they asked for a $25,000 donation to the inaugural events. They are trying to raise all the money privately. Please let me know your thoughts." Two minutes later she wrote that "Albert asked that the $30k go to the VI Little League"; on December 6 she had written that "Albert suggested a school for autistic children." The JPMorgan exhibits do not show whether Epstein paid the inaugural committee. In July 2019 Government House communications director [[Richard Motta Jr.]] told the Virgin Islands Daily News that "to the best of my knowledge the Bryan-Roach Campaign have not received any contributions from Mr. Epstein."[^1][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
In December 2014 Cecile de Jongh had asked Epstein "to confirm that you want to donate $10,000 to the Mapp-Potter inaugural committee and that it should come from Southern Trust," a payment Irwin later reported as made, and on September 1, 2016 Epstein told de Jongh to "prepare a check for mapps super pac. For 75k." In May 2025 the journalist [[Lee Fang]] published a territorial campaign-finance record showing a check from Kellerhals to Bryan's 2018 campaign.[^3][^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Governor: Texts With Epstein
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein contacted Bryan days after the January 2019 inauguration, and the two men corresponded in the months before Epstein's July 2019 arrest. In May 2019 Bryan's nominee for commissioner of the [[Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources|Department of Planning and Natural Resources]], [[Jean-Pierre Oriol]], said publicly that Epstein was continuing construction on [[Great St. James]] despite a stop-work order. Epstein complained to Bryan, "Jp going after me in the press!! Army corps told us ok. This is very wrong!" and "Accusing me of illegality!!!" Bryan replied "We got u." Bryan did not answer the Daily News's questions about why he told Oriol to recuse himself.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
At a March 2, 2026 press briefing Bryan made no apology for the messages. "The record is clear, there's no concessions made. I don't even know why this is a story," he said, adding that the Organic Act gave the governor supervision of every department: "I could just tell them do it, you don't do it, you're fired." He said the record "shows no instance where he was afforded any special privilege by this administration," that his campaign had "no record of any contributions from Jeffrey Epstein," and that he would "absolutely" support a legislative inquiry: "even if I had told DPNR to grant his permit, it's perfectly within the right and power of the governor of the Virgin Islands... So what would the investigation be about?" Asked about territorial oversight of Epstein, he said, "Are there any victims in the Virgin Islands saying they were abused?" At the same briefing he defended his renomination of the former senator [[Celestino White]] to the [[Virgin Islands Port Authority]] board after the files showed White had offered to work on Epstein's behalf, including on the purchase of government-owned Dog Island.[^4][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Travel Waiver
|
||||
|
||||
Registered sex offenders in the territory must generally give 21 days' notice before travel. A prior attorney general, [[Vincent Frazer]], had allowed Epstein to give 24 hours' notice; George told the FBI she believed Frazer "was pressured by then Governor John De Jongh." Acting Attorney General [[Carol Thomas-Jacobs]] rescinded that arrangement in March 2019 after Epstein was detained in the [[Dominican Republic]]. According to the FBI's notes of its October 2, 2023 interview with George, Bryan told her within her first two weeks as attorney general that Epstein "wanted a waiver for a 21 day reporting requirement," and texted her that "you need to make a decision on the Epstein matter." George did not grant the waiver, and Bryan replied by email, "Thank you for your work on this." In July 2019 Kellerhals asked George for a meeting about the waiver; Epstein was arrested on July 6, before it took place.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Estate Case and the Firing
|
||||
|
||||
George told the FBI that she consulted Bryan before suing the Epstein estate in January 2020 and that he told her, "He's dead go for it." She said his tone later shifted from "Go for it" to "End it quickly," that he questioned why she was interviewing certain people and requesting documents, and that he told her, "originally when I said go ahead I didn't think it was going to go this far. I can't get you to let this go?" When the territory's outside counsel [[Motley Rice]] began interviewing estate employees, George received a call from [[David Bornn]], Bryan's chief legal counsel and a former employee of Kellerhals, relaying that Kellerhals wanted to know what George was investigating.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
According to the FBI notes, Bryan told George to settle with the estate for 80 million dollars "and to pursue mediation and select Henry Smock" as mediator, told her "that the Epstein estate just wanted to clear people," and later said "he was sick of her not doing what she was told to do." [[Henry Smock]] had assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of [[Little St. James]] and served as counsel to the boards of the Economic Development Authority and the University of the Virgin Islands. George said Bryan sent [[Carlton Dowe]], director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, to press her to settle; Dowe told her he "does things for Bryan too but has a line he won't cross," and that it "would be political suicide to fire her at least before the election." The estate settled on November 30, 2022 for 105 million dollars plus half the proceeds of the sale of Little St. James.[^3][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
George filed the territory's suit against JPMorgan Chase on December 27, 2022. Bryan fired her on December 31. He said the dismissal was unrelated to the suit but that he could not have an attorney general filing lawsuits he did not know about; George told the FBI that "a listed reason was that no attorney general was going to file anything without notifying the Governor." Government House spokespersons did not respond to questions about the FBI notes when they were released in January 2026, and Bryan later dismissed the account as "noise" that was nothing new.[^3][^4][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Yolanda Bryan and the Settlement Money
|
||||
|
||||
After Bryan took office, the Economic Development Authority created the post of "Business Ambassador," held by his wife, [[Yolanda Bryan]], while she was first lady. On July 10, 2019, four days after Epstein's arrest, EDA spokeswoman Shanell Petersen wrote to her about two press inquiries concerning "Jeffrey Epstein being an active EDC Beneficiary": "I recommend contacting Southern Trust and IYG (companies which he has ownership interest) to update them that we have provided public information based on the Sunshine Act... Informing them will allow them to prepare their PR team." Smock was part of the EDA's nine-step protocol for answering media requests after the arrest. Bryan filed for divorce in 2023 after 27 years of marriage; Smock represented him and obtained an order sealing the case records.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
In 2024 Bryan appointed [[Gordon Rhea]] attorney general. Rhea had represented Richard Kahn in the territory's case against the estate and said he would recuse himself from Epstein matters. The territory received about 180 million dollars in Epstein-related settlements after Motley Rice's fees. Bryan cited the money in his January 26, 2026 State of the Territory address; his administration had not filed the full accounting of its use that a 2024 territorial law requires.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Governor Albert Bryan Jr." Biography submitted to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, hearing of March 24, 2021. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II00/20210324/111384/HHRG-117-II00-Bio-BryanJrA-20210324.pdf (birth, family, education, early career, Labor Commissioner May 3, 2007 to January 5, 2015, 2018 campaign and primary result, inauguration).
|
||||
[^2]: "V.I. Officials Enabled Epstein to Act With Impunity, JPMorgan Alleges in Latest Salvo." *St. Thomas Source,* June 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240721172424/https://stthomassource.com/content/2023/06/16/v-i-officials-enabled-epstein-to-act-with-impunity-jpmorgan-alleges-in-latest-salvo/ (EDC chaired by Bryan; 2012 presentation transcript; January 24, 2014 certificate signed by Bryan and Epstein; same-day de Jongh emails to Epstein and Kahn).
|
||||
[^3]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html (reporting on four pages of FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George, released by the Department of Justice on January 30, 2026; the quoted lines are the FBI agent's notes of George's account).
|
||||
[^4]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
|
||||
[^5]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint, paragraphs 157 to 176, filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022), ECF pp. 33 to 37. https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html (Bryan/Roach inaugural committee email of December 20, 2018; Mapp-Potter and Mapp super PAC donations; Motta statement of July 2019).
|
||||
[^7]: Fang, Lee. "Jeffrey Epstein Exploited the U.S. Virgin Islands for a Reason." *Lee Fang* (Substack), May 26, 2025. https://www.leefang.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-exploited-the-us (image of a Kellerhals check to Bryan's 2018 campaign).
|
||||
[^8]: "Bryan 'Absolutely' Supports an Epstein Inquiry, Denies Wrongdoing." *St. Thomas Source,* March 2, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20260809212846/https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/03/02/bryan-absolutely-supports-an-epstein-inquiry-denies-wrongdoing/
|
||||
[^9]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate Of Jeffrey Epstein And Co-Defendants For Over $105 Million." *U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/ (George "appointed" by Bryan in 2019).
|
||||
[^10]: "Virgin Islands prosecutor fired after accusing JPMorgan of aiding Epstein's sex trafficking ring." *The Washington Times,* January 3, 2023. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/3/virgin-islands-prosecutor-fired-after-accusing-jpm/
|
||||
|
|
@ -11,65 +11,151 @@ tags:
|
|||
alias:
|
||||
- Alex Acosta
|
||||
- Rene Alexander Acosta
|
||||
summary: "Alexander Acosta is the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida who negotiated Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement, later found by a federal judge to have violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act and by the DOJ to reflect poor judgment, and who resigned as US Secretary of Labor in July 2019."
|
||||
- R. Alexander Acosta
|
||||
- Alexander Acosta
|
||||
summary: "Alexander Acosta is the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida who approved Jeffrey Epstein's 2007 non-prosecution agreement and resigned as Secretary of Labor in July 2019."
|
||||
born: 1969-01-16
|
||||
location: "Miami, Florida (born)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida]]"
|
||||
role: "U.S. Attorney"
|
||||
start: 2005-06
|
||||
end: 2009-06
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[George W. Bush]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Florida"
|
||||
start: 2005
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "Secretary of Labor"
|
||||
start: 2017-04
|
||||
end: 2019-07-12
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Kirkland & Ellis]]"
|
||||
role: "associate, Washington office"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Office of Professional Responsibility]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019-02-06
|
||||
end: 2020-11
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Alexander Acosta (born January 16, 1969) is an American lawyer who served as [[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida|Southern District of Florida]] from 2005 to 2009 and as United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. As US Attorney he supervised the office that negotiated the 2008 non-prosecution agreement with [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein]], an arrangement under which Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida, served a 13-month jail term with work release, and obtained federal immunity for himself and named co-conspirators. A federal judge later ruled that prosecutors violated the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act|Crime Victims' Rights Act]] by concealing the deal from victims, and Acosta resigned as Secretary of Labor in July 2019 amid renewed scrutiny of the agreement.[^1][^2]
|
||||
Alexander Acosta (born January 16, 1969) is an American lawyer who served as [[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida|Southern District of Florida]] from 2005 to 2009 and as United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. As US Attorney he supervised the office that negotiated the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|2008 non-prosecution agreement]] with [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein]], an arrangement under which Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida, served a 13-month jail term with work release, and obtained federal immunity for himself and named co-conspirators. A federal judge later ruled that prosecutors violated the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act|Crime Victims' Rights Act]] by concealing the deal from victims, and Acosta resigned as Secretary of Labor in July 2019 amid renewed scrutiny of the agreement.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Early Career and Kirkland & Ellis
|
||||
|
||||
Acosta was born in [[Miami]] to Cuban refugee parents and received his undergraduate and law degrees from [[Harvard University]], graduating from Harvard Law School in 1994. He clerked for Judge [[Samuel Alito]] on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit]] and then practiced as an associate in the Washington office of [[Kirkland & Ellis]], specializing in employment and labor law. He served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the [[Department of Justice]] Civil Rights Division from 2001 to 2002, as a member of the [[National Labor Relations Board]] from December 2002 to August 2003, and as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights from August 2003 to June 2005, all under President [[George W. Bush]], who then appointed him U.S. Attorney in Miami.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
As U.S. Attorney he oversaw the 2006 prosecution of the [[Cali Drug Cartel]] leaders [[Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela]] and [[Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela]], who pleaded guilty on September 26, 2006 and received thirty-year sentences; under the plea agreements 28 relatives gave up their interests in the family's businesses and the government agreed not to prosecute six of them.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2008 Non-Prosecution Agreement
|
||||
|
||||
Federal investigators in the Southern District of Florida identified roughly 30, and ultimately more than 30, minors whom Epstein was alleged to have sexually abused, after the Palm Beach Police Department referred the case to the FBI on concerns that the local prosecution would be too lenient. By May 2007 government lawyers had prepared an 82-page prosecution memorandum and a 53-page draft federal indictment charging Epstein with multiple federal sex offenses. Acosta decided in 2007 to negotiate with Epstein's defense team rather than seek that indictment.[^1][^3]
|
||||
Federal investigators in the Southern District of Florida identified roughly 30, and ultimately more than 30, minors whom Epstein was alleged to have sexually abused, after the Palm Beach Police Department referred the case to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] on concerns that the local prosecution would be too lenient. By May 2007 government lawyers had prepared an 82-page prosecution memorandum and a 53-page draft federal indictment charging Epstein with multiple federal sex offenses; the Justice Department later described the draft as a 60-count indictment. Acosta decided in 2007 to negotiate with Epstein's defense team rather than seek that indictment. At a July 31, 2007 meeting with Epstein's lawyers, his office offered to end the investigation if Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges, served at least two years, registered as a sex offender, and agreed to a damages mechanism for victims. Acosta did not sign the agreement but, according to the Justice Department's later review, "participated in its drafting and approved it, with knowledge of its terms."[^1][^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The non-prosecution agreement, negotiated through 2007 and executed in stages, required Epstein to plead guilty in Palm Beach County court, which he did in June 2008, to state charges including soliciting prostitution and procuring a person under 18 for prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months, of which he served roughly 13, under conditions that allowed extensive work release, permitting him to spend up to 16 hours a day, six or seven days a week, away from the county jail. Epstein's defense team included high-profile lawyers such as [[Alan Dershowitz|Alan Dershowitz]], [[Kenneth Starr|Kenneth Starr]], and [[Roy Black|Roy Black]], who pressed the office for concessions.[^1][^3]
|
||||
The non-prosecution agreement, negotiated through 2007 and executed in stages, required Epstein to plead guilty in Palm Beach County court, which he did in June 2008, to state charges including soliciting prostitution and procuring a person under 18 for prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months, of which he served roughly 13, under conditions that allowed extensive work release. The Justice Department's review recorded that from October 2008 he spent "12 hours a day purportedly working at the '[[Florida Science Foundation]],' an entity Epstein had recently incorporated that was co-located at the West Palm Beach office of one of Epstein's attorneys"; later reporting on sheriff's records described him leaving the jail for up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. The foundation paid the [[Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office]] 128,136 dollars during his incarceration. Epstein's defense team included high-profile lawyers such as [[Alan Dershowitz|Alan Dershowitz]], [[Kenneth Starr|Kenneth Starr]], and [[Roy Black|Roy Black]], who pressed the office for concessions.[^1][^6][^7][^8][^9][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
The agreement extended immunity from federal prosecution to Epstein, to four named co-conspirators, and to unnamed "potential co-conspirators," language read as shielding others who helped recruit or conceal the abuse. The terms were not disclosed to the identified victims while the deal was being finalized, and the agreement was sealed. The breadth of the immunity provisions, the sealing, and the leniency of the sentence became the basis for years of subsequent litigation and official review. The attorney [[Bradley Edwards|Bradley Edwards]], representing victims, led the legal challenge to the agreement.[^1][^4]
|
||||
The agreement extended immunity from federal prosecution to Epstein, to four named co-conspirators, and to unnamed "potential co-conspirators," language read as shielding others who helped recruit or conceal the abuse. The terms were not disclosed to the identified victims while the deal was being finalized, and the agreement was sealed. The breadth of the immunity provisions, the sealing, and the leniency of the sentence became the basis for years of subsequent litigation and official review. The attorney [[Bradley Edwards|Bradley Edwards]], representing victims, led the legal challenge to the agreement.[^1][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Negotiators and the Breakfast
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's lead negotiator was [[Jay Lefkowitz]], a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Acosta's former firm, and a former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. On August 19, 2005 Bush had named Lefkowitz the first Special Envoy for Human Rights in [[North Korea]], a part-time post he held while practicing law in New York until January 2009, so that he represented Epstein in 2007 and 2008 while serving in the administration that had appointed Acosta. Starr was also a Kirkland & Ellis partner.[^12][^13]
|
||||
|
||||
The agreement's terms were settled in September 2007 in email between Lefkowitz and the line prosecutor, [[Ann Marie Villafana|A. Marie Villafaña]]. On September 21, three days before signing, Palm Beach State Attorney [[Barry Krischer]] wrote to her: "Glad we could get this worked out for reasons I won't put in writing." On September 24, as the agreement was executed, Lefkowitz asked her to "do whatever you can to keep this from becoming public," and she reported that she had forwarded his message "only to [United States Attorney] Alex, Andy, and Roland."[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
On October 10, 2007 Lefkowitz wrote to Acosta that "[n]either federal agents nor anyone from your Office should contact the identified individuals." Acosta then met him for breakfast, and Lefkowitz's follow-up letter thanked Acosta "for the commitment you made to me during our October 12 meeting in which you . . . assured me that your Office would not . . . contact any of the identified individuals, potential witnesses, or potential civil claimants." The breakfast followed the September 24 signing, and the Justice Department's later review found no evidence that it "led to the NPA, which had been signed weeks earlier, or to any other significant decision that benefited Epstein."[^7][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 30, 2007 Acosta wrote to Starr: "I am directing our prosecutors not to issue victim notification letters until this Friday at 5 p.m., to provide you with time to review these options with your client." On December 19, 2007 he wrote to the defense lawyer [[Lilly Ann Sanchez]] that his office would provide notice of the federal resolution but would "defer to the discretion of the State Attorney regarding whether he wishes to provide victims with notices of the state proceedings." Epstein's lawyers then spent six months seeking review from the Criminal Division and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, which declined to intervene on June 23, 2008.[^7][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
In a 2011 letter defending the agreement, Acosta wrote that Epstein's team had waged "a year-long assault on the prosecution and the prosecutors," that "[d]efense counsel investigated individual prosecutors and their families," and that they would "obtain concessions as part of a negotiation and agree to proceed, only to change their minds, and appeal the office's position to Washington."[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
On his retirement from Kirkland & Ellis in March 2026, Lefkowitz said: "Although I believe everyone is entitled to representation no matter how heinous their crimes, knowing what we all know now, I would not have taken on the Epstein matter." A Kirkland spokesperson said: "To say the least, we deeply regret the firm's 2007 representation of Jeffrey Epstein."[^15]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Prosecutors' Chronology
|
||||
|
||||
A 51-page "Epstein Investigation Timeline," marked privileged and as containing grand jury material and stamped Exhibit A-1, logs Acosta's part in the negotiation document by document. In the summer of 2007 Criminal Division chief Matthew Menchel announced to the case team that Acosta would offer a two-year state plea, and in August the office told the defense that two years of incarceration was a non-negotiable minimum, that Acosta was not inclined to meet Epstein's counsel, and that Epstein had until August 17 to decide. In September 2007 Acosta, [[Drew Oosterbaan]], chief of the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, First Assistant [[Jeffrey Sloman]], Villafaña and John McMillan met Starr, Lefkowitz and Lilly Ann Sanchez, and on September 11 a draft agreement incorporating Acosta's edits went to [[Gerald Lefcourt]]. On September 23 Acosta told Lefkowitz to deal directly with [[Andrew Lourie]] and Villafaña, and on September 24 he sent his final edits before the signing.[^16]
|
||||
|
||||
After the signing the chronology records a November 30, 2007 letter from Acosta to Starr asking for a statement signed by Epstein that he would abide by every term by December 14 or the office would proceed with prosecution, a companion letter saying the office stood ready to unwind the agreement if Epstein was dissatisfied with it, and a December 14, 2007 draft letter from Acosta to Krischer about Epstein registering as a sex offender. In early January 2008, according to the chronology, Lefkowitz admitted to Acosta in a telephone call that he had never intended Epstein to plead guilty to an offense requiring sex offender registration. After the Criminal Division rejected Epstein's appeal in May 2008, Villafaña asked to indict, and Sloman and Acosta advised that Epstein would be given the chance to perform. On May 16, 2008 Sloman told Villafaña, "We got approved," adding: "Alex called to tell me. He said the ltr needs to be tweaked which we'll do on Monday. I wouldn't call the FBI yet."[^16][^17]
|
||||
|
||||
The Office of Professional Responsibility recorded two recusal questions. In May 2008 the office's Professional Responsibility Officer asked the Department whether Acosta should step aside because he was considering a visiting professorship at [[Harvard Law School]] in 2009 while Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor, was representing Epstein "as a private, paying client"; the Department advised that there was no basis for recusal. In late 2008, "when Acosta anticipated leaving the USAO and was considering pursuing employment with Kirkland & Ellis," he told Sloman to stop copying him on Epstein emails, and the Department approved his recusal because he had "begun to discuss possible employment" with the firm that represented Epstein.[^18]
|
||||
|
||||
### Crime Victims' Rights Act Ruling
|
||||
|
||||
In the case styled Doe v. United States, No. 08-80736, brought by victims including [[Courtney Wild|Courtney Wild]] and [[Jane Doe 2|Jane Doe 2]] to enforce their rights, United States District Judge [[Kenneth Marra|Kenneth Marra]] ruled on February 21, 2019, that the government had violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by failing to confer with the victims before entering the non-prosecution agreement. Marra wrote that "particularly problematic was the government's decision to conceal the existence of the" agreement and to "mislead the victims to believe that federal prosecution was still a possibility," finding that prosecutors had counseled the victims to have "patience" while the deal was being finalized.[^5]
|
||||
In the case styled Doe v. United States, No. 08-80736, brought by victims including [[Courtney Wild|Courtney Wild]] and [[Jane Doe 2|Jane Doe 2]] to enforce their rights, United States District Judge [[Kenneth Marra|Kenneth Marra]] ruled on February 21, 2019, that the government had violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by failing to confer with the victims before entering the non-prosecution agreement. The opinion recorded that "[w]hile the Government spent untold hours negotiating the terms and implications of the NPA with Epstein's attorneys, scant information was shared with victims," and that "[t]he Court is not ruling that the decision not to prosecute was improper." After the ruling the Justice Department recused Acosta's former office from the litigation and assigned the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia to defend it. Marra wrote that "particularly problematic was the government's decision to conceal the existence of the" agreement and to "mislead the victims to believe that federal prosecution was still a possibility," finding that prosecutors had counseled the victims to have "patience" after the deal had been signed.[^7][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
In a later ruling, Marra declined to invalidate the non-prosecution agreement itself, noting that Epstein had died and that rescission would not restore the victims' position, and he held that the victims were not entitled to monetary damages from the government under the statute. The decisions established the CVRA violation as a finding of fact while leaving the underlying agreement in place.[^6]
|
||||
In a later ruling on September 16, 2019, Marra declined to invalidate the non-prosecution agreement itself, noting that Epstein had died and that rescission would not restore the victims' position, and he held that the victims were not entitled to monetary damages from the government under the statute. He refused the victims' request to order Acosta to meet with them, writing: "The Court has no jurisdiction over Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. Attorney, who is now a private citizen." The decisions established the CVRA violation as a finding of fact while leaving the underlying agreement in place.[^19][^20]
|
||||
|
||||
The victims' broader effort to overturn the agreement ultimately failed at the appellate level. In April 2021 the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit]], sitting en banc, ruled in Wild's case that the CVRA's protections did not attach before the government filed formal charges, and that because no federal charges had been filed against Epstein, the statute did not give the victims a remedy to set aside the pre-charge agreement. The ruling left the CVRA finding of a conferral failure intact while denying the victims the relief they had sought.[^6]
|
||||
The victims' broader effort to overturn the agreement ultimately failed at the appellate level. In its brief to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit]], the Justice Department argued that "the legal obligations under the CVRA do not attach prior to the government charging a case," while conceding at oral argument that the office had "made a mistake in causing her to believe that the case was ongoing when in fact the NPA had been signed." A three-judge panel adopted the government's position in April 2020, holding that CVRA rights do not attach before charges, but the full court vacated that opinion in August 2020. On April 15, 2021 the en banc court denied Wild's petition by seven votes to four on a narrower ground: the Act does not authorize a victim to seek judicial enforcement of her rights in a freestanding civil action when no charges have been filed. The majority stated that it "needn't decide" whether the rights to confer and to fair treatment attach before charges, and the dissenting judges faulted it for that omission. The ruling left the district court's finding of a conferral violation undisturbed while denying the victims any remedy, and the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] denied certiorari on February 22, 2022.[^7][^21][^22]
|
||||
|
||||
### DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility Report
|
||||
|
||||
The Justice Department's [[Office of Professional Responsibility|Office of Professional Responsibility]] released a report on November 12, 2020, examining the conduct of Acosta and his subordinates in the Epstein matter. The report concluded that Acosta exercised "poor judgment" in resolving the federal investigation through a state plea agreement, but it did not find professional misconduct, stating that his decision to decline federal prosecution was within the scope of his authority and that there was no evidence the decision was based on corruption or other impermissible considerations.[^2][^7]
|
||||
The review originated in a December 3, 2018 letter from Senator [[Ben Sasse]], chairman of a Senate Judiciary oversight subcommittee, citing the [[Miami Herald]] series; OPR opened its investigation on February 6, 2019. It recorded that a victims' attorney had raised allegations of improper influence in December 2010 and that OPR had declined to open an inquiry then in deference to the pending litigation. The Justice Department's [[Office of Professional Responsibility|Office of Professional Responsibility]] released a report on November 12, 2020, examining the conduct of Acosta and his subordinates in the Epstein matter. The report concluded that Acosta exercised "poor judgment" in resolving the federal investigation through a state plea agreement, but it did not find professional misconduct, stating that his decision to decline federal prosecution was within the scope of his authority and that there was no evidence the decision was based on corruption or other impermissible considerations.[^2][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
OPR located the "poor judgment" specifically in Acosta's failure to ensure that the state would notify the federally identified victims of Epstein's plea hearing, leaving victims uninformed about the proceeding that resolved an investigation about which the office had communicated with them for months. The report described the non-prosecution agreement as "a flawed mechanism for satisfying the federal interest" that had prompted the investigation, and it documented extensive concessions made to Epstein's lawyers.[^7]
|
||||
OPR located the "poor judgment" specifically in Acosta's failure to ensure that the state would notify the federally identified victims of Epstein's plea hearing, leaving victims uninformed about the proceeding that resolved an investigation about which the office had communicated with them for months. The report described the non-prosecution agreement as "a flawed mechanism for satisfying the federal interest" that had prompted the investigation, and it documented extensive concessions made to Epstein's lawyers. OPR found that Acosta's "application of federalism principles was too expansive, his view of the federal interest in prosecuting Epstein was too narrow, and his understanding of the state system was too imperfect to justify the decision to use the NPA," and that the three other supervisory subjects "left the USAO, were transitioning to other jobs, or were absent at critical junctures." It also concluded that the government's handling "gave victims and the public the misimpression that the government had colluded with Epstein's counsel to keep the NPA secret from the victims."[^7] Before the report was final, the chief of the Public Corruption Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the [[Southern District of New York]] reviewed the draft and on August 21, 2020 asked for two wording changes, which OPR accepted: "at least one victim known to be a minor" became "at least one victim believed to be a minor," described as "more accurately reflect[ing] our position in the bail arguments regarding Epstein," and a statement that investigators "were aware" Epstein used hidden cameras in his New York residence became that they "had learned" it.[^23]
|
||||
|
||||
The report also recorded internal dissent. The line prosecutor [[Ann Marie Villafana|Ann Marie Villafana]] had objected to the access granted to Epstein's defense counsel and to meeting with them, and was overruled by supervisors; a footnote recorded her belief that an email from her supervisor [[Matthew Menchel|Matthew Menchel]] was meant to "put [her] in [her] place," while Menchel described her as having a history of resisting supervisory authority. OPR declined to refer Acosta or other prosecutors for disciplinary action on professional-responsibility grounds, a conclusion that victims' advocates characterized as a whitewash.[^7]
|
||||
The report also recorded internal dissent. The line prosecutor Ann Marie Villafana had objected to the access granted to Epstein's defense counsel and to meeting with them, and was overruled by supervisors; a footnote recorded her belief that an email from her supervisor [[Matthew Menchel|Matthew Menchel]] was meant to "put [her] in [her] place," while Menchel described her as having a history of resisting supervisory authority. OPR declined to refer Acosta or other prosecutors for disciplinary action on professional-responsibility grounds, a conclusion that victims' advocates characterized as a whitewash.[^24]
|
||||
|
||||
One of those supervisors was Matthew Menchel, chief of the office's Criminal Division, who left in August 2007, weeks before the agreement was signed, for the law firm [[Kobre & Kim]]. According to reporting on the full OPR report, Menchel had offered the 2007 plea terms to an Epstein lawyer he had formerly dated. Epstein estate records released by the [[House Oversight Committee]] in October 2025 show appointments, telephone calls, and dinners between Menchel and Epstein in 2011, 2013, and 2017. Menchel has said he had no business relationship with Epstein "at any point, not before, during or after my tenure," and has denied skiing with him, but did not deny meeting him after leaving the office.[^25]
|
||||
|
||||
### Secretary of Labor and Resignation
|
||||
|
||||
President [[Donald Trump|Donald Trump]] nominated Acosta as Secretary of Labor, and he was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in in April 2017, having previously chaired the National Labor Relations Board and served as dean of Florida International University's law school. The Florida agreement drew scrutiny during his 2017 confirmation but did not derail it.[^1]
|
||||
President [[Donald Trump|Donald Trump]] nominated Acosta as Secretary of Labor, and he was confirmed by the Senate on April 17, 2017 and sworn in that month, having previously chaired the National Labor Relations Board and served as dean of Florida International University's law school. The Florida agreement drew scrutiny during his 2017 confirmation but did not derail it; OPR recorded that at his March 2017 hearing he was "questioned only briefly about the Epstein case."[^1][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
After the November 2018 Miami Herald investigation "Perversion of Justice" by [[Julie K. Brown|Julie K. Brown]] revived attention to the agreement, and after Epstein's July 2019 federal arrest in New York on new sex-trafficking charges, Acosta held a July 10, 2019, press conference defending his handling of the case, arguing that the state alternative had at least secured Epstein's registration as a sex offender and some jail time where the state had been prepared to offer less. He resigned on July 12, 2019, two days later, saying he did not want the controversy to distract from the administration's work and that it would be "selfish" to remain.[^1][^8]
|
||||
After the November 2018 Miami Herald investigation "Perversion of Justice" by [[Julie K. Brown|Julie K. Brown]] revived attention to the agreement, and after Epstein's July 2019 federal arrest in New York on new sex-trafficking charges, Acosta held a July 10, 2019, press conference defending his handling of the case, arguing that the state alternative had at least secured Epstein's registration as a sex offender and some jail time, and saying that the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office "was ready to allow Epstein to walk free with no jail time, nothing." Krischer answered the same day that Acosta's "recollection of the matter is completely wrong" and that "Mr. Acosta should not be allowed to rewrite history." He resigned on July 12, 2019, two days later, saying he did not want the controversy to distract from the administration's work and that it would be "selfish" to remain.[^1][^26][^27]
|
||||
|
||||
In September 2025 Acosta appeared for a closed-door deposition before the [[House Oversight Committee|House Oversight Committee]] as part of its renewed inquiry into the federal handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases, testifying for roughly six hours; the committee released the transcript on October 17, 2025. Chairman [[James Comer|James Comer]] said Acosta had cooperated, and the committee separately sought records and testimony from other former officials.[^9]
|
||||
On September 19, 2025 Acosta sat for a voluntary transcribed interview with the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] as part of its renewed inquiry into the federal handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases; the committee released the transcript on October 17, 2025, together with Epstein estate records. Chairman [[James Comer|James Comer]] said Acosta had cooperated, and the committee separately sought records and testimony from other former officials. Acosta told the committee that prosecutors had avoided trial partly because some underage victims did not want to testify and a conviction was not assured, and he said he did not recall reading Villafaña's recommendation of a 60-count indictment. Lawmakers questioned him about the records of Menchel's later contacts with Epstein and about a photograph said to show the two skiing, which was not produced.[^25][^28]
|
||||
|
||||
### Intelligence Claim
|
||||
|
||||
In a July 2019 article for [[The Daily Beast|The Daily Beast]], journalist [[Vicky Ward|Vicky Ward]] reported that, according to an anonymous former senior [[White House]] official, Acosta had explained the lenient Epstein deal during his Labor Secretary vetting by saying he had been told that Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to "leave it alone" because the matter was above his pay grade. Ward's report attributed the account to a single unnamed source, and commentators noted the source could not be independently confirmed. Ward had reported on Epstein for years and had earlier written a 2003 profile of him for Vanity Fair.[^10]
|
||||
In a July 2019 article for [[The Daily Beast|The Daily Beast]], journalist [[Vicky Ward|Vicky Ward]] reported that, according to an anonymous former senior [[White House]] official, Acosta had explained the lenient Epstein deal during his Labor Secretary vetting by saying he had been told that Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to "leave it alone" because the matter was above his pay grade. Ward's report attributed the account to a single unnamed source, and commentators noted the source could not be independently confirmed. Ward had reported on Epstein for years and had earlier written a 2003 profile of him for Vanity Fair.[^29][^30]
|
||||
|
||||
Acosta disputed the characterization. Asked about the reporting at his July 2019 press conference, he said he would "hesitate to take this reporting as fact." Under oath to Justice Department investigators he answered "no" when asked whether he had knowledge of Epstein being an intelligence asset, and the OPR review reported that none of the subjects it interviewed believed Epstein to have been an intelligence asset.[^11][^7]
|
||||
Acosta disputed the characterization. Asked about the reporting at his July 2019 press conference, he said he would "hesitate to take this reporting as fact." Under oath to Justice Department investigators he answered "no" when asked whether he had knowledge of Epstein being an intelligence asset, and the OPR review reported that none of the subjects it interviewed believed Epstein to have been an intelligence asset.[^31][^32]
|
||||
|
||||
At his September 2025 House Oversight deposition, Acosta again denied the intelligence account. Asked whether anyone had told him Epstein could not be prosecuted because he was an asset, he said "No one approached me and said that," and he stated that if there had been classified or secure information bearing on the case, established procedures would have been triggered that were never triggered. The intelligence claim remains an attributed, disputed assertion sourced to a single anonymous account rather than an established finding.[^9][^11]
|
||||
At his September 19, 2025 transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, Acosta again denied the intelligence account. Asked whether anyone had told him Epstein could not be prosecuted because he was an asset, he said "No one approached me and said that," and he stated that if there had been classified or secure information bearing on the case, established procedures would have been triggered that were never triggered. The intelligence claim remains an attributed, disputed assertion sourced to a single anonymous account rather than an established finding.[^28][^31]
|
||||
|
||||
[[William Barr]], Attorney General at the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, was asked about the account in an August 18, 2025 deposition before the same committee. Asked whether he was aware of Acosta saying he had been told Epstein "belongs to intelligence and to leave it alone," Barr answered: "No. Other than what's ever been reported in articles over the years." He said he had "no reason to believe he was working for the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] or any intelligence agency, and I'm dubious about claims like that," offered the supposition that Epstein might, "like many other businessmen," have talked to intelligence officers who debrief well-connected people, and said that "if he was an American asset, as opposed to some businessman who shares stuff with the government, I would've heard about it from the intelligence agency."[^33]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Alex Acosta: Trump labour chief defends Jeffrey Epstein plea deal," *Al Jazeera,* July 10, 2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2019/7/10/alex-acosta-trump-labour-chief-defends-jeffrey-epstein-plea-deal
|
||||
[^2]: "US Attorney Alex Acosta showed 'poor judgment' when giving Jeffrey Epstein state-based plea deal in 2008: DOJ," *ABC News,* November 12, 2020. https://abcnews.com/US/us-attorney-alex-acosta-showed-poor-judgment-giving/story?id=74178029
|
||||
[^3]: "Jeffrey Epstein 2008 plea deal: poor judgment," *Global News,* November 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7460232/jeffrey-epstein-2008-plea-deal-poor-judgment/
|
||||
[^4]: "How Bradley Edwards fought Alex Acosta's nonprosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein," *Slate,* July 2019. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/bradley-edwards-jeffrey-epstein-alexander-acosta.html
|
||||
[^5]: Doe v. United States, No. 08-80736 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), opinion of Judge Kenneth Marra finding a Crime Victims' Rights Act violation. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-flsd-9_08-cv-80736/pdf/USCOURTS-flsd-9_08-cv-80736-2.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: "Epstein accusers won't receive damages and plea deal won't be tossed, judge rules," *CNN,* September 16, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/16/us/jeffrey-epstein-florida-accusers-judge-ruling
|
||||
[^3]: The White House (George W. Bush archives), "Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta," official biography. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/racosta-bio.html
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Labor, "Hall of Secretaries: Alexander Acosta." https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/acosta
|
||||
[^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, "Cali Cartel Leaders Plead Guilty to Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracy Charges," press release 06-646, September 26, 2006. https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2006/September/06_crm_646.html
|
||||
[^6]: "Jeffrey Epstein 2008 plea deal: poor judgment," *Global News,* November 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7460232/jeffrey-epstein-2008-plea-deal-poor-judgment/
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, "Investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Resolution of Its 2006-2008 Federal Criminal Investigation of Jeffrey Epstein," November 2020. https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^8]: "Trump's Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigns after criticism over Epstein deal," *Euronews,* July 12, 2019. https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/12/trump-s-labor-secretary-alex-acosta-resigns-after-criticism-over-n1029226
|
||||
[^9]: "Alex Acosta, former US attorney who negotiated Epstein's plea deal, appears before House Oversight Committee," *ABC News,* October 2025 (September 2025 closed-door deposition; transcript released October 17, 2025). https://abcnews.com/Politics/alex-acosta-former-us-attorney-negotiated-epsteins-plea/story?id=125731737
|
||||
[^10]: "Did Jeffrey Epstein 'Belong to Intelligence'?," *Skeptic,* analyzing Vicky Ward's July 2019 Daily Beast report. https://www.skeptic.com/article/did-jeffrey-epstein-belong-to-intelligence/
|
||||
[^11]: "Acosta once said Epstein 'belonged to intelligence,'" *Newsweek,* July 2019. https://www.newsweek.com/alex-acosta-epstein-sex-trafficking-department-labor-1448568
|
||||
[^8]: Conchita Sarnoff and Lee Aitken, "Jeffrey Epstein: How the Hedge Fund Mogul Pedophile Got Off Easy," *The Daily Beast,* March 25, 2011, quoting R. Alexander Acosta's 2011 letter. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-how-the-hedge-fund-mogul-pedophile-got-off-easy/
|
||||
[^9]: "Jeffrey Epstein paid Palm Beach Sheriff's Office $128,000 during incarceration for prostitution charges," *WPTV,* 2019. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/new-jeffrey-epstein-paid-palm-beach-sheriffs-office-128-000-during-incarceration-for-prostitution
|
||||
[^10]: "Florida authorities find no evidence of criminal activity in state's handling of Jeffrey Epstein case," *NBC News,* May 2021, on the sheriff's work-release program allowing Epstein out up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-authorities-no-evidence-criminal-activity-state-s-handling-jeffrey-n1266888
|
||||
[^11]: "How Bradley Edwards fought Alex Acosta's nonprosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein," *Slate,* July 2019. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/bradley-edwards-jeffrey-epstein-alexander-acosta.html
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of State, "Jay Lefkowitz, Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea," official biography, 2005. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/66929.htm ; "Final Report of Jay Lefkowitz, U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea," January 2009. https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/senk/115268.htm
|
||||
[^13]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Disgraced Lawyer Jay Lefkowitz Who Secured Sweetheart Deal Leaves Firm," *The Daily Beast,* March 2026, on Lefkowitz's three decades at Kirkland & Ellis and his Bush White House service. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-disgraced-lawyer-jay-lefkowitz-who-secured-sweetheart-deal-leaves-firm/
|
||||
[^14]: Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435 (Marra, J.), reported at 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201, quoting ECF No. 407 at paragraphs 33, 37, 52, 61, 63, 83, 90, and the court's analysis at 27-33. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf
|
||||
[^15]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Disgraced Lawyer Jay Lefkowitz Who Secured Sweetheart Deal Leaves Firm," *The Daily Beast,* March 2026, quoting Lefkowitz's retirement statement and a Kirkland & Ellis spokesperson. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-disgraced-lawyer-jay-lefkowitz-who-secured-sweetheart-deal-leaves-firm/
|
||||
[^16]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00224943, DataSet 9, "Epstein Investigation Timeline," Exhibit A-1, privileged chronology of the federal investigation, pp. 9 to 10, 12 to 13, 20, 24 to 29, 34. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00224943.pdf
|
||||
[^17]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00214486, DataSet 9, email chain, Jeff Sloman and Ann Marie Villafana, "Re: Did u hear?," May 16, 2008. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00214486.pdf
|
||||
[^18]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284, Prior DOJ Disclosures, Office of Professional Responsibility report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation, November 2020, p. 152 and n. 224. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^19]: "Epstein accusers won't receive damages and plea deal won't be tossed, judge rules," *CNN,* September 16, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/16/us/jeffrey-epstein-florida-accusers-judge-ruling
|
||||
[^20]: Opinion and Order, *Doe v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Sept. 16, 2019), ECF No. 478 (Marra, J.). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-flsd-9_08-cv-80736/pdf/USCOURTS-flsd-9_08-cv-80736-2.pdf
|
||||
[^21]: *In re Wild*, No. 19-13843, 994 F.3d 1244 (11th Cir. Apr. 15, 2021) (en banc), majority opinion at 2-3, 13; Branch, J., dissenting; Hull, J., dissenting. https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201913843.enb.pdf
|
||||
[^22]: Supreme Court of the United States, docket No. 21-351, order of February 22, 2022 denying certiorari. https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/21-351.html
|
||||
[^23]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00077309, DataSet 9, email, Chief, Public Corruption Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Office of Professional Responsibility, "RE: Draft OPR Report," August 21, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00077309.pdf
|
||||
[^24]: "US Attorney Alex Acosta showed 'poor judgment' when giving Jeffrey Epstein state-based plea deal in 2008: DOJ," *ABC News,* November 12, 2020. https://abcnews.com/US/us-attorney-alex-acosta-showed-poor-judgment-giving/story?id=74178029 ; the Villafaña footnote passage appears in the body of the full OPR report of November 2020, not in the executive summary cited at note 7.
|
||||
[^25]: Debra Cassens Weiss, "Jeffrey Epstein had dinners with top criminal prosecutor in years following favorable deal, documents show," *ABA Journal,* October 20, 2025. https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jeffrey-epstein-had-dinners-with-top-criminal-prosecutor-in-years-following-favorable-deal-documents-show
|
||||
[^26]: "Trump's Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigns after criticism over Epstein deal," *Euronews,* July 12, 2019. https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/12/trump-s-labor-secretary-alex-acosta-resigns-after-criticism-over-n1029226
|
||||
[^27]: "Former state's attorney pushes back against Acosta account of Epstein case," *The Hill,* July 10, 2019. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/452527-former-florida-state-attorney-pushes-back-against-acosta-account-of/
|
||||
[^28]: "Alex Acosta, former US attorney who negotiated Epstein's plea deal, appears before House Oversight Committee," *ABC News,* October 2025 (September 19, 2025 closed-door transcribed interview; transcript released October 17, 2025). https://abcnews.com/Politics/alex-acosta-former-us-attorney-negotiated-epsteins-plea/story?id=125731737
|
||||
[^29]: Vicky Ward, "Jeffrey Epstein's Sick Story Played Out for Years in Plain Sight," *The Daily Beast,* July 9, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight/
|
||||
[^30]: "Did Jeffrey Epstein 'Belong to Intelligence'?," *Skeptic,* analyzing Vicky Ward's July 2019 Daily Beast report. https://www.skeptic.com/article/did-jeffrey-epstein-belong-to-intelligence/
|
||||
[^31]: "Acosta once said Epstein 'belonged to intelligence,'" *Newsweek,* July 2019. https://www.newsweek.com/alex-acosta-epstein-sex-trafficking-department-labor-1448568
|
||||
[^32]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, full report of November 2020 on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation (report body; the passage does not appear in the executive summary cited at note 7). https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^33]: U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, deposition of William P. Barr, August 18, 2025, transcript released September 2025. https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barr-Transcript.pdf
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
52
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Annie Farmer.md
Normal file
52
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Annie Farmer.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- AnnieFarmer
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- GhislaineMaxwell
|
||||
- ZorroRanch
|
||||
- NewMexico
|
||||
- Witness
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Annie Farmer
|
||||
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell accuser abused at sixteen in 1996 at Epstein's New Mexico ranch, the only one of four accusers to testify under her own name at Maxwell's 2021 trial."
|
||||
location: "New Mexico"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Maria Farmer]]"
|
||||
role: "younger sister"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[United States v. Maxwell]]"
|
||||
role: "government witness"
|
||||
start: 2021-12-10
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Annie Farmer is an American woman who was sixteen in 1996 when [[Jeffrey Epstein]] met her in [[New York City]], where her older sister [[Maria Farmer]] was working for him, and who was abused that year by Epstein and [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] at Epstein's ranch in [[New Mexico]]. She was the fourth and last accuser to testify for the government at Maxwell's 2021 trial in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]], and the only one of the four to testify under her own name; the others were identified as "Jane," "Kate," and "Carolyn." Her sister had reported Epstein and Maxwell to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] in August 1996, the same year.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### New York and New Mexico
|
||||
|
||||
Farmer testified that Epstein took her to a film in New York in 1996 and reached over to hold her hand and caress her leg: "I felt sick to my stomach. It was not something I was expecting at all." Epstein then invited her to New Mexico and paid for her plane ticket. Her mother, Janice Swain, testified that Epstein told her that her daughter "would be joined by 20 to 25 other students there."[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
At the ranch, [[Zorro Ranch]] near Stanley, Farmer testified that Epstein held her hand and rubbed her foot and arm during a film with no effort to hide it from Maxwell, and that Maxwell insisted on giving her a massage, told her to take off her clothes, and "pulled down the sheet and exposed my breasts and starting rubbing on my breasts." "I so badly wanted to get off the table and have the massage be done," she testified. Epstein later climbed into her bed without her permission.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Testimony at the Maxwell Trial
|
||||
|
||||
Farmer testified on December 10, 2021 before Judge [[Alison Nathan|Alison J. Nathan]]. Her former boyfriend, David James Mulligan, testified that she had told him she was "touched on the breast" during the massage and felt "fearful and awkward and helpless." Her mother testified that Farmer returned "quiet and withdrawn" and told her, "I don't want to talk about it and I'm not going to let it ruin my life." The government rested its case that afternoon. Farmer testified that she had accepted 1.5 million dollars from the [[Epstein Victims' Compensation Program]], the fund established by Epstein's estate.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
The jury convicted Maxwell on December 29, 2021 of five of six counts, including transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; it acquitted on the count of enticement of a minor to travel.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 1996 Reports
|
||||
|
||||
In August 1996 Maria Farmer reported to the [[New York City Police Department|New York Police Department]]'s Sixth Precinct and then by telephone to the FBI that Epstein and Maxwell had sexually assaulted her, that she feared they had abused one of her minor sisters, and that Epstein and Maxwell had stolen nude images she had made of her two minor sisters for her artwork and carried them from [[Ohio]] to New York. According to Maria Farmer's 2025 lawsuit against the [[United States]], the FBI took no action, and federal agents did not interview her until 2006. The FBI's record of her 1996 report was released in December 2025 in the first wave of disclosures under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]].[^2][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Ghislaine Maxwell trial accuser Annie Farmer testifies she was violated at age 16," *CBS News,* December 10, 2021. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-accuser-annie-farmer-testifies-violated-age-16/
|
||||
[^2]: Complaint, Farmer v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C. May 29, 2025), paras. 2, 4, 95-126, 176-185. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doc-1-Complaint-05-29-2025.pdf
|
||||
[^3]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 6-7 nn.5-6 (2d Cir. Sept. 17, 2024), reported at 118 F.4th 256. https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2024/09/17/united_states_v._maxwell.pdf
|
||||
[^4]: "Maria Farmer and Marsh Law Firm's Persistent Advocacy Vindicated as FBI Releases Farmer's 1996 Report on Jeffrey Epstein," *Marsh Law Firm,* December 23, 2025. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/persistent-advocacy-vindicated/
|
||||
109
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Barry Krischer.md
Normal file
109
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Barry Krischer.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- BarryKrischer
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- PalmBeach
|
||||
- StateAttorney
|
||||
- GrandJury
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Barry E. Krischer
|
||||
- State Attorney Barry Krischer
|
||||
summary: "Barry Krischer was the Palm Beach County State Attorney from 1993 to 2009 whose office took the 2006 Epstein case to a grand jury that returned a single solicitation count."
|
||||
location: "Palm Beach County, Florida"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office]]"
|
||||
role: "State Attorney, 15th Judicial Circuit"
|
||||
start: 1993
|
||||
end: 2009
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office]]"
|
||||
role: "assistant state attorney"
|
||||
start: 1973
|
||||
end: 1983
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: prosecuted
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
start: 2006-07-19
|
||||
end: 2008-06-30
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Florida Department of Law Enforcement]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019-08
|
||||
end: 2021-05
|
||||
fn: 14
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Barry Krischer is an American lawyer who served as State Attorney for [[Florida]]'s 15th Judicial Circuit, covering [[Palm Beach County]], from 1993 to 2009. His office received the [[Palm Beach Police Department]] investigation of [[Jeffrey Epstein]] in 2006 and presented it to a grand jury, which returned one count of felony solicitation of prostitution against a police recommendation of five second-degree felony counts. In September 2007 he congratulated a federal prosecutor on the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]] "for reasons I won't put in writing." A [[Florida Department of Law Enforcement]] review ordered in 2019 found no evidence that he committed any crime.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Krischer was a prosecutor in Kings County, New York, from 1970 to 1973. He moved to Palm Beach County and joined the [[Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office]], where he served for ten years as an assistant state attorney under State Attorney [[David Bludworth]]. He then entered private defense practice as a partner of the defense attorney [[Michael Salnick]].[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
As a defense lawyer Krischer represented William Morser, the driver in a fatal hit-and-run that killed Mark Baltes, a 28-year-old Lake Worth electrician. A judge ruled that Krischer could withhold his client's name under attorney-client privilege, and the driver's identity did not become public for two and a half years; investigators eventually identified him through what Krischer called "dumb luck."[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Krischer was elected State Attorney in 1992 and held the office for sixteen years. In one case during his tenure his office charged Anthony Laster, a 15-year-old eighth-grader with an IQ of 58, with armed robbery for taking two dollars in lunch money from a classmate; Laster spent seven weeks in jail, including Christmas, before Krischer dropped the charges after public criticism. Krischer had defended the charge: "The kids going to school need to know they're going to be safe." He left office in 2009, while Epstein was serving his sentence.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Grand Jury
|
||||
|
||||
The Palm Beach Police Department began investigating Epstein in March 2005. Detective [[Joseph Recarey]]'s probable cause affidavit of May 1, 2006 recommended charging Epstein with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor under Florida Statute 794.05(1) and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation under 800.04(5), all second-degree felonies. Krischer's office did not file those charges by information and instead presented the case to a county grand jury.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
In 2006 Police Chief [[Michael Reiter]] wrote to Krischer that his office's treatment of the cases was "highly unusual" and asked him to consider whether "good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from prosecution of these cases."[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
The grand jury sat on July 19, 2006. Assistant State Attorney [[Lanna Belohlavek]] presented the case and called two of the girls, out of roughly two dozen interviewed by police and questioned them about their own conduct in terms that cast doubt on their credibility. The grand jury returned one count of felony solicitation of prostitution under Florida Statute 796.07. Reiter and Recarey then took the case to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]].[^1][^2][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
The transcript remained sealed until a 2024 statute signed by Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] created an exception for the Epstein proceeding. Circuit Judge [[Luis Delgado]] released it on July 1, 2024, writing that "[t]he details in the record will be outrageous to decent people."[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Defense Lawyers and the Grand Jury Decision
|
||||
|
||||
Krischer later told the Justice Department's [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] that Epstein's local counsel brought [[Alan Dershowitz]] to see him and the assistant state attorney on the case, and that Dershowitz was "overly aggressive" and threatened, "We're going to destroy your witnesses; don't go to court because we're going to destroy those girls." According to Krischer, Dershowitz so "tainted the waters" that Epstein also hired the local attorney [[Jack Goldberger]], with whom Krischer had "a working relationship"; because the husband of the assistant state attorney was Goldberger's law partner, Belohlavek recused that prosecutor and took over the case herself. Krischer told OPR that under state law as it then stood his office prosecuted minors as young as 14 for prostitution, that the possibility that Epstein's victims could themselves be prosecuted caused "great consternation within the office," and that "There were so many issues involving the victim-witnesses that to my mind, in consultation with my [prosecutors], the only way to achieve, to my mind, real justice was to present the case to the grand jury and not to direct-file." Police Chief Michael Reiter testified in a 2009 civil deposition that Krischer had first told him "Let's go for it," and that "it was pretty clear to me that Mr. Krischer did not want to prosecute this case."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The federal prosecutors' chronology records Reiter's letter of May 2006 urging Krischer to proceed on the probable cause affidavits or to recuse himself, and Reiter's letter of August 2, 2006 stating that he was unhappy with the State Attorney's handling of the case and was referring it to the FBI. On August 16, 2006 the Fox News host Bill O'Reilly told viewers that Reiter believed Krischer was "in the tank for Epstein"; a transcript of the segment was kept among Epstein's own papers.[^7][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Federal Agreement
|
||||
|
||||
The federal office under [[Alexander Acosta]] negotiated its non-prosecution agreement with Epstein's lawyers in September 2007, structured around a plea in Krischer's jurisdiction to the pending state indictment and a new procurement charge. On September 21, 2007, three days before the agreement was signed, Krischer wrote to the federal line prosecutor [[Ann Marie Villafana|A. Marie Villafaña]]: "Glad we could get this worked out for reasons I won't put in writing. After this is resolved I would love to buy you a cup at Starbucks and have a conversation."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
On September 27, 2007 Villafaña wrote to Krischer and Belohlavek asking when and before which judge Epstein would plead, adding that "the agents and I would really like to be there, 'incognito.'" On December 19, 2007 Acosta wrote to Epstein's lawyer [[Lilly Ann Sanchez]] that his office would "defer to the discretion of the State Attorney" on whether to notify victims of the state proceedings. Epstein pleaded guilty in state court on June 30, 2008, and a copy of the agreement was filed under seal in the state file. On September 17, 2008 Villafaña reminded Krischer by email that the agreement "contain[ed] a confidentiality provision that require[ed] us to inform Mr. Epstein's counsel before making any disclosure."[^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The State Attorney in the Federal Negotiation
|
||||
|
||||
In mid-September 2007 Krischer and Belohlavek sat in a joint meeting with federal prosecutors [[Andrew Lourie]], [[Rolando Garcia]] and Villafaña and Epstein's lawyers [[Jay Lefkowitz]], [[Gerald Lefcourt]] and Goldberger, and from September 19 to 25 they exchanged emails with the federal office on meeting Epstein's attorneys. On September 21 Villafaña summarized the State Attorney's Office's negotiations with Goldberger, including Goldberger's request that Epstein not have to register as a sex offender. In December 2007 Acosta's office drafted a letter to Krischer about Epstein registering as a sex offender, and Starr and Lefkowitz wrote to Acosta invoking the State Attorney's Office's belief that Epstein should not have to register. In May and June 2008 Sloman relayed information from Krischer, and Villafaña summarized a meeting with him about Epstein's attempt to negotiate a new state plea deal; the office separately discussed a call from [[Roy Black]] about allowing Epstein to plead to 60 days' imprisonment. In October 2008 Villafaña, Krischer and Belohlavek corresponded about a Palm Beach Daily News request for a copy of the agreement.[^7][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
After Epstein was admitted to the sheriff's work-release program, Villafaña wrote to her supervisors on December 3, 2008: "It appears that, since Day 1, Goldberger and Krisher [sic] . . . have been scheming to get Epstein out on work release. For example, the indictment incorrectly charges Epstein for an offense that would have made him ineligible for work release if it had been charged correctly. (Remember that Krisher [sic] also went along with letting us believe that Epstein was pleading to a registrable offense when Epstein's folks and Krisher [sic] believed that . . . the offense was not registrable.) Krisher [sic] and Goldberger also told us that Epstein would be housed at the Palm [Beach County] Jail, not the Stockade, but he would not have been eligible for work release if at the jail. Krischer generally declined in his OPR interview to explain his office's prosecutive decisions; asked about allegations of favoritism to Epstein's defense counsel, he said: "I just don't play that way."[^10][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
On December 15, 2010, after Krischer had left office, a correspondent writing as "jagesq" told Epstein: "I know krischer spoke to the governor before he left for Korea. did you get any feedback? By the way Krischer was having lunch the other day with an old friend who is a criminal defense lawyer in NY. We may want to think about using him with the registration stuff unless we are too invested with Kirkland. probably help us with Krischer."[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 Exchange with Acosta
|
||||
|
||||
At a July 10, 2019 press conference, Acosta said that the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office "was ready to allow Epstein to walk free with no jail time, nothing." Krischer responded the same day that Acosta's "recollection of the matter is completely wrong," that the 53-page federal indictment had been abandoned after "secret negotiations between Mr. Epstein's lawyers and Mr. Acosta," that his office had no part in the "Non-Prosecution Agreement and the unusual confidentiality agreement that kept everything hidden from the victims," and that "Mr. Acosta should not be allowed to rewrite history." Acosta resigned as Secretary of Labor two days later.[^3][^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### State and Federal Reviews
|
||||
|
||||
The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s Office of Professional Responsibility interviewed the former State Attorney and the former assistant state attorney in charge of the state case during its 2019 to 2020 review, but stated that it "does not have jurisdiction over state officials" and reached no conclusions about their conduct.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
In August 2019, after a letter from Palm Beach County Sheriff [[Ric Bradshaw]], DeSantis ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the state's handling of the case. A 24-page FDLE summary released in May 2021 found no evidence that Krischer or Belohlavek "committed any crimes, accepted any bribes or gifts, or did anything improper." A companion FDLE report found that Epstein had "received differential treatment" in the custody of the [[Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office]] but that it was not criminal.[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Holly Baltz, "Who is Jeffrey Epstein's first prosecutor? It's not his first rodeo in the national glare," *Palm Beach Post* (via Yahoo News), July 10, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/news/jeffrey-epsteins-first-prosecutor-not-090053542.html
|
||||
[^2]: Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435, at 7, 10, 15, 22 (Marra, J.), quoting ECF No. 407 at paragraphs 33, 59, 90, 153. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf
|
||||
[^3]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, "Investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Resolution of Its 2006-2008 Federal Criminal Investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and Its Interactions with Victims during the Investigation," Executive Summary, November 2020, pp. i-ii, iv, vi-vii. https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^4]: Palm Beach Police Department, probable cause affidavit of Detective Joseph Recarey regarding Jeffrey Epstein, sworn May 1, 2006 (redacted). https://archive.org/stream/JeffreyEpstein/Jeffrey%20Epstein%20Redacted%20Probable%20Cause%20Affadavit_djvu.txt
|
||||
[^5]: "Judge releases Jeffrey Epstein grand jury investigation transcripts," *WUSF / Associated Press,* July 1, 2024. https://www.wusf.org/courts-law/2024-07-01/florida-judge-releases-transcripts-2006-grand-jury-investigation-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking ; "Florida prosecutors knew Epstein raped teenage girls 2 years before cutting deal, transcript shows," *WPTV,* July 1, 2024. https://www.wptv.com/news/epstein/palm-beach-county-judge-calls-jeffrey-epstein-most-infamous-pedophile-in-american-history-as-he-releases-transcripts
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284, Prior DOJ Disclosures, Office of Professional Responsibility report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation, November 2020, pp. 14 to 16. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00224943, DataSet 9, "Epstein Investigation Timeline," Exhibit A-1, privileged chronology of the federal investigation, pp. 1, 14, 19 to 20, 27 to 28, 34 to 35, 44. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00224943.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00214226, DataSet 9, FoxNews.com transcript, "The O'Reilly Factor," Talking Points Memo, August 16, 2006. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00214226.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00215188, DataSet 9, emails among Barry Krischer, Lanna Belohlavek and the U.S. Attorney's Office, "RE: Meeting with Epstein's attorneys," September 19 to 25, 2007. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00215188.pdf
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284 (see note 8), p. 116, quoting Villafana's email of December 3, 2008.
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284 (see note 8), p. 16 n. 17.
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01830557, DataSet 10, email, "jagesq" to Jeffrey Epstein, "krischer richardson," December 15, 2010. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01830557.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: "Former state's attorney pushes back against Acosta account of Epstein case," *The Hill,* July 10, 2019. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/452527-former-florida-state-attorney-pushes-back-against-acosta-account-of/ ; "Ex-Palm Beach State Attorney Says It Was Acosta's 'Secret Negotiations' With Epstein Lawyers That Tanked Case," *The Daily Beast,* July 10, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-palm-beach-state-attorney-says-it-was-acostas-secret-negotiations-with-epstein-lawyers-that-tanked-case/
|
||||
[^14]: "Florida authorities find no evidence of criminal activity in state's handling of Jeffrey Epstein case," *NBC News,* May 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-authorities-no-evidence-criminal-activity-state-s-handling-jeffrey-n1266888 ; "FDLE clears PBSO, prosecutors in connection to Epstein's work release privileges," *CBS12,* May 2021. https://cbs12.com/news/local/fdle-clears-pbso-prosecutors-in-connection-to-epsteins-work-release-privileges
|
||||
|
|
@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ In a deposition compelled by the [[House Oversight Committee]], conducted behind
|
|||
|
||||
Documents unsealed in January 2024 in the defamation case [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] included deposition testimony from [[Johanna Sjoberg]], given in 2015, in which she testified that Epstein had once said "Clinton likes them young," which she clarified referred to "girls." Sjoberg attributed the remark to Epstein as something he said and not as a statement of her own knowledge about Clinton, and said she understood Epstein to have had "dealings" with him. The same filings referenced a 2011 account in which [[Virginia Giuffre]] said she had seen Clinton on Epstein's island; Giuffre later said she did not witness a helicopter flight she had earlier described, and she made no allegation of wrongdoing by Clinton. Reporting on the January 2024 release noted that the documents did not implicate any previously unnamed person and contained no accusation of a crime by Clinton. A judge in the Maxwell litigation had previously denied a request to depose Clinton.[^7][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
Materials released in 2025 by the House Oversight Committee and the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] included flight records, estate documents, and a "birthday book" assembled by Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The committee made the contents public in September 2025, and the panel released more than 33,000 pages from the Justice Department on September 2, 2025. The book contained an entry attributed to Clinton, the wording of which, as released by the committee, included the line "It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends," signed "Bill Clinton." Outlets reporting on the documents noted that the materials did not implicate Clinton in any crime.[^9][^10]
|
||||
Materials released in 2025 by the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] and the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] included flight records, estate documents, and a "birthday book" assembled by Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The committee made the contents public in September 2025, and the panel released more than 33,000 pages from the Justice Department on September 2, 2025. The book contained an entry attributed to Clinton, the wording of which, as released by the committee, included the line "It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends," signed "Bill Clinton." Outlets reporting on the documents noted that the materials did not implicate Clinton in any crime.[^9][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
On December 19, 2025, in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which set that date as the deadline for Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] to publish the unclassified federal records, the Justice Department released several hundred thousand documents, many heavily redacted. Across the 2025 and 2026 releases, totaling more than 60,000 pages by late 2025, no document established a criminal allegation against Clinton, and reporting consistently noted that his name appeared in connection with the flight logs, social contacts, and the birthday book rather than any accusation by a survivor.[^10][^14]
|
||||
On December 19, 2025, in accordance with the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]], which set that date as the deadline for Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] to publish the unclassified federal records, the Justice Department released several hundred thousand documents, many heavily redacted. Across the 2025 and 2026 releases, totaling more than 60,000 pages by late 2025, no document established a criminal allegation against Clinton, and reporting consistently noted that his name appeared in connection with the flight logs, social contacts, and the birthday book rather than any accusation by a survivor.[^10][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
87
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Bill Gates.md
Normal file
87
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Bill Gates.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Technologists"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- BillGates
|
||||
- Microsoft
|
||||
- GatesFoundation
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- JPMorgan
|
||||
- Philanthropy
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Bill Gates
|
||||
- William H. Gates
|
||||
- William H. Gates III
|
||||
- William Henry Gates III
|
||||
summary: "Bill Gates is the Microsoft co-founder who met Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly from 2011 to 2014 over a proposed JPMorgan charitable fund, and whom Epstein later pressed over a relationship with a Russian bridge player."
|
||||
born: 1955-10-28
|
||||
location: "Seattle, Washington"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Microsoft]]"
|
||||
role: "co-founder"
|
||||
start: 1975
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Melinda French Gates]]"
|
||||
role: "husband"
|
||||
end: 2021
|
||||
fn: 11
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Boris Nikolic]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "chief science and technology adviser"
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Bill Gates (William H. Gates III, born October 28, 1955, in [[Seattle]], [[Washington]]) is the co-founder of [[Microsoft]] and co-chair of the [[Gates Foundation]].[^1] Beginning in 2011, three years after [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s Florida guilty plea, Gates met Epstein on numerous occasions, at least three times at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse.[^2] Epstein sought to bring Gates into a multibillion-dollar charitable fund he was trying to build with [[JPMorgan Chase]], and after Gates declined, Epstein wrote to him in 2017 in terms that implied knowledge of Gates's past relationship with a Russian bridge player whose training Epstein had paid for.[^3] Gates testified before the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] in June 2026 that the meetings were "a grave error in judgment."[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Introduction Through Nikolic
|
||||
|
||||
Gates's contact with Epstein ran through [[Boris Nikolic]], his chief science and technology adviser, who had been introduced to Epstein by [[Melanie Walker]].[^4] Both Nikolic and Epstein were private-banking clients of JPMorgan, and people familiar with the bank told [[Bloomberg]] that Epstein helped its bankers attract new wealthy clients.[^4] The *[[New York Times]]* reported in October 2019, citing more than a dozen people familiar with the relationship, that Gates had met Epstein many times from 2011 and on at least one occasion stayed at the townhouse late into the night.[^2] Epstein's first call to the former [[White House Counsel]] [[Kathryn Ruemmler]] in 2014 concerned her interest in Gates and his foundation.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein signed his will on August 8, 2019, two days before his death. It named his attorneys [[Darren Indyke]] and [[Richard Kahn]] as executors and Nikolic as backup executor. Nikolic said he "was not consulted in these matters and I have no intent to fulfill these duties, whatsoever."[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The JPMorgan Fund
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein was trying to establish a large donor-advised charitable fund with JPMorgan, partly to rebuild his standing after the 2008 conviction, and he wrote to the bank in terms that suggested he advised Gates. The plan required wealthy donors, Gates among them, to pool money in the fund. Gates did not join, and the fund was never created.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 27, 2011, Epstein outlined the structure to [[Jes Staley]] and [[Mary Erdoes]] of JPMorgan, copying Nikolic: "the mimimum donation would be 100 million. a portfolio will be established for each donor.according to their own critieria, there will be established silos for Medicine, Science , Women issues, Education, etc." Donors could "make presentations for larger gifts , in an on-line forum ( the worlds most exclusive Blog ).. the charitable fees. audit fees, investment mgmt fees, trustee fees, will all be JPM."[^6] On August 27, 2011 he wrote to the same two bankers: "Careful, the people at Gates-", naming four foundation staff members, two of them "the senior people," who "say they are getting confusing messages from JPM. They say that JPM wants to use the current foundation to do other things. Bill is at his country house. and most likely will not deal with it before wed. There are too many people without direction. lets speak,,"[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
After Epstein's 2019 arrest JPMorgan conducted an internal review code-named "Project Jeep." In a June 7, 2023 letter to Judge [[Jed Rakoff]] in the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]]' suit against the bank, the territory's counsel, [[Motley Rice]], wrote that the review's e-communications summary confirmed "more than four pages of Epstein referrals to JPMorgan," including "Andrew Farkas, Boris Nikolic, Bill Gates, and [[Peter Mandelson]]," and quoted the testimony of JPMorgan's chief executive, [[Jamie Dimon]]: "We did not need introductions to anybody."[^8] JPMorgan later said that "the firm didn't need him as a client" and "didn't need him for introductions," and that "knowing what we know today, we wish we had never done business with him."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The MIT Media Lab Gift
|
||||
|
||||
In October 2014 Gates gave 2 million dollars to the [[MIT Media Lab]], then directed by [[Joi Ito]]. Internal lab emails described the gift as directed by Epstein, and Epstein claimed in 2014 to have arranged it; the lab recorded Epstein-linked money as anonymous.[^9][^10] Gates's representatives told MIT's outside investigators, the law firm [[Goodwin Procter]], that he "flatly denies" that Epstein had anything to do with the donation, and the investigators found no evidence that the money was Epstein's.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Mila Antonova
|
||||
|
||||
Gates met the Russian bridge player [[Mila Antonova]] at a bridge tournament in 2010, when she was in her twenties.[^3] Seeking to fund an online bridge-teaching venture, she was introduced to Epstein by Nikolic, and in November 2013 the two met Epstein at the townhouse to pitch it, seeking 500,000 dollars; Epstein did not invest.[^3] Epstein paid for Antonova to attend a software coding school.[^3] A 2026 investigation by *[[Fortune]]* reported that Epstein also organized her U.S. visa application and let her stay at his New York house, and that he used the relationship, together with leverage through two other confidants the two men shared, to press Gates to invest in the fund.[^1] In 2017, after Gates had declined the fund, Epstein emailed Gates asking to be reimbursed for Antonova's tuition, in a message that people who saw it said implied he could disclose the relationship. Gates did not pay.[^3] Antonova told the *[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]*: "I had no idea that he was a criminal or had any ulterior motive."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
A Gates spokeswoman told the *Journal*: "Mr. Gates met with Epstein solely for philanthropic purposes. Having failed repeatedly to draw Mr. Gates beyond these matters, Epstein tried unsuccessfully to leverage a past relationship to threaten Mr. Gates."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Melinda French Gates
|
||||
|
||||
Melinda French Gates met Epstein with her husband in 2013. A former foundation employee told the *Journal* that she afterward told Gates she was uncomfortable with Epstein, and the relationship continued.[^11] She met divorce lawyers in October 2019, after the *Times* report, and the couple announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage in May 2021.[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2026 Testimony
|
||||
|
||||
Gates appeared voluntarily for a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026, at the request of its chairman, [[James Comer]], after his name appeared in [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] Epstein documents. He said the relationship ran from 2011 to at least late 2014, that he ended it after concluding that Epstein could not deliver the philanthropic money he promised, and that he never visited Epstein's island or his other properties.[^1] "I should never have met with Epstein in the first place," he said. "I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct," and "I have never victimized anyone." He added: "While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated."[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
The committee's ranking member, [[Robert Garcia]], said Gates had known of the conviction and "continued to interact with him to seek money for his foundation," which he called "a horrific judgment call." Representative [[Raja Krishnamoorthi]] called Gates "combative" and "not terribly forthcoming or candid"; Representative [[Melanie Stansbury]] said Gates described a "narrow relationship" he regarded as "an acceptable means to access wealthy donors"; Representative [[Tim Burchett]] called the questioning "intense."[^1] Comer said afterward that he would ask [[Alan Dershowitz]] to testify and was in talks with the Justice Department about testimony from the acting attorney general, [[Todd Blanche]].[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Gates testifies on Epstein: previous Fortune investigation reveals payments to his ex-girlfriend, $1M Microsoft deal." *Fortune,* June 10, 2026. https://fortune.com/2026/06/10/bill-gates-epstein-mistress-bankrolled-testifying-congress/
|
||||
[^2]: Stewart, James B., Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. "Bill Gates Met With Jeffrey Epstein Many Times, Despite His Past." *The New York Times,* October 12, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/business/jeffrey-epstein-bill-gates.html
|
||||
[^3]: Safdar, Khadeeja, and Emily Glazer. "Jeffrey Epstein Apparently Threatened Bill Gates Over Affair." *The Wall Street Journal,* May 21, 2023; summarized in "WSJ: Jeffrey Epstein threatened Bill Gates over affair with Russian bridge player." *Boing Boing,* May 22, 2023. https://boingboing.net/2023/05/22/wsj-jeffrey-epstein-threatened-bill-gates-over-affair-with-russian-bridge-player.html
|
||||
[^4]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Executor Is Ex-Science Adviser to Bill Gates." *Bloomberg,* August 19, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-19/epstein-s-11th-hour-executor-is-ex-science-adviser-to-bill-gates
|
||||
[^5]: "The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar." *Above the Law,* May 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://abovethelaw.com/2023/05/the-former-biglaw-partner-in-jeffrey-epsteins-private-calendar/
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01861564, DataSet 10, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes, copied to Boris Nikolic, July 27, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01861564.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00918200, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes, August 27, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00918200.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904, S.D.N.Y.), Motley Rice letter to Judge Jed S. Rakoff, "Motion Seeking Leave to Reopen Depositions," June 7, 2023, p. 5. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein." *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-an-elite-university-research-center-concealed-its-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein
|
||||
[^10]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: *Al Jazeera,* May 10, 2021, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal* on Melinda French Gates and Epstein. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/10/melinda-gates-discussed-divorcing-bill-over-epstein-ties-wsj
|
||||
94
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Bradley Edwards.md
Normal file
94
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Bradley Edwards.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- BradleyEdwards
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- CrimeVictimsRightsAct
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
- VictimsRights
|
||||
- ScottRothstein
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Brad Edwards
|
||||
- Bradley J. Edwards
|
||||
- Bradley James Edwards
|
||||
summary: "Bradley Edwards is a Fort Lauderdale lawyer who represented Epstein's victims from 2008, litigated the Crime Victims' Rights Act case pro bono, and was sued by Epstein, who later apologized."
|
||||
location: "Fort Lauderdale, Florida"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Courtney Wild]]"
|
||||
role: "counsel for Jane Doe 1"
|
||||
start: 2008-06
|
||||
end: 2022-02-22
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[Doe v. United States]]"
|
||||
role: "petitioners' counsel"
|
||||
start: 2008-07-07
|
||||
end: 2019-09-16
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Virginia Giuffre]]"
|
||||
role: "co-counsel on December 2014 filing"
|
||||
start: 2014-12
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler]]"
|
||||
start: 2009
|
||||
end: 2009
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Broward County State Attorney's Office]]"
|
||||
role: "assistant state attorney"
|
||||
start: 2002
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Bradley J. Edwards is an American lawyer in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], who has represented victims of [[Jeffrey Epstein]] since June 2008. As counsel for the victim who filed as Jane Doe 1, later identified as [[Courtney Wild]], he brought the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] petition that forced the government to disclose the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]] and produced the 2019 ruling that prosecutors had violated the statute. Epstein sued him in 2009 as a participant in [[Scott Rothstein]]'s [[Ponzi scheme]], dropped the suit in 2012, and in December 2018 settled Edwards's malicious prosecution counterclaim with a written apology.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Background
|
||||
|
||||
Edwards began his legal career in 2002 as an assistant state attorney in the [[Broward County State Attorney's Office]]. He later founded his own firm, which became Edwards Pottinger and then Edwards Henderson, practicing on behalf of crime and trafficking victims. With Brittany Henderson he wrote *Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein*, published by Simon & Schuster in 2020.[^2][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Learning of the Agreement
|
||||
|
||||
In mid-June 2008 Edwards called the federal line prosecutor [[Ann Marie Villafana|A. Marie Villafaña]] to say he represented Jane Doe 1 and, later, Jane Doe 2, and asked to meet to provide information about Epstein's federal crimes. The prosecutor discussed the possibility of future federal charges and asked him to send material for the office to consider; the stipulated record states that he was "led to believe federal charges could still be filed, with no mention whatsoever of the existence of the NPA." The agreement had been signed nine months earlier. On or about June 27, 2008 the office called him to say that Epstein would plead guilty in state court to solicitation; Edwards said he was not told that the plea would resolve the federal case, while the prosecutor said she told him his clients could address the state court.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 3, 2008, three days after Epstein's plea and at the office's direction, Edwards wrote urging "the Attorney General and our United States Attorney to consider the fundamental import of the vigorous enforcement of our Federal laws" and "to move forward with the traditional indictments and criminal prosecution commensurate with the crimes Mr. Epstein has committed." On July 7 he filed the emergency petition that opened [[Doe v. United States]] before Judge [[Kenneth Marra]]. He saw the first reference to the non-prosecution agreement on July 9, 2008, in the government's response.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Crime Victims' Rights Act Case
|
||||
|
||||
Edwards moved to compel production of the agreement, which Marra ordered in August 2008 under a protective order, and moved to unseal it, which Marra denied in February 2009. The government's own prosecutor told Epstein's counsel by email that the court had "ordered us to make the Agreement available to the plaintiffs." Jane Doe 2 did not learn the agreement's contents until August 28, 2008, when a copy was given to Edwards. He litigated the case without fee for more than ten years, joined by the law professor and former federal judge [[Paul Cassell]]. On February 21, 2019 Marra held that the government had violated the victims' conferral right; after Epstein's death he denied all remedies, and in April 2021 the en banc [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit|Eleventh Circuit]] held that the Act gave Wild no pre-charge judicial remedy.[^1][^2][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Edwards also alleged, after Epstein's 2019 arrest, that Epstein had engaged in improper sexual contact while on work release at the [[Florida Science Foundation]], the entity through which Epstein spent his days out of the county jail in 2008 and 2009.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein v. Rothstein and Edwards
|
||||
|
||||
In 2009 Edwards worked briefly at [[Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler]], the Fort Lauderdale firm of Scott Rothstein, who was later convicted of running a Ponzi scheme that sold investors fabricated legal settlements. Epstein sued Rothstein and Edwards in 2009 for civil racketeering and fraud, alleging that Edwards had fabricated claims and helped Rothstein market bogus settlement rights involving the sex abuse claims against Epstein. Edwards was not implicated in Rothstein's fraud. Epstein dropped the claims against Edwards in August 2012, and Edwards counterclaimed for malicious prosecution, alleging that the suit was designed to intimidate him and his clients into abandoning their cases.[^3][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The counterclaim was set for trial in December 2018, with at least seven of Epstein's accusers expected to testify. On December 4, 2018, as jury selection was to begin, Epstein settled on confidential terms and issued an apology, which Edwards read: "The truth is that his aggressive investigation and litigation style was highly effective and therefore troublesome for me. The lawsuit I filed was my unreasonable attempt to damage his business reputation and stop Mr. Edwards from pursuing cases against me. It did not work." The settlement meant the accusers did not testify publicly. Edwards's lawyer [[Jack Scarola]] said the case "focused on [Edwards'] personal vindication" and that the victims' cause remained in the Crime Victims' Rights Act case.[^3][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Dershowitz Litigation
|
||||
|
||||
In December 2014 Edwards and Cassell filed a motion in the Crime Victims' Rights Act case to add a victim then identified as Jane Doe 3, later publicly identified as [[Virginia Giuffre]], alleging that Epstein had trafficked her as a minor to [[Alan Dershowitz]] among others. Dershowitz denied the allegations and called for Edwards and Cassell to be disbarred; Marra struck the allegations in April 2015 as "immaterial and impertinent" to the case. Edwards and Cassell sued Dershowitz for defamation and Dershowitz countersued.[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
On April 8, 2016 the parties settled. A joint statement issued by the mediator said that "Edwards and Cassell acknowledge that it was a mistake to have filed sexual misconduct accusations against Dershowitz," that the accusations in the public filings were withdrawn, and that Dershowitz withdrew his accusations that they had acted unethically. The statement specified that the dispute concerned due diligence rather than "whether the acts of alleged misconduct in fact occurred," and that the withdrawal was not an acknowledgment that Giuffre's allegations were mistaken; Giuffre, who was not a party, stood by them at the time. Dershowitz required that the financial terms remain confidential. Giuffre withdrew her allegation against Dershowitz in a separate 2022 settlement, saying she "may have made a mistake."[^8][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Bank Cases
|
||||
|
||||
Edwards and [[David Boies]] represented Epstein survivors in the 2023 class actions against [[JPMorgan Chase]] and [[Deutsche Bank]], which alleged that the banks had knowingly benefited from Epstein's trafficking; JPMorgan agreed to pay 290 million dollars and Deutsche Bank 75 million dollars, both without admitting wrongdoing.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435, at 17-21 (Marra, J.), quoting ECF No. 407 at paragraphs 101-103, 107, 118, 126, 141, 146, and the Edwards declaration, ECF No. 416-1. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf ; docket: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4502088/doe-v-united-states/
|
||||
[^2]: Edwards Henderson, "Brad Edwards, Founding Partner" (firm-published biography). https://www.crimevictimlawfirm.com/attorneys/brad-edwards/
|
||||
[^3]: "Millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein apologizes in settling malicious prosecution suit," *CNN,* December 4, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/04/politics/jeffrey-epstein-lawsuit-settled
|
||||
[^4]: Bradley J. Edwards with Brittany Henderson, *Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein* (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), publisher's page. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Relentless-Pursuit/Bradley-J-Edwards/9781982148140
|
||||
[^5]: *In re Wild*, No. 19-13843, 994 F.3d 1244 (11th Cir. Apr. 15, 2021) (en banc). https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201913843.enb.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: "Jeffrey Epstein paid Palm Beach Sheriff's Office $128,000 during incarceration for prostitution charges," *WPTV,* 2019. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/new-jeffrey-epstein-paid-palm-beach-sheriffs-office-128-000-during-incarceration-for-prostitution
|
||||
[^7]: "Wealthy Sex Offender Settles Suit, Averting Accusers' Testimony," *Courthouse News Service,* December 4, 2018. https://www.courthousenews.com/wealthy-sex-offender-settles-suit-averting-accusers-testimony/
|
||||
[^8]: "Lawyers Call Sexual Misconduct Case Against Dershowitz 'A Mistake,'" *The Harvard Crimson,* April 11, 2016. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/4/11/lawyers-drop-dershowitz-case/ ; "Settlement Reached In Litigation Between Alan Dershowitz, Paul Cassell, And Bradley Edwards," *Above the Law,* April 2016. https://abovethelaw.com/2016/04/settlement-reached-in-litigation-between-alan-dershowitz-paul-cassell-and-bradley-edwards/
|
||||
[^9]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake,'" *CNN,* November 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped
|
||||
[^10]: "JPMorgan Chase and Epstein survivor Jane Doe 1 reach $290 million settlement," *NPR,* June 12, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181675580/epstein-jane-doe-1-290-million-settlement-jpmorgan-chase ; "Deutsche Bank to pay $75 million to Epstein victims in groundbreaking settlement, lawyers say," *PBS NewsHour / Associated Press,* May 2023. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/deutsche-bank-to-pay-75-million-to-epstein-victims-in-groundbreaking-settlement-lawyers-say
|
||||
84
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/David Boies.md
Normal file
84
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/David Boies.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- DavidBoies
|
||||
- BoiesSchillerFlexner
|
||||
- BlackCube
|
||||
- HarveyWeinstein
|
||||
- EhudBarak
|
||||
- VirginiaGiuffre
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- David Boies
|
||||
- David Boies Jr.
|
||||
summary: "David Boies is the American trial lawyer and founder of Boies Schiller Flexner who contracted the Israeli firm Black Cube for Harvey Weinstein and represented Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre."
|
||||
born: 1941-03-11
|
||||
location: "Sycamore, Illinois (born); New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Boies Schiller Flexner]]"
|
||||
start: 1997
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Boies Schiller Flexner]]"
|
||||
role: "chairman"
|
||||
start: 1997
|
||||
end: 2024
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[United States Department of Justice]]"
|
||||
role: "Special Trial Counsel in the Microsoft antitrust suit"
|
||||
start: 1998
|
||||
end: 2000
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Al Gore]]"
|
||||
role: "lead counsel in the 2000 Florida recount litigation"
|
||||
start: 2000
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Harvey Weinstein]]"
|
||||
role: "counsel; signed Black Cube contracts"
|
||||
start: 2016
|
||||
end: 2017
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Virginia Giuffre]]"
|
||||
role: "counsel"
|
||||
end: 2022
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
David Boies (born March 11, 1941, [[Sycamore, Illinois]]) is an American trial lawyer who founded [[Boies Schiller Flexner]] in 1997 and chaired it until 2024. He was Special Trial Counsel for the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] in its antitrust suit against [[Microsoft]] and lead counsel for [[Al Gore]] in the litigation over the 2000 Florida vote count.[^1] In 2016 and 2017 his firm contracted and paid the Israeli private intelligence company [[Black Cube]] on behalf of [[Harvey Weinstein]]; [[Ehud Barak]] had given Weinstein the company's contact information. On November 8, 2017, two days after the arrangement was reported, [[Jeffrey Epstein]] asked Barak by email whether Boies had reached "the mossad guys" through him.[^2][^3][^4] His firm represented [[Virginia Giuffre]] in litigation against [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], and in 2019 it produced the confidential discovery from that case to federal prosecutors in response to a grand jury subpoena.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Boies attended the [[University of Redlands]], took a B.S. from [[Northwestern University]] in 1964, an LL.B. from [[Yale Law School|Yale]] in 1966, and an LL.M. from [[New York University]] in 1967. He was chief counsel and staff director of the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]] in 1979 and its antitrust subcommittee in 1978, and from 1991 to 1993 was counsel to the [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]], recovering 1.2 billion dollars from companies that had sold junk bonds to failed savings and loan associations. He founded Boies Schiller Flexner in 1997, served as its chairman from 1997 to 2024, was Special Trial Counsel in *[[United States]] v. Microsoft* from 1998 to 2000, and was co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in *Perry v. Brown*, the challenge to California's Proposition 8.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Black Cube and Weinstein
|
||||
|
||||
On October 28, 2016 Boies Schiller Flexner wired Black Cube the first 100,000 dollars toward what became a 600,000 dollar invoice; the firm and Black Cube signed a contract that month and several others later. A contract dated July 11, 2017 and bearing Boies's signature listed as its "primary objectives" to "provide intelligence which will help the Client's efforts to completely stop the publication of a new negative article in a leading NY newspaper" and to "obtain additional content of a book which currently being written and includes harmful negative information on and about the Client," identified as Weinstein. Boies signed while his firm was also representing *[[The New York Times]],* including in a libel case.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Boies told [[Ronan Farrow]] of *[[The New Yorker]],* whose report appeared on November 6, 2017, that his firm had contracted with and paid two of the agencies, that investigators from one of them sent him reports which were passed to Weinstein, and that he had not selected the firms or directed their work. "We should not have been contracting with and paying investigators that we did not select and direct," he said. "At the time, it seemed a reasonable accommodation for a client, but it was not thought through, and that was my mistake." He denied that the work on the *Times* story was a conflict of interest, saying he had advised Weinstein "that the story could not be stopped by threats or influence and that the only way the story could be stopped was by convincing the *Times* that there was no rape."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 8, 2017 a spokesman for Barak confirmed that Weinstein had asked Barak "if he knew an Israeli company he had heard of" capable of helping him with business issues, that Barak had confirmed "the company he heard of was likely Black Cube" and "gave Weinstein its contact information," and that Barak "was not aware until this morning of the fact the company was hired by Weinstein, or for what purposes or operations." The spokesman placed the referral more than a year earlier.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
At 15:54 GMT the same day Epstein wrote to Barak: "boies said he got to the mossad guys through you? true?" Fifty-five minutes later he wrote again: "Did Boies ask you to help Obtain former mossad agents to do dirty investigations. ? this is getting a lot of press, ." Barak replied the next morning: "Call me.. [number redacted] in Paris."[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Giuffre, Maxwell, and Dershowitz
|
||||
|
||||
Boies represented Virginia Giuffre in her litigation arising from Epstein's abuse.[^5] In the spring of 2019, months before Epstein's July arrest, prosecutors in the [[Southern District of New York]] served a grand jury subpoena on Boies Schiller Flexner for the confidential discovery in *[[Giuffre v. Maxwell]]*, which Giuffre had brought against Maxwell in 2015; an order of April 9, 2019 in In re Grand Jury Subpoena, No. 19-MC-149 (CM), permitted the firm to comply, and the material was produced. On August 11, 2026 Judge [[Loretta Preska]] authorized the government to release the material under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]], over Maxwell's objection.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
After Giuffre accused [[Alan Dershowitz]] of abusing her, which he denied, she sued him for defamation in April 2019 and he countersued; Boies sued Dershowitz over Dershowitz's claims that Boies had pressured Giuffre to lie as part of an extortion plot, and Dershowitz sued Boies in turn. On November 8, 2022 all the suits were dismissed with prejudice under a global settlement that the parties said "does not involve the payment of any money by anyone or anything else." Giuffre stated that she "may have made a mistake in identifying Mr. Dershowitz"; Dershowitz said his allegations "that David Boies engaged in an extortion plot and in suborning perjury were mistake[n]"; Boies said he appreciated Dershowitz's acknowledgment and that Dershowitz had "consistently, and vehemently, denied" the abuse allegation.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, "David Boies," firm biography. https://www.bsfllp.com/people/david-boies.html
|
||||
[^2]: Farrow, Ronan. "Harvey Weinstein's Army of Spies." *The New Yorker,* November 6, 2017. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/harvey-weinsteins-army-of-spies
|
||||
[^3]: "Ehud Barak referred Weinstein to ex-Mossad agents he hired to quash allegations." *The Times of Israel,* November 8, 2017. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ehud-barak-referred-weinstein-to-ex-mossad-agents-he-hired-to-quash-allegations/
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00964912, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, November 8, 2017, 15:54 GMT. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964912.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00964979, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, November 8, 2017, 16:49 GMT. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964979.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00965384, DataSet 9, email from Ehud Barak to Jeffrey Epstein, November 9, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00965384.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake'." *CNN,* November 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped ; "Epstein Victim Drops Claims Against Alan Dershowitz." *The Harvard Crimson,* November 11, 2022. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/11/11/victim-drops-dershowitz-allegations/
|
||||
[^6]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 1:15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1360 with Exhibits 2-9 (Feb. 20, 2026); Order, ECF No. 1367 (Aug. 11, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/ian-torrington-blatchford-as-interim-administrator-of-virginia-giuffres/
|
||||
|
|
@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ location: "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"
|
|||
|
||||
### Whistleblower Testimony
|
||||
|
||||
In 2023, Grusch went public with his allegations, testifying under oath before the House Oversight Committee's National Security Subcommittee. He stated that he was informed of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program during the course of his official duties. He claimed that the U.S. government is in possession of non-human technology and "biologics" from the occupants of these craft.[^1]
|
||||
In 2023, Grusch went public with his allegations, testifying under oath before the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]]'s National Security Subcommittee. He stated that he was informed of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program during the course of his official duties. He claimed that the U.S. government is in possession of non-human technology and "biologics" from the occupants of these craft.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Grusch's testimony was a watershed moment in the UAP disclosure movement. As a high-ranking intelligence officer with an impeccable record, his claims have been taken very seriously by Congress and have led to a new level of scrutiny on the so-called "Legacy Program." He has provided hours of classified testimony to congressional committees and the Inspector General, and his allegations have been a major driver of the recent UAP disclosure legislation.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -14,31 +14,85 @@ alias:
|
|||
summary: "Denise George was the U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General who sued Jeffrey Epstein's estate and JPMorgan Chase, and who was fired by the governor days after filing the JPMorgan suit."
|
||||
location: "U.S. Virgin Islands"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-05
|
||||
end: 2022-12-31
|
||||
role: "attorney general"
|
||||
fn: 6
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Southern Trust Company]]"
|
||||
start: 2020-01-15
|
||||
end: 2022-11-30
|
||||
role: "CICO civil enforcement action against the Epstein estate"
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
start: 2022-12-27
|
||||
end: 2022-12-31
|
||||
role: "Trafficking Victims Protection Act suit"
|
||||
fn: 10
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands]]"
|
||||
role: "assistant U.S. attorney"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Denise George was the seventeenth Attorney General of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], serving from 2019 to 2023. [[Albert Bryan|Governor Albert Bryan Jr.]] nominated her in March 2019, and she took office in May, weeks before [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein's]] July 2019 federal arrest. She brought the territory's January 2020 civil enforcement suit against Epstein's estate and its December 2022 suit against [[JPMorgan Chase]]. Bryan fired her on December 31, 2022, four days after the JPMorgan filing, a sequence that raised questions about whether the litigation prompted her removal.[^1][^2]
|
||||
Denise George was the Attorney General of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] from May 2019 to December 31, 2022, after more than eighteen years as an assistant attorney general and prosecutor in the territory's [[Virgin Islands Department of Justice|Department of Justice]]. [[Albert Bryan|Governor Albert Bryan Jr.]] nominated her in March 2019, and she took office in May, weeks before [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein's]] July 2019 federal arrest. She brought the territory's January 2020 civil enforcement suit against Epstein's estate and its December 2022 suit against [[JPMorgan Chase]]. Bryan fired her on December 31, 2022, four days after the JPMorgan filing. In an October 2023 interview with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], George said Bryan had asked her to grant Epstein a waiver of the territory's sex-offender travel-notice rule and later pressed her to settle the estate case for 80 million dollars through a mediator of his choosing; Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Litigation Against the Epstein Estate
|
||||
|
||||
George filed the territory's case against Epstein's estate on January 15, 2020, in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, under the Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the territory's racketeering statute. The complaint alleged that Epstein created a network of shell companies, charitable organizations, and individuals that participated in a decades-long pattern of trafficking and sexual abuse of girls and young women at his Virgin Islands properties. She later amended the action to add the estate co-executors [[Darren Indyke]] and [[Richard Kahn]], [[Southern Trust Company]], and other Epstein-created entities as co-defendants.[^3][^4]
|
||||
George filed the territory's case against Epstein's estate on January 15, 2020, in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, under the Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the territory's racketeering statute. The complaint alleged that Epstein created a network of shell companies, charitable organizations, and individuals that participated in a decades-long pattern of trafficking and sexual abuse of girls and young women at his Virgin Islands properties. She later amended the action to add the estate co-executors [[Darren Indyke]] and [[Richard Kahn]], [[Southern Trust Company]], and other Epstein-created entities as co-defendants.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The case settled on December 1, 2022. The estate agreed to pay the territory more than 105 million dollars in cash, to return roughly 80 million dollars in tax benefits the territory said Southern Trust Company had obtained fraudulently under the [[Economic Development Commission]] program, and to give the territory half the proceeds of the sale of [[Little St. James]]. George stated that the settlement restored the faith of the people of the Virgin Islands that its laws would be enforced against those who break them. In January 2023 the financier [[Leon Black]] agreed to pay the territory 62.5 million dollars to resolve potential Epstein-related claims.[^4][^5]
|
||||
The case settled on December 1, 2022. The estate agreed to pay the territory 105 million dollars in cash, to return "more than $80 million in economic development tax benefits that Epstein and his co-defendants fraudulently obtained" through Southern Trust Company's [[Economic Development Commission]] certificate (the complaint put the taxes avoided at 80,576,236 dollars), to give the territory half the proceeds of the sale of [[Little St. James]], which came to about 11 million dollars, and to pay 450,000 dollars for environmental remediation on [[Great St. James]]. The settlement resolved only the claims against the estate and the named co-defendants. [[Motley Rice]], the territory's contingency counsel, stood to receive more than 23 million dollars of the 105 million.[^3][^7][^8] George stated that the settlement restored the faith of the people of the Virgin Islands that its laws would be enforced against those who break them. In January 2023 the financier [[Leon Black]] agreed to pay the territory 62.5 million dollars to resolve potential Epstein-related claims.[^6][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Suit Against JPMorgan Chase and Firing
|
||||
|
||||
George filed the territory's suit against JPMorgan Chase on December 27, 2022 in federal court in Manhattan, alleging that the bank knowingly facilitated, sustained, and concealed Epstein's trafficking and benefited financially from the relationship. The complaint invoked the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the territory's Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and the Virgin Islands consumer-protection statute, and the territory later sought 190 million dollars from the bank. The case settled in September 2023, with JPMorgan paying 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands and 290 million dollars to Epstein's victims.[^1][^6]
|
||||
George filed the territory's suit against JPMorgan Chase on December 27, 2022 in federal court in Manhattan, alleging that the bank knowingly facilitated, sustained, and concealed Epstein's trafficking and benefited financially from the relationship. The complaint invoked the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the territory's Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and the Virgin Islands consumer-protection statute, and the territory later sought 190 million dollars from the bank. The case settled in September 2023, with JPMorgan paying 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands and 290 million dollars to Epstein's victims.[^1][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
Governor Bryan fired George on December 31, 2022, four days after the JPMorgan filing and roughly four weeks after the estate settlement closed. Bryan said the firing was unrelated to the suit, but acknowledged that George had filed the action against the largest U.S. bank without first informing him, and stated that he could not have an attorney general launching lawsuits he did not know about. Bloomberg's disclosure of the filing preceded the dismissal. Bryan appointed the assistant attorney general Carol Thomas-Jacobs to serve in the role on an acting basis.[^2][^7]
|
||||
Governor Bryan fired George on December 31, 2022, four days after the JPMorgan filing and roughly four weeks after the estate settlement closed. Bryan said the firing was unrelated to the suit, but acknowledged that George had filed the action against the largest U.S. bank without first informing him, and stated that he could not have an attorney general launching lawsuits he did not know about. Bryan appointed the Chief Deputy Attorney General [[Carol Thomas-Jacobs]], who had worked on the estate case with George, to serve in the role on an acting basis.[^2][^6][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
George later said she felt pressure to resolve the matters quickly and to avoid being part of a cover-up, telling Fortune in November 2023 that her bar license and her integrity were more important to her than the position, and that she would lose her job rather than be part of a conspiracy to conceal anything. The timing of the firing relative to the JPMorgan suit was raised again when the Justice Department's later Epstein file releases renewed attention on her account that she had felt threatened during the litigation.[^1][^8]
|
||||
George later said she felt pressure to resolve the matters quickly and to avoid being part of a cover-up, telling Fortune in November 2023 that her bar license and her integrity were more important to her than the position, and that she would lose her job rather than be part of a conspiracy to conceal anything. Her account that she had felt threatened during the litigation drew renewed attention after the Justice Department's 2025 and 2026 Epstein file releases.[^1][^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career Before the Attorney General's Office
|
||||
|
||||
George is a native Virgin Islander. She served more than eighteen years as an assistant attorney general and trial attorney in the criminal, civil, family, juvenile, white-collar, and public-corruption divisions of the territory's Department of Justice, and for more than thirteen years as director and lead prosecutor of its White Collar Crime and Corruption Division. As a member of the Child Abuse Task Force she co-authored the territory's first criminal child-abuse and neglect statute.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Following Epstein's July 2019 arrest, George told the Virgin Islands Daily News that a civil claim filed in New York alleging abuse on Little St. James was not enough to open a local investigation: "It's not based on that type of hearsay, or news reports from another jurisdiction." She said an investigation could be opened if the woman filed a complaint.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Travel Waiver
|
||||
|
||||
Registered sex offenders in the territory must generally give 21 days' notice before travel. George's predecessor [[Vincent Frazer]] had allowed Epstein to give 24 hours' notice, an arrangement George told the FBI she believed Frazer granted under pressure from Governor [[John de Jongh]], whose wife [[Cecile de Jongh]] managed Epstein's territorial office. Acting Attorney General Carol Thomas-Jacobs rescinded the arrangement in March 2019 after Epstein was detained in the [[Dominican Republic]].[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
According to the FBI's notes of its October 2, 2023 interview with George, released by the Justice Department on January 30, 2026, Bryan told her within her first two weeks in office that Epstein "wanted a waiver for a 21 day reporting requirement" and texted her that "you need to make a decision on the Epstein matter." She did not grant the waiver, and Bryan answered by email, "Thank you for your work on this." In July 2019 Epstein's attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]] asked George for a meeting about the waiver; Epstein's arrest on July 6 preceded it. The territory's complaint later alleged that at his last address verification, in July 2018, Epstein had refused to let territorial investigators and [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]] past the dock of Little St. James, calling it his "front door," and that his March 2019 travel notice for a ten-day trip to [[France]] omitted stops in [[Vienna]] and [[Monaco]].[^3][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Pressure Over the Estate Case
|
||||
|
||||
George told the FBI that she consulted Bryan before filing the estate case and that he told her, "He's dead go for it." She retained Motley Rice, whose forensic accountants traced companies and LLCs connected to Southern Trust. According to the FBI notes, her investigation concluded that the co-executors Kahn and Indyke "were participants in the human trafficking operation," and that "INDYKE was in charge of coordinating female to female marriages to gain immigration status in the United States. The females would be threatened if they attempted divorce." Kahn and Indyke were not charged and have denied wrongdoing. Estate employees, George said, "had nondisclosure agreements and were informed if questioned by law enforcement to say nothing and alert Kellerhals." When Motley Rice began interviewing them, Bryan's chief legal counsel [[David Bornn]], a former Kellerhals employee, called George to relay that Kellerhals wanted to know what she was investigating; George replied that it was none of Kellerhals's business.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
George said Bryan's "original tone of 'Go for it' changed to 'End it quickly,'" that he questioned why she was interviewing certain people and requesting documents, and that he said, "originally when I said go ahead I didn't think it was going to go this far. I can't get you to let this go?" According to the FBI notes, he told her to settle for 80 million dollars "and to pursue mediation and select Henry Smock" as mediator, told her "that the Epstein estate just wanted to clear people," and later said "he was sick of her not doing what she was told to do." [[Henry Smock]] had assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of Little St. James and served as counsel to the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]] board. George said Bryan sent [[Carlton Dowe]], director of the [[Virgin Islands Port Authority]], to urge a settlement; she told Dowe that Bryan "would have to fire her to get what he wants," and Dowe replied that "it would be political suicide to fire her at least before the election." The estate settled weeks after the November 2022 election for 105 million dollars.[^3][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Early in the case George intervened in the victim compensation program the estate proposed in November 2019, which required claimants to release claims against "any person or entity arising from or related to Mr. Epstein's conduct"; the territory alleged the program would "shield its participants from liability." After the intervention an advocate was retained for claimants, and the fund's independent administrator paid nearly 125 million dollars to about 150 women.[^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### After the Firing
|
||||
|
||||
George told the FBI that "several reasons were provided to the press but a listed reason was that no attorney general was going to file anything without notifying the Governor." After she gave news interviews about her tenure she received a cease-and-desist letter, and an unknown man came to her house, which she took as "a message that we can reach you at your home." She later joined the [[United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands|U.S. Attorney's Office for the Virgin Islands]] as a federal prosecutor. Government House spokespersons did not respond to questions about the FBI notes; Bryan later called the account "noise" and nothing new, and said at a March 2, 2026 briefing that the record "shows no instance where he was afforded any special privilege by this administration."[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
The JPMorgan case was carried to settlement by her successors, including Attorney General [[Ariel Smith]], who had been Civil Division chief on the estate case. In 2024 Bryan appointed [[Gordon Rhea]], who had represented Kahn in the estate litigation, as attorney general; Rhea said he would recuse himself from Epstein matters. The territory received about 180 million dollars in Epstein-related settlements after Motley Rice's fees, and as of January 2026 the Bryan administration had not filed the full accounting of the money that a 2024 territorial law requires.[^3][^4][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Attorney general going after Jeffrey Epstein's estate says she was fired for her dogged pursuit." *Fortune,* November 17, 2023. https://fortune.com/2023/11/17/jeffrey-epstein-us-virgin-islands-jpmorgan-attorney-general-investigation-fired/
|
||||
[^2]: "Virgin Islands prosecutor fired after accusing JPMorgan of aiding Epstein's sex trafficking ring." *The Washington Times,* January 3, 2023. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/3/virgin-islands-prosecutor-fired-after-accusing-jpm/
|
||||
[^3]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct., filed January 15, 2020), brought under the Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 14 V.I.C. sections 600 to 614.
|
||||
[^4]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate of Jeffrey Epstein and Co-Defendants for Over $105 Million." *Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/
|
||||
[^5]: "Financier and MoMA Trustee Leon Black Agrees to Pay $62.5 Million to Settle Jeffrey Epstein-Related Claims in the Virgin Islands." *Artnet News,* 2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/leon-black-62-million-settlement-with-virgin-islands-epstein-claims-2341599
|
||||
[^6]: "US Virgin Islands sue JPMorgan Chase over handling of Jeffrey Epstein accounts." *JURIST,* December 30, 2022. https://www.jurist.org/news/2022/12/us-virgin-islands-sue-jp-morgan-over-handling-of-jeffery-epstein-accounts/ ; Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y. 2022).
|
||||
[^7]: "USVI Attorney General Denise N. George fired." *Virgin Islands News Online,* January 2023. https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/usvi-attorney-general-denise-n-george-fired/
|
||||
[^8]: "DOJ Epstein File Dump Revives Former USVI AG's Claim She Felt Threatened After Suing Epstein's Estate." *Los Angeles Magazine,* 2025. https://lamag.com/crimeinla/doj-epstein-file-dump-revives-former-usvi-ags-claim-she-felt-threatened-after-suing-epsteins-estate/
|
||||
[^3]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html (reporting on four pages of FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with George, released January 30, 2026; quoted lines are the agent's notes of George's account).
|
||||
[^4]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
|
||||
[^5]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct., filed January 15, 2020), brought under the Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 14 V.I.C. sections 600 to 614. Second Amended Complaint filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022). https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate of Jeffrey Epstein and Co-Defendants for Over $105 Million." *Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/
|
||||
[^7]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint, paragraphs 133, 134, 142 to 143, and 175, filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022), ECF pp. 29 to 31, 37. https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html (Motley Rice share of the estate settlement).
|
||||
[^9]: "Financier and MoMA Trustee Leon Black Agrees to Pay $62.5 Million to Settle Jeffrey Epstein-Related Claims in the Virgin Islands." *Artnet News,* 2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/leon-black-62-million-settlement-with-virgin-islands-epstein-claims-2341599
|
||||
[^10]: "US Virgin Islands sue JPMorgan Chase over handling of Jeffrey Epstein accounts." *JURIST,* December 30, 2022. https://www.jurist.org/news/2022/12/us-virgin-islands-sue-jp-morgan-over-handling-of-jeffery-epstein-accounts/ ; Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y. 2022).
|
||||
[^11]: "USVI Attorney General Denise N. George fired." *Virgin Islands News Online,* January 2023. https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/usvi-attorney-general-denise-n-george-fired/
|
||||
[^12]: "DOJ Epstein File Dump Revives Former USVI AG's Claim She Felt Threatened After Suing Epstein's Estate." *Los Angeles Magazine,* 2025. https://lamag.com/crimeinla/doj-epstein-file-dump-revives-former-usvi-ags-claim-she-felt-threatened-after-suing-epsteins-estate/
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -1,61 +1,148 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
---
|
||||
category: "Intelligence & Government"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- EhudBarak
|
||||
- Israel
|
||||
- IDF
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Palantir
|
||||
- Carbyne
|
||||
- Intelligence
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Ehud Barak
|
||||
summary: "Ehud Barak is an Israeli former prime minister, defense minister, and military intelligence chief whose documented years-long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein included Epstein brokering an introduction to Peter Thiel over Palantir, an April 2014 email proposing a Thiel meeting, and a 2015 arrangement through which Epstein quietly invested approximately one million dollars in the Israeli surveillance-tech startup Carbyne."
|
||||
born: 1942-02-12
|
||||
location: "Mishmar HaSharon, Mandatory Palestine (born)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-18
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Ehud Barak (born Ehud Brog, February 12, 1942, at [[Mishmar HaSharon|Mishmar HaSharon]], [[Mandatory Palestine]]) is an Israeli military and political leader who served as the fourteenth [[Prime Minister of Israel]] (1999-2001), [[Minister of Defense]] (2007-2013), and chief of the General Staff of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (1991-1995). Barak's career spans the command of the [[Sayeret Matkal|Sayeret Matkal]] special forces unit (including the documented [[Operation Spring of Youth|1973 Spring of Youth]] operation), the military intelligence directorate ([[Aman|Aman]]), the IDF chief-of-staff tenure, the prime ministership, and the defense ministry under [[Ehud Olmert|Ehud Olmert]] and [[Benjamin Netanyahu|Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Barak's documented relationship with [[Jeffrey Epstein]] ran from the early 2000s through 2016 and included Epstein brokering an introduction to [[Peter Thiel]] over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]] and an arrangement through which Epstein quietly invested approximately one million dollars in the Israeli surveillance-tech startup [[Carbyne|Carbyne]] in 2015.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Sayeret Matkal, Aman, and IDF Command Career
|
||||
|
||||
Barak's military career established his intelligence-community standing. He was commissioned into the Sayeret Matkal general-staff reconnaissance unit in the 1960s and commanded the unit through the operations of the 1970s, including [[Operation Isotope|Operation Isotope]] (the 1972 [[Sabena Airlines|Sabena Flight 571]] rescue) and Operation Spring of Youth (the 1973 [[Beirut|Beirut]] operation targeting the [[Black September|Black September]] leadership, in which Barak led the ground team disguised as a woman). Barak rose to head the military intelligence directorate (Aman) and then served as chief of the General Staff of the IDF from 1991 to 1995, covering the [[Oslo Accords|Oslo Accords]] period and the [[Yitzhak Rabin|Rabin]] assassination aftermath.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
The intelligence-community background underlies the subsequent Epstein and Thiel relationships. Barak's Aman tenure and his Sayeret Matkal command placed him at the center of the Israeli intelligence network, and his post-military and post-political career maintained the relationships with the Israeli intelligence and defense-technology sectors that Epstein and Thiel's pitches engaged.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Prime Ministership and the Political Career
|
||||
|
||||
Barak entered politics after the military career and served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001. His tenure covered the [[2000 Camp David Summit|2000 Camp David Summit]] with [[Yasser Arafat|Yasser Arafat]] and [[Bill Clinton|Bill Clinton]], at which Barak offered concessions on [[Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] and the [[West Bank|West Bank]] that Arafat rejected, leading to the collapse of the Oslo process. The summit's failure was followed by the outbreak of the [[Second Intifada|Second Intifada]] in September 2000, which ended the negotiated-track framework for Israeli-Palestinian relations.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
In May 2000, Barak ordered the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from southern [[Lebanon|Lebanon]], ending the 22-year occupation that had begun under [[Menachem Begin|Menachem Begin]] in 1978. The withdrawal was completed rapidly and produced the documented assessment among Israeli security analysts that the retreat under fire had emboldened [[Hezbollah|Hezbollah]] and established the precedent that armed resistance could force Israeli territorial withdrawals. Barak lost the February 2001 special election to [[Ariel Sharon|Ariel Sharon]] and went into political opposition and the private sector.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Barak returned as defense minister under Ehud Olmert from 2007 and continued in the role under Netanyahu through 2013. The defense-ministry tenure covered [[Operation Cast Lead|Operation Cast Lead]] (the 2008-09 Gaza war), the documented expansion of Israel's cyber-intelligence capabilities in the 2010s, the [[Stuxnet|Stuxnet]] operation against Iranian nuclear facilities (attributed to a joint U.S.-Israeli effort), and the broader growth of the Israeli surveillance-technology export sector documented on the [[NSO Group|NSO Group]] and Carbyne pages.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Relationship and the Introduction
|
||||
|
||||
[[Shimon Peres|Shimon Peres]] introduced Barak to Epstein in 2002, and the relationship continued through 2016. Barak was photographed entering the Epstein Manhattan residence on multiple occasions, and the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]] document the recurring meetings. The Jacobin reporting (March 2026) and the [[Reason|Reason]] piece on Epstein's spy-industry connections (August 2025) document the substantive content: Epstein attempted to broker an introduction between Barak and Peter Thiel over Palantir, and an April 2014 Epstein email to Barak (documented in the the Epstein Files Transparency Act releases releases) reads "I have Peter Thiel on the 19th in NY, if you like." A DOJ-released audio recording surfaced in which Epstein suggests to Barak that he reach out to Thiel.[^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Barak subsequently described Thiel and Epstein as "owners" of a venture fund, a claim a Thiel spokesman has denied. The discrepancy is unresolved in the public record. Thiel is named over 2,200 times in the Epstein files per Al Jazeera reporting, and the volume of the Thiel-Epstein correspondence, combined with the Barak introduction, documents a sustained effort by Epstein to connect the Israeli-intelligence principal (Barak) with the commercial-surveillance-infrastructure principal (Thiel/Palantir). Epstein's promotional framing of Palantir to Barak ran alongside Barak's own subsequent relationships with Israeli surveillance-tech firms.[^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Carbyne Investment
|
||||
|
||||
In 2015, Barak helped Epstein quietly invest approximately one million dollars in the Israeli police and emergency-response technology startup [[Reporty|Reporty]], which subsequently renamed itself Carbyne. The investment was arranged through Barak, and [[Forbes|Forbes]] reported that it could have grown to be worth up to one hundred million dollars. Carbyne develops 911-emergency-communication and surveillance technology, including systems that integrate smartphone location, video, and incident data into emergency-response platforms. The technology has documented surveillance applications beyond the emergency-response function, and the Reason reporting characterizes the Carbyne investment as part of Epstein's broader effort to enter the surveillance-technology industry in the post-2008-conviction period.[^2][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Through the Carbyne investment, Epstein moved from social-network brokerage to direct commercial investment in surveillance technology, and Barak was the channel through which the investment was arranged. The Reason reporting documents that Epstein and Barak marketed Israeli surveillance technology internationally, including to [[Nigeria]], with technology that had reportedly been tested on Palestinians. The international marketing extended the Barak-Epstein surveillance-tech relationship into the documented export context.[^2][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Palantir-Israel Expansion
|
||||
|
||||
Palantir subsequently became a significant technology partner in Israel's military and intelligence efforts. The documented Jacobin reporting (March 2026) traces the Epstein-Barak-Thiel triangle to the subsequent Israeli procurement of Palantir platforms, though the causal chain from the 2014 introduction to the procurement outcome is not documented in primary form. The Israeli intelligence and defense-technology sector's documented adoption of Palantir data-fusion platforms, and the broader Thiel-network interest in the Israeli cyber-intelligence sector (including the [[Unit 8200|Unit 8200]] alumni network that staffs much of the Israeli cyber-security industry), is the commercial-institutional context in which the Epstein-brokered introduction is situated.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
The parapolitical question of whether the 2014 Epstein-brokered Barak-Thiel introduction was the originating channel for the subsequent Palantir-Israel relationship is not documented in the primary sources currently available. What is documented is that Epstein repeatedly and specifically pitched Palantir to Barak over the 2014-2016 period, that Barak and Thiel were connected through the introduction, and that Palantir subsequently expanded its Israeli-government business. The intermediate steps remain an open thread.[^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: For Barak's military and political career, see the official Israeli government records and the contemporaneous biographical coverage of the Sayeret Matkal command, the Aman tenure, the IDF chief-of-staff period, the prime ministership, and the defense-ministry tenures.
|
||||
[^2]: "Inside Jeffrey Epstein's spy industry connections." *Reason,* August 27, 2025. https://reason.com/2025/08/27/inside-jeffrey-epsteins-spy-industry-connections/
|
||||
[^3]: "Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein Had a Yearslong Relationship." *Jacobin,* March 2026. https://jacobin.com/2026/03/thiel-epstein-barak-ai-israel
|
||||
[^4]: Tommy Carstensen Epstein Files index, "Ehud Barak," cross-referencing the EFTA releases including the April 2014 email. https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/people/ehud-barak.html
|
||||
[^5]: "Former Israeli Politician Helped Epstein Quietly Invest $1 Million In [Carbyne]." *Forbes,* 2020.
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- EhudBarak
|
||||
- Israel
|
||||
- IDF
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Palantir
|
||||
- Carbyne
|
||||
- Intelligence
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Ehud Barak
|
||||
summary: "Ehud Barak is the former Israeli prime minister and military intelligence chief who was paid 2.3 million dollars by the Epstein-linked Wexner Foundation and channeled Jeffrey Epstein's 2015 investment into Carbyne."
|
||||
born: 1942-02-12
|
||||
location: "Mishmar HaSharon, Mandatory Palestine (born)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Aman]]"
|
||||
role: "head of the IDF Intelligence Branch"
|
||||
start: 1983
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Israel Defense Forces]]"
|
||||
role: "chief of the General Staff"
|
||||
start: 1991
|
||||
end: 1995
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Wexner Foundation]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "2.3 million dollars for two commissioned studies"
|
||||
start: 2004
|
||||
end: 2006
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: director_of
|
||||
with: "[[Carbyne]]"
|
||||
role: "board member"
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
- type: director_of
|
||||
with: "[[Carbyne]]"
|
||||
role: "chairman, by his own description in correspondence"
|
||||
start: 2019-01
|
||||
fn: 18
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Nili Priel]]"
|
||||
role: "husband"
|
||||
fn: 6
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Ehud Barak (born Ehud Brog, February 12, 1942, at [[Mishmar HaSharon|Mishmar HaSharon]], [[Mandatory Palestine]]) is an Israeli military and political leader who served as the fourteenth [[Prime Minister of Israel]] (1999-2001), [[Minister of Defense]] (2007-2013), and chief of the General Staff of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (1991-1995). Barak's career spans the command of the [[Sayeret Matkal|Sayeret Matkal]] special forces unit (including the documented [[Operation Spring of Youth|1973 Spring of Youth]] operation), the military intelligence directorate ([[Aman|Aman]]), the IDF chief-of-staff tenure, the prime ministership, and the defense ministry under [[Ehud Olmert|Ehud Olmert]] and [[Benjamin Netanyahu|Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Barak's documented relationship with [[Jeffrey Epstein]] ran from the early 2000s through 2016 in the calendar record (Barak said in 2026 that he ended contact in 2019[^1]) and included Epstein brokering an introduction to [[Peter Thiel]] over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]] and an arrangement through which Epstein quietly invested approximately one million dollars in the Israeli surveillance-tech startup [[Carbyne|Carbyne]] in 2015. Between 2004 and 2006, while he held no public office, the [[Wexner Foundation]], of which Epstein was a trustee, paid Barak 2.3 million dollars for two commissioned studies, one of which was never completed; a 2026 Justice Department release showed Epstein's attorney writing that he had negotiated the contract.[^2][^3][^4][^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Sayeret Matkal, Aman, and IDF Command Career
|
||||
|
||||
Barak's military career established his intelligence-community standing. He was commissioned into the Sayeret Matkal general-staff reconnaissance unit in the 1960s and commanded the unit through the operations of the 1970s, including [[Operation Isotope|Operation Isotope]] (the 1972 [[Sabena Airlines|Sabena Flight 571]] rescue) and Operation Spring of Youth (the 1973 [[Beirut|Beirut]] operation targeting the [[Black September|Black September]] leadership, in which Barak led the ground team disguised as a woman). Barak rose to head the military intelligence directorate (Aman) and then served as chief of the General Staff of the IDF from 1991 to 1995, covering the [[Oslo Accords|Oslo Accords]] period and the [[Yitzhak Rabin|Rabin]] assassination aftermath.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
The intelligence-community background underlies the subsequent Epstein and Thiel relationships. Barak's Aman tenure and his Sayeret Matkal command placed him at the center of the Israeli intelligence network, and his post-military and post-political career maintained the relationships with the Israeli intelligence and defense-technology sectors that Epstein and Thiel's pitches engaged.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Prime Ministership and the Political Career
|
||||
|
||||
Barak entered politics after the military career and served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001. His tenure covered the [[2000 Camp David Summit|2000 Camp David Summit]] with [[Yasser Arafat|Yasser Arafat]] and [[Bill Clinton|Bill Clinton]], at which Barak offered concessions on [[Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] and the [[West Bank|West Bank]] that Arafat rejected, leading to the collapse of the Oslo process. The summit's failure was followed by the outbreak of the [[Second Intifada|Second Intifada]] in September 2000, which ended the negotiated-track framework for Israeli-Palestinian relations.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
In May 2000, Barak ordered the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from southern [[Lebanon|Lebanon]], ending the 22-year occupation that had begun under [[Menachem Begin|Menachem Begin]] in 1978. The withdrawal was completed rapidly and produced the documented assessment among Israeli security analysts that the retreat under fire had emboldened [[Hezbollah|Hezbollah]] and established the precedent that armed resistance could force Israeli territorial withdrawals. Barak lost the February 2001 special election to [[Ariel Sharon|Ariel Sharon]] and went into political opposition and the private sector.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Barak returned as defense minister under Ehud Olmert from 2007 and continued in the role under Netanyahu through 2013. The defense-ministry tenure covered [[Operation Cast Lead|Operation Cast Lead]] (the 2008-09 Gaza war), the documented expansion of Israel's cyber-intelligence capabilities in the 2010s, the [[Stuxnet|Stuxnet]] operation against Iranian nuclear facilities (attributed to a joint U.S.-Israeli effort), and the broader growth of the Israeli surveillance-technology export sector documented on the [[NSO Group|NSO Group]] and Carbyne pages.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Relationship and the Introduction
|
||||
|
||||
[[Shimon Peres|Shimon Peres]] introduced Barak to Epstein in 2002, and the relationship continued through 2016; Barak himself dated their first meeting to 2003 in a February 2026 interview.[^1] Barak was photographed entering the Epstein Manhattan residence on multiple occasions, and the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]] document the recurring meetings. The [[Jacobin]] reporting (March 2026) and the [[Reason|Reason]] piece on Epstein's spy-industry connections (August 2025) document the substantive content: Epstein attempted to broker an introduction between Barak and Peter Thiel over Palantir, and an April 2014 Epstein email to Barak (documented in the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] releases) reads "I have Peter Thiel on the 19th in NY, if you like." A DOJ-released audio recording surfaced in which Epstein suggests to Barak that he reach out to Thiel.[^3][^4] Describing Epstein's gatherings to the *[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]* in 2023, Barak said: "He often brought other interesting persons, from art or culture, law or science, finance, diplomacy or philanthropy."[^7] The released documents record regular correspondence among Barak, his wife, and Epstein, multiple visits by Barak to Epstein's Manhattan apartment, and one visit to his island.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Barak subsequently described Thiel and Epstein as "owners" of a venture fund, a claim a Thiel spokesman has denied. The discrepancy is unresolved in the public record. Thiel is named over 2,200 times in the Epstein files per Al Jazeera reporting, and the volume of the Thiel-Epstein correspondence, combined with the Barak introduction, documents a sustained effort by Epstein to connect the Israeli-intelligence principal (Barak) with the commercial-surveillance-infrastructure principal (Thiel/Palantir). Epstein's promotional framing of Palantir to Barak ran alongside Barak's own subsequent relationships with Israeli surveillance-tech firms.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Carbyne Investment
|
||||
|
||||
In 2015, Barak helped Epstein quietly invest approximately one million dollars in the Israeli police and emergency-response technology startup [[Reporty|Reporty]], which subsequently renamed itself Carbyne. The investment was arranged through Barak, and [[Forbes|Forbes]] reported that it could have grown to be worth up to one hundred million dollars. Carbyne develops 911-emergency-communication and surveillance technology, including systems that integrate smartphone location, video, and incident data into emergency-response platforms. The technology has documented surveillance applications beyond the emergency-response function, and the Reason reporting characterizes the Carbyne investment as part of Epstein's broader effort to enter the surveillance-technology industry in the post-2008-conviction period.[^3][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
Through the Carbyne investment, Epstein moved from social-network brokerage to direct commercial investment in surveillance technology, and Barak was the channel through which the investment was arranged. Reason reported, drawing on the [[Black Agenda Report]]'s account of a Nigerian ports contract, that Epstein and Barak marketed Israeli surveillance technology internationally, including to [[Nigeria]], with technology that had reportedly been tested on Palestinians. The international marketing extended the Barak-Epstein surveillance-tech relationship into the documented export context.[^3][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Palantir-Israel Expansion
|
||||
|
||||
Palantir subsequently became a significant technology partner in Israel's military and intelligence efforts. The documented Jacobin reporting (March 2026) traces the Epstein-Barak-Thiel triangle to the subsequent Israeli procurement of Palantir platforms, though the causal chain from the 2014 introduction to the procurement outcome is not documented in primary form. The Israeli intelligence and defense-technology sector's documented adoption of Palantir data-fusion platforms, and the broader Thiel-network interest in the Israeli cyber-intelligence sector (including the [[Unit 8200|Unit 8200]] alumni network that staffs much of the Israeli cyber-security industry), is the commercial-institutional context in which the Epstein-brokered introduction is situated.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
The parapolitical question of whether the 2014 Epstein-brokered Barak-Thiel introduction was the originating channel for the subsequent Palantir-Israel relationship is not documented in the primary sources currently available. What is documented is that Epstein repeatedly and specifically pitched Palantir to Barak over the 2014-2016 period, that Barak and Thiel were connected through the introduction, and that Palantir subsequently expanded its Israeli-government business. The intermediate steps remain an open thread.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Meals with Vitaly Churkin, 2016
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein repeatedly invited the Russian ambassador to the [[United Nations]], [[Vitaly Churkin]], to meet Barak. On January 2, 2016 he wrote to Churkin, "Ehud Barak in town this week if a meal is convenient."[^9] On August 28, 2016 he wrote, "Don't know if you have any interest . Ehud Barak and TOM Barrack at house tomorw . You are always welcome," and Churkin accepted a 1 p.m. time.[^10] Epstein's scheduler, [[Lesley Groff]], then circulated the notice "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," and the calendar entry for August 29, 2016 read "12:30pm LUNCH w/Ehud Barak, Tom Barrack and Vitaly Chrukin," a party of four with Epstein and the real estate investor [[Tom Barrack]].[^11] On November 13, 2016 Epstein wrote to Churkin, "Ehud coming today at 430 . As always you are welcome."[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Black Cube Question, 2017
|
||||
|
||||
On November 6, 2017 *[[The New Yorker]]* reported that [[Harvey Weinstein]] had used the Israeli private intelligence company [[Black Cube]], under contracts signed by his lawyer [[David Boies]], to gather information on women accusing him and on journalists.[^13] On November 8 a spokesman for Barak said that Weinstein had asked Barak, more than a year earlier, about an Israeli company he had heard of, that Barak had told him it was "likely Black Cube" and "gave Weinstein its contact information," and that Barak "was not aware until this morning of the fact the company was hired by Weinstein, or for what purposes or operations."[^14] At 15:54 GMT that day Epstein wrote to Barak: "boies said he got to the mossad guys through you? true?" At 16:49 he wrote again: "Did Boies ask you to help Obtain former mossad agents to do dirty investigations. ? this is getting a lot of press, ." Barak answered on the morning of November 9: "Call me.. [number redacted] in Paris."[^15]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Wexner Foundation Payments
|
||||
|
||||
The Wexner Foundation, founded in 1983 by [[Leslie Wexner]] of [[L Brands]], paid Barak 2.3 million dollars between 2004 and 2006, the years between his premiership and his 2007 return as defense minister.[^5][^6] The payments were for two commissioned studies. Barak completed a 267-page study on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; for a second study on leadership the foundation "received an abstract, but did not receive a full paper." Israel's [[Channel 12 (Israel)|Channel 12]] reported that he did not finish it because he returned to politics in 2007, and he did not offer to return any of the money. The foundation said its management at the time "decided that the work done and material received was enough to end the project and justify the payment."[^5][^16] In a 2026 statement it described both works as books on leadership: Barak "only provided one completed manuscript plus an outline for the second one," was "paid in full over the years 2004-06," and the payments "were properly reported in the foundation's 990s."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein was a trustee of the foundation from 1992 to 2007. The foundation said, citing an independent review by the law firm [[Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter]], that his role was "limited to dealing with documents and reports related to transferring the Wexner family's monetary support," that he "never donated a single dollar to the foundation," and that the Wexner family dismissed him when the first suspicions about him surfaced.[^5] During the 2019 Israeli election campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign released a video titled "What else has sex offender Epstein given to Barak?"[^5] The Attorney General, [[Avichai Mandelblit]], declined to open an investigation, stating that Barak had been a private citizen at the time and that the statute of limitations had passed. The [[Likud]] petitioned the [[Supreme Court of Israel|High Court of Justice]]; after the foundation told the court that Epstein was not involved in the decision to make the payments, the court rejected the petition in 2020, upholding Mandelblit's decision.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2005 Emails and the 2026 Complaint
|
||||
|
||||
Among the documents the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] published on January 30, 2026 was a December 2005 chain concerning the payments. On December 6, 2005, Barak's wife, [[Nili Priel]], wrote to the foundation's president, Larry Moses: "Concerning the books according to the contract, there is a payment to be sent at this stage. Could you please let me know if it was transferred?" Moses passed the request to Peg Ugland, a vice president of the Wexner Investment Company, who wrote to Epstein's attorney [[Darren Indyke]]: "Darren, apparently, there is a payment due to Ehud Barak? Are you or Jeffrey handling the terms of the contract?" Indyke wrote to Epstein: "I was involved in the negotiation and execution of the document, but have not been involved in overseeing performance," noting that the foundation had committed to pay Barak 100,000 dollars for an abstract of each of the two books, and asked, "Please advise what you want Peg to tell Larry Moses." On December 8, 2005, Epstein replied: "Get a copy of what he sent."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
On March 1, 2026, the Likud member of the [[Knesset]] Avihai Boaron and the organization LAVI filed an eight-page criminal complaint with the Israel Police Commissioner, Daniel Levi, asking for an investigation of Barak and the foundation. The complaint alleged that both had "lied" to the High Court about Epstein's involvement and that the payments constituted bribery of a public official, stating that the emails "completely contradict the report that the Wexner Foundation submitted to the High Court, and through it misled the court, which in the end rejected the petition." Barak declined to comment on the complaint.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Channel 12 Interview
|
||||
|
||||
In an interview with Channel 12 on February 12, 2026, Barak said of Epstein, "I regret meeting him." He said: "I am responsible for all my actions and decisions, and there is definitely room to ask if there wasn't room for more in-depth judgment on my part," and that "only in 2019, when a reinvestigation of the whole story begins, does the breadth and depth of the man's heinous crimes become apparent and I cut off relations with him." He said he had assumed Epstein "had paid his debt to society," that there was "nothing wrong" with his use of Epstein's New York apartment, and called his words in a Justice Department audio recording referring to "beautiful girls" an "unfortunate choice of words and metaphor." Of any further documents he said: "no crime, no criminal act, nothing improper... I promise you that nothing will be discovered, because there is nothing." He apologized to friends, supporters, and "ordinary citizens who feel deep discomfort," but added, "I do not apologize to the hate machine, and I do not apologize to the purists without boundaries."[^1] He has not been charged or accused of sexual misconduct.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Carbyne Correspondence, 2018-2019
|
||||
|
||||
On May 21, 2018 Epstein wrote to Peter Thiel: "FYI trae is meeting carbyne Ehud Barak co."[^17]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 1, 2019 Barak forwarded to [[Jabor Al Thani]], with Epstein copied, a [[Qatar]] presentation prepared by Carbyne's chief executive, [[Amir Elichai]], writing: "Please find attached short presentation of Carbine. Public safety company of which I'm the chairman and leading investor. We are interested in participating in the security effort for the 2022 Games. We can work through a European company of your choice and minimize Israeli profile. Please consider." He closed, "Best to HH HBJ."[^18] In a reply of January 20 quoted in the same thread, Jabor Al Thani wrote that "Our security services company" wished to begin discussions about the presentation for the [[2022 FIFA World Cup|Qatar 2022]] games and that "it will be appreciated if you are able to assist with any anti-drone services or technologies." Barak answered the next day that he was "Overwhelmed in Davos," and on February 3 wrote: "Sorry for the late response. Israeli politics is complicated and time consuming and I'm a little bit involved. We will be glad to explore with your services company the possibility of cooperation re the 2022 Games," naming Elichai as the contact and promising to address "the anti-drone issue in a separate email." He signed "Ehud Barak, Carbyne, Chairman." On February 4 Jabor Al Thani named the country manager of a Qatari company, [[Lysys WLL]], as the contact on his side.[^19]
|
||||
|
||||
On February 18, 2019 the investor [[Nicole Junkermann]] wrote to Epstein, in a message about the division of their interests, "Carbyne invested 1.5 m (1m you and 0.5m me) net of fees is3.9m your share, Ehud carry1.5 m and my share 2m," and asked, in connection with a separate China matter, "Can Ehud help?"[^20] In late February and March 2019 the [[Tel Aviv]] law firm handling the investment told Darren Indyke that SUM (E.B.) Limited Partnership, the vehicle that had made the initial investment in Carbyne, held warrants to buy 61,251 additional Preferred A shares for 3.5 million dollars, the exercise of which would raise its holding from about 13 percent to about 26.33 percent on a fully diluted basis. [[Southern Trust Company]], Epstein's Virgin Islands company, transferred 2.4 million dollars of the 3.6 million dollars raised. The Israeli bank receiving the funds then asked, under its anti-money-laundering rules, for the controlling person and citizenship of each limited partner.[^21] Epstein forwarded the request to Barak, who replied on March 11, 2019: "Jeff, That's the Israeli banks paranoia after they paid the penalties they've paid to the US authorities for past mistakes. According to our experience it was never leaked out of the banks. Just kept with them as an insurance policy. We have to follow on it. On a minimal but satisfying base."[^21] On March 12 Indyke wrote to Epstein, "I thought we did not want your name associated with this Investment?"; on March 14 Epstein confirmed that Indyke could identify him as the controlling person of Southern Trust.[^22] Epstein was arrested in New York four months later.
|
||||
|
||||
### Carbyne After Epstein
|
||||
|
||||
Barak left the Carbyne board in 2019, the year of Epstein's arrest and death. The company's board also included [[Pinhas Buchris]], a former commander of Unit 8200 and former director general of the Israeli [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Ministry of Defense]]. [[Axon Enterprise]], the maker of Taser weapons and police body cameras, agreed to buy Carbyne for 625 million dollars in cash, a deal that closed in early 2026.[^8][^23]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "'I regret meeting him': Former PM Ehud Barak responds to Epstein Files recording in N12 interview." *The Jerusalem Post,* February 2026. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886519
|
||||
[^2]: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Ehud Barak." Official biography, on his 1959 enlistment, his appointment as head of the IDF Intelligence Branch in 1983, his tenure as chief of the General Staff, his election as prime minister in May 1999 and defeat in February 2001, and his 2009-2013 service as deputy prime minister and minister of defense. https://www.gov.il/en/departments/people/ehud_barak
|
||||
[^3]: "Inside Jeffrey Epstein's spy industry connections." *Reason,* August 27, 2025. https://reason.com/2025/08/27/inside-jeffrey-epsteins-spy-industry-connections/
|
||||
[^4]: "Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein Had a Yearslong Relationship." *Jacobin,* March 2026. https://jacobin.com/2026/03/thiel-epstein-barak-ai-israel
|
||||
[^5]: *The Times of Israel,* on the Wexner Foundation's statement that its 2.3 million dollars to Barak paid for two reports, one unfinished. https://www.timesofisrael.com/wexner-foundation-2-3-million-to-barak-was-for-2-reports-1-wasnt-finished/
|
||||
[^6]: Lefkovits, Etgar. "Complaint seeks police probe into Ehud Barak and Wexner Foundation." *JNS,* March 17, 2026. https://www.jns.org/complaint-seeks-police-probe-into-barak-and-wexner-foundation/
|
||||
[^7]: Ponieman, Natan. *Benzinga,* May 2023, on Epstein's private calendar, quoting the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/05/32134015/private-calendar-reveals-jeffrey-epsteins-meetings-with-cia-director-noamchomsky-and-goldman-sachs
|
||||
[^8]: Brewster, Thomas. "Epstein Could Have Made $100 Million On A Secret Police Tech Investment With Ehud Barak." *Forbes,* February 10, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/02/10/epstein-police-surveillance-investments-with-ehud-barak/
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619434, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," November 16, 2015 to February 23, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619434.pdf
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619438, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," May 23, 2016 to September 7, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02044775, DataSet 10, email from Lesley Groff, "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," August 28, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02044775.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02045038, DataSet 10, calendar alert, August 29, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02045038.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619444, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," October 3, 2016 to January 10, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619444.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: Farrow, Ronan. "Harvey Weinstein's Army of Spies." *The New Yorker,* November 6, 2017. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/harvey-weinsteins-army-of-spies
|
||||
[^14]: "Ehud Barak referred Weinstein to ex-Mossad agents he hired to quash allegations." *The Times of Israel,* November 8, 2017. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ehud-barak-referred-weinstein-to-ex-mossad-agents-he-hired-to-quash-allegations/
|
||||
[^15]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00964912, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, November 8, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964912.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00964979, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, November 8, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964979.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00965384, DataSet 9, email from Ehud Barak to Jeffrey Epstein, November 9, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00965384.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: "Ehud Barak Received $2.3 Million for Two Studies, One Was Not Completed, Wexner Foundation Says." *Haaretz,* 2019. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-ehud-barak-received-2-3-million-for-two-studies-one-was-not-completed-wexner-foun-1.8983735
|
||||
[^17]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01052344, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Thiel, May 21, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01052344.pdf
|
||||
[^18]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02607775, DataSet 11, email from Ehud Barak to Jabor Al Thani, copied to Jeffrey Epstein, "Fwd: Qatar Presentation <> Carbyne 911," January 1, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02607775.pdf
|
||||
[^19]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02628648, DataSet 11, email thread among Ehud Barak, Jabor Al Thani, Amir Elichai, and Jeffrey Epstein, "Qatar Presentation <> Carbyne 911," January 1 to February 4, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02628648.pdf
|
||||
[^20]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02630791, DataSet 11, email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Nicole Junkermann, February 18, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02630791.pdf
|
||||
[^21]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02632339, DataSet 11, email from Ehud Barak to Jeffrey Epstein, "Re: Carbyne warrants," March 11, 2019, with forwarded correspondence of Tomer Toor, Darren Indyke, and NJF Capital, February 28 to March 11, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02632339.pdf
|
||||
[^22]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02634615, DataSet 11, email exchange between Darren Indyke and Jeffrey Epstein, "Re: Carbyne warrants," March 12-14, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf
|
||||
[^23]: *Coverager,* on Axon's agreement to acquire Carbyne for 625 million dollars. https://coverager.com/axon-to-acquire-carbyne-for-625-million/ ; "Axon to Acquire Carbyne, Uniting Cloud Infrastructure and AI to Redefine the 911 Experience." Axon Enterprise press release, *PR Newswire.* https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-to-acquire-carbyne-uniting-cloud-infrastructure-and-ai-to-redefine-the-911-experience-302604614.html
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Geoffrey Berman.md
Normal file
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Geoffrey Berman.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- SDNY
|
||||
- USAttorney
|
||||
- PublicCorruption
|
||||
- WilliamBarr
|
||||
- Firing
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Geoffrey S. Berman
|
||||
- Geoffrey Steven Berman
|
||||
- Geoff Berman
|
||||
summary: "Geoffrey Berman was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who indicted Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 through its Public Corruption Unit and was removed by William Barr in June 2020."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
|
||||
start: 2018-01-05
|
||||
end: 2020-06-20
|
||||
role: "U.S. Attorney, appointed acting by Jeff Sessions, then by the district judges"
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: prosecuted
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-07-02
|
||||
end: 2019-08-29
|
||||
role: "United States v. Epstein, 19 Cr. 490"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: reported_to
|
||||
with: "[[William Barr]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-02-14
|
||||
end: 2020-06-20
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Geoffrey S. Berman is an American lawyer who served as U.S. Attorney for the [[Southern District of New York]] from January 2018 to June 20, 2020. His office indicted [[Jeffrey Epstein]] in July 2019 on sex-trafficking charges, eleven years after the [[Non-Prosecution Agreement (Epstein)|non-prosecution agreement]] negotiated in [[Florida]] under [[Alexander Acosta]], and assigned the case to its Public Corruption Unit, a choice Berman declined to explain. After Epstein's death his office charged the two guards on duty that night, [[Tova Noel]] and [[Michael Thomas]]. On the night of June 19, 2020, while his office was investigating [[Rudy Giuliani]], Attorney General [[William Barr]] announced that Berman was "stepping down"; Berman said he had not resigned, and Barr told him the next day that [[Donald Trump|President Trump]] had removed him. He is not related to Judge [[Richard M. Berman]], who presided over the Epstein case.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Appointment
|
||||
|
||||
Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] appointed Berman acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District in 2018, and the judges of the district later appointed him to the post, under which he said he would serve until the Senate confirmed a presidential nominee. The office he led was prosecuting and investigating a series of cases touching the president's circle, including the conviction of Trump's former lawyer [[Michael Cohen]] and the indictment of [[Lev Parnas]] and [[Igor Fruman]], associates of Giuliani, on charges of using a shell company to hide the foreign source of a 325,000 dollar donation to a pro-Trump super PAC.[^4][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Prosecution
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein was arrested at [[Teterboro Airport]] on July 6, 2019 on an indictment returned July 2 charging sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy, based on conduct in [[Manhattan]] and [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] from 2002 to 2005. At a press conference on July 8 Berman said that "the alleged behavior shocks the conscience," that Epstein "has every incentive to flee," and that "we were assisted by some excellent investigative journalism," a reference to [[Julie K. Brown|Julie K. Brown's]] reporting in the [[Miami Herald]]. The case was assigned to the office's Public Corruption Unit, which typically handles cases involving public funds or government officials, and Berman declined to explain why. The prosecutors on the case were Assistant U.S. Attorneys [[Alex Rossmiller]], [[Alison Moe]], and [[Maurene Comey]]. The office argued that the Florida agreement "didn't purport to bind any other office or district."[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
A search of Epstein's Manhattan house turned up a safe holding more than 70,000 dollars in cash, 48 loose diamonds, and an Austrian passport from the 1980s bearing Epstein's photograph under another name and listing a residence in [[Saudi Arabia]]. Epstein's lawyers said he had obtained it for protection against hijackers while traveling in the [[Middle East]] and that the government had no evidence he used it. On July 17 the office replied that "the passport contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s," and that Epstein had not said how he got it or whether he was a citizen of another country. Judge Berman denied bail on July 18.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein died in the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]] on August 10, 2019, and the indictment was dismissed on August 29. On November 19, 2019 the office announced charges against Noel and Thomas for falsifying count and round records the night he died; the charges were later dismissed after deferred prosecution agreements, and the office declined to prosecute other staff who had falsified the same records.[^1][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Removal
|
||||
|
||||
On the night of Friday, June 19, 2020, Barr issued a statement that Berman was "stepping down" and that Trump would nominate [[Jay Clayton]], chairman of the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]], to replace him, with [[Craig Carpenito]], the U.S. Attorney for [[New Jersey]], to serve in the interim. Berman answered that he had learned of his departure from a press release: "I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York." On June 20 Barr wrote to him: "Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service... Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so." Trump told reporters, "That's his department, not my department... I'm not involved"; a senior administration official told NBC News that Barr had asked Trump for permission to fire Berman and Trump had agreed.[^4][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Berman left that evening after Barr agreed that his deputy, [[Audrey Strauss]], would lead the office as acting U.S. Attorney, a condition Berman said safeguarded the district's "tradition of integrity and independence." On July 2, 2020, twelve days later, the office under Strauss announced the arrest of [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] on charges of conspiring with Epstein.[^4][^5][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: United States v. Epstein, No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), docket (indictment filed July 2, 2019; terminated August 29, 2019; assigned to Judge Richard M. Berman; attorneys of record including AUSAs Maurene Comey, Alex Rossmiller, and Alison Moe). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15887848/united-states-v-epstein/ ; "Jeffrey Epstein Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sex Trafficking Of Minors." *U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York,* July 8, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/jeffrey-epstein-charged-manhattan-federal-court-sex-trafficking-minors
|
||||
[^2]: "Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast sex-trafficking network of underage girls who recruited other victims, prosecutors say." *CNN,* July 8, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/jeffrey-epstein-monday-court-appearance (Public Corruption Unit; Berman declined to explain; press conference quotes).
|
||||
[^3]: "NY Prosecutors Charge Jeffrey Epstein With Sex Trafficking." *Courthouse News Service,* July 8, 2019. https://www.courthousenews.com/ny-prosecutors-charge-jeffrey-epstein-with-sex-trafficking/ ; "What we know about the agreement at the heart of Jeffrey Epstein's defense." *CNN,* July 9, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/09/us/jeffrey-epstein-nonprosecution-agreement (Rossmiller on the Florida agreement).
|
||||
[^4]: Kimball, Spencer. "Attorney General Barr tells top Manhattan prosecutor Berman he is fired amid power struggle." *CNBC,* June 20, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/20/attorney-general-barr-tells-manhattan-us-attorney-berman-he-is-fired-amid-power-struggle.html (appointment by Sessions and the district judges; Barr letter; Carpenito; Strauss; Trump quote; senior official to NBC News).
|
||||
[^5]: "Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney Who Prosecuted Trump Allies, Says He Won't Quit." *NPR,* June 20, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/06/20/881148365/geoffrey-berman-u-s-attorney-who-prosecuted-trump-allies-says-he-wont-quit (Berman statement; Clayton; Parnas and Fruman; Giuliani investigation).
|
||||
[^6]: "Jeffrey Epstein used foreign passport with fake name to enter Saudi Arabia: prosecutors." *NBC News,* July 17, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jeffrey-epstein-used-foreign-passport-fake-name-enter-saudi-arabia-n1031046 ; "Epstein Memos Shine Light on Decoy Passport, Murky Assets." *Courthouse News Service,* July 2019. https://www.courthousenews.com/epstein-memos-shine-light-on-decoy-passport-murky-assets/
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. *Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New York.* Report 23-085, June 2023, pp. 5 to 6. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: "Geoffrey Berman is leaving office immediately after standoff with Trump administration." *CNN,* June 20, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/trump-fires-berman-barr-says ; "Ghislaine Maxwell Charged In Manhattan Federal Court For Conspiring With Jeffrey Epstein To Sexually Abuse Minor Girls." *U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York,* July 2, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-charged-manhattan-federal-court-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
|
||||
125
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/George Church.md
Normal file
125
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/George Church.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Scientists & Researchers"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Harvard
|
||||
- Genetics
|
||||
- SyntheticBiology
|
||||
- Transhumanism
|
||||
- InQTel
|
||||
- SciencePhilanthropy
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- George Church
|
||||
- George M. Church
|
||||
- George McDonald Church
|
||||
summary: "George Church is a Harvard Medical School geneticist who took Jeffrey Epstein's money from 2005 to 2007, received Epstein-introduced Leon Black gifts, and in 2014 formed the investment vehicle Georgarage with Epstein."
|
||||
born: 1954
|
||||
location: "Boston, Massachusetts"
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
|
||||
role: "Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Personal Genome Project]]"
|
||||
role: "director"
|
||||
start: 2005
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: contractor_to
|
||||
with: "[[Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity]]"
|
||||
role: "director of an IARPA brain project"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Colossal Biosciences]]"
|
||||
start: 2021
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[eGenesis]]"
|
||||
role: "scientific co-founder"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "686,000 dollars through Harvard; Epstein Foundation, St. Thomas"
|
||||
start: 2005
|
||||
end: 2007
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Leon Black]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "2 million dollars for Church research after Epstein introduction"
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: partner_of
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "Georgarage investment company, incorporated in Delaware by Darren Indyke"
|
||||
start: 2014-07
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[Edge Foundation]]"
|
||||
role: "contributor; listed as a non-profit affiliation (science communication)"
|
||||
start: 2005
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[Centre for the Study of Existential Risk]]"
|
||||
role: "scientific advisory board"
|
||||
start: 2013
|
||||
end: 2020
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
George M. Church (born 1954) is an American geneticist, Professor of Genetics at [[Harvard Medical School]], head of synthetic biology at Harvard's [[Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering]], and director of the [[Personal Genome Project]]. He has co-founded more than fifty biotechnology companies, among them [[Colossal Biosciences]], in which the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]'s venture arm [[In-Q-Tel]] took a stake in 2022. [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s foundation funded Church's laboratory from 2005 to 2007; after Harvard stopped accepting Epstein's money, donors Epstein introduced gave 2 million dollars for Church's work, and in 2014 Church and Epstein formed an investment company, Georgarage, that Epstein's lawyer incorporated in Delaware.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Genomics and Company Formation
|
||||
|
||||
Church's 1984 Harvard doctorate introduced methods for direct genome sequencing and molecular barcoding, which led to the first sequenced bacterial genome, *Helicobacter pylori,* in 1994. He co-initiated the [[Human Genome Project]] in 1984 and the Personal Genome Project in 2005, an open-access registry of volunteers' genomes, health records and cell lines, and in 2011 the [[BRAIN Initiative]]. His own biography lists him as director of an [[Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity|IARPA]] brain project and of three [[National Institutes of Health|NIH]] Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science between 2004 and 2020, and records an affiliation with the [[MIT Media Lab]] beginning in 2014.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Church publishes a self-maintained disclosure of his companies, advisory roles and funders. It lists Colossal Biosciences (founded 2021) for "molecular biology for endangered species," the xenotransplantation company [[eGenesis]], [[Editas Medicine]], Nebula Genomics and dozens of others. Among the investors it records in Church's startups are In-Q-Tel in Colossal, and [[Boris Nikolic]]'s Biomatics Capital in Editas, eGenesis and Twist Bioscience. Nikolic, a former science adviser to [[Bill Gates]], was named in Epstein's will, signed two days before Epstein's death, as a backup executor; Nikolic said through a spokesperson that he had not been consulted and had no intention of serving. In-Q-Tel explained its Colossal investment in September 2022: "it's less about the mammoths and more about the capability." Among its non-profit entries the disclosure lists "Epstein Foundation St. Thomas, VI 2000 (2005-2007; cutting edge science & education)," and, as affiliations, the [[Edge Foundation]] of the literary agent [[John Brockman]] from 2005 to the present ("science communication") and the [[Centre for the Study of Existential Risk]] at Cambridge from 2013 to 2020.[^2][^4][^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein's Money and Leon Black's
|
||||
|
||||
Harvard's 2020 review found that before Harvard stopped accepting his gifts in 2007 and 2008, Epstein had given Harvard 686,000 dollars to support Church's work. Church told *[[STAT News|STAT]]* in 2019 that he last received research funding from Epstein in 2007.[^7][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
Between 2010 and 2015, donors whom Epstein introduced gave 2 million dollars to support Church's work, alongside 7.5 million dollars for [[Martin Nowak]]'s [[Program for Evolutionary Dynamics]]. The donor was [[Leon Black]] of [[Apollo Global Management]]. Black met Church in Cambridge and at Black's New York office, and Epstein's accountant, rather than Black or his foundation, notified Harvard Medical School development staff of Black's intended gift. A former development staff member recalled Epstein's donor record as flagged in a way that would have blocked the gift; the investigators found the only flag, recording Epstein's 2008 conviction, dated June 30, 2008, "months after Black's $2 million gift to Church." The report's dates for the Church gift do not agree: its summary finding places the 2 million dollars between 2010 and 2015, while this footnote implies a Black gift to Church before June 2008, and the report does not reconcile the two. Black's representative told the investigators that "the gifts made in support of Professor Church's and Professor Nowak's research were made by Mr. Black. None of the funds were provided by Mr. Epstein and no attempt was made to conceal the source of these gifts." Between 2012 and 2017 Black paid Epstein about 158 million dollars for tax and estate-planning advice.[^7][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
Church was a regular guest at Epstein's gatherings at Nowak's program. He appears in 2012 photographs of a lunch there with Epstein, Black, [[Eric Lander]], [[David Gergen]], [[Seth Lloyd]] and others. His online calendar, first reported by [[NBC News]], recorded a further meeting with Epstein at the institute and a 2014 dinner involving Nowak and Epstein, and listed [[Joi Ito]] of the MIT Media Lab as a guest at a meal with Epstein. Church confirmed six phone calls with Epstein in 2014. A photograph released by the [[Department of Justice]] in 2026 purports to show Church and Nowak on Epstein's island, [[Little St. James]].[^3][^8][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Georgarage
|
||||
|
||||
In July 2014 Epstein emailed Church, "I have a great idea. lets speak today if possible." The next day Church sent a ten-stage proposal for investments totaling 10 million dollars, opening "Many thanks for your very encouraging words yesterday morning" and listing "Supercentenarianstudy.com," gene editing to make virus-resistant animals, reversing aging and "cold-resistant elephants." Epstein replied, "lets start on first investment," and told Church to "decide what you would like to call your investment co." Church offered three names; Epstein chose Georgarage, from "George's Garage," the working title of a newsletter Church was considering, with "Geo" also standing for genetically engineered organisms. The company was incorporated in Delaware by Epstein's lawyer, [[Darren Indyke]]. The Justice Department release includes a 2016 check for 300 dollars, signed by Indyke, to the Delaware Division of Corporations for Georgarage. Delaware records list the company as inactive for failure to pay taxes.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
Emails show three prospective Georgarage investments. In October 2014 eGenesis's chief scientific officer, [[Luhan Yang]], sent Epstein stock options and rates, and in February 2016 wrote, "please kindly let us know if we can help in anyway to help Jeffrey to make decision on the georgarage investment in Egenesis." An eGenesis spokesperson said the company received no money from Georgarage or Epstein and that "the current leadership team has no knowledge of that entity." Also in October 2014, Church, Epstein and [[James Clement]] held a conference call about Clement's gene-editing company [[Androcyte]]; Clement said Epstein proposed becoming chairman of its board and that "I did not like anything about Mr Epstein's proposal and immediately afterwards . . . told that to George and that was the end of it." Clement closed Androcyte in 2017 and moved its assets to [[BetterHumans]], a nonprofit that describes itself as "the world's first specifically-transhumanist bio-medical research organization." In July 2015 Church asked Epstein about a California DNA-sequencing company, "Are you considering a Georgarage LLC investment?" Epstein answered, "Yes." The released files show no completed investment in any of the three.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Personal Genome Project Samples
|
||||
|
||||
In the summer of 2013 the Personal Genome Project's director of research, [[Madeleine Ball]] (known as Mad Ball), noticed a colleague pushing to sequence a sample that had been in the refrigerator only weeks, when the funding backlog normally meant waits of years. She looked up the donor identification number, found it was Epstein's, and searched his name. "It looked like a quid pro quo sort of thing," she said. "But this was a rich, bad person, and it looked awful." Ball left the laboratory; staff objections stopped the expedited handling. Justice Department documents show Epstein was a project participant and that cell lines containing his DNA were created in 2013. Church confirmed the episode in 2026 and denied personally pushing for special treatment: "Multiple people were telling me various things that were mildly contradictory and I made the wrong call. . . . I felt he had served his time and that was bad judgment." STAT reported that the released files show funding connected to Epstein or his associates reaching Church in the years after 2013, and that on January 31, 2026, one day after a Justice Department release, someone altered the project profile page believed to be Epstein's to record consent on that date.[^11][^12]
|
||||
|
||||
*[[The New York Times]]* reported in 2019 that Epstein had told scientists of a plan to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his [[New Mexico]] ranch, and that he wanted his head and penis frozen after death.[^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### Apologies and Reviews
|
||||
|
||||
In August 2019 Church became the first scientist to apologize for his Epstein ties. "I certainly apologize for my poor awareness and judgment," he told STAT. "There should have been more conversations about, should we be doing this, should we be helping this guy? There was just a lot of nerd tunnel vision." He said that of the 2008 conviction he had "read a couple of news articles . . . but they weren't clear enough for me to know there was a serious problem." Emails released in 2026 show a Church and Epstein lunch planned for December 2018, weeks after the *[[Miami Herald]]* series. Another released text to Epstein read, "George Church came to speak in my bioethics class today!"[^3][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
In a 2015 deposition, [[Alan Dershowitz]], who had represented Epstein, named Church among Harvard academics who saw Epstein travel with young women: "They were seen by [[Larry Summers]], they were seen by [George] Church, they were seen by [[Marvin Minsky]], they were seen by some of the most eminent academics and scholars in the world. . . . There was no hint or suggestion of anything sexual or improper in the presence of these people." Dershowitz did not accuse Church of wrongdoing.[^3][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
Neither Church nor Nowak has been accused of any crime in connection with Epstein. Harvard's 2020 review did not lead to Church's dismissal. On November 18, 2025, Harvard said it was "conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents." Church did not respond to questions from CNN or *[[The Boston Globe]]* in February 2026.[^3][^15]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Church, George M. "George M. Church Bio," Church Lab, Harvard Medical School, updated October 31, 2025, on the 1984 doctorate, the 1994 *H. pylori* genome, the Human Genome, Personal Genome and BRAIN projects, the IARPA brain project and NIH centers, and the 2014 MIT Media Lab affiliation. https://arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/
|
||||
[^2]: Church, George M. "George M. Church's Tech Transfer, Advisory Roles, and Funding Sources," Church Lab, Harvard Medical School, accessed September 25, 2026, listing Colossal Bio, eGenesis, Editas, the investors In-Q-Tel and Biomatics Capital/Boris Nikolic, "Epstein Foundation St. Thomas, VI 2000 (2005-2007; cutting edge science & education)," "Edge Foundation, NYC 1988 (2005-present; science communication)," and CSER (2013-2020). https://arep.med.harvard.edu/t
|
||||
[^3]: Owermohle, Sarah, and Austin Culpepper. "How Epstein enlisted Harvard scientists to burnish his reputation, and try to make a profit," *CNN,* February 19, 2026, on Georgarage, Indyke's incorporation and 300 dollar check, eGenesis, Androcyte and BetterHumans, the sequencing company, the six 2014 calls, the December 2018 lunch, the island photograph, the Dershowitz deposition, the student text, and Harvard's November 18, 2025 statement. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/19/politics/harvard-epstein-donations-influence-exclusive
|
||||
[^4]: Fang, Lee, and Jack Poulson. "The CIA Just Invested in Woolly Mammoth Resurrection Technology," *The Intercept,* September 28, 2022. https://theintercept.com/2022/09/28/cia-extinction-woolly-mammoth-dna/
|
||||
[^5]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on Nikolic's naming as backup executor and his spokesperson's statement. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
|
||||
[^6]: "Could science destroy the world? These scholars want to save us from a modern-day Frankenstein," *Science,* on the CSER scientific advisory board including Church. https://www.science.org/content/article/could-science-destroy-world-these-scholars-want-save-us-modern-day-frankenstein
|
||||
[^7]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard University Office of the General Counsel and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 3, 13-15 and nn. 8-10, on the 686,000 dollars for Church's work, the 2 million dollars from Epstein-introduced donors, Black's meetings with Church, the accountant's notice to development staff, the June 30, 2008 database flag, and the statement of Black's representative. https://ogc.harvard.edu/file_url/208 ; mirror: https://archive.org/download/epstein-docs_20240108/1.%20Harvard%20Epstein%20Report.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: "Citing 'nerd tunnel vision,' biologist George Church apologizes for contacts with Jeffrey Epstein," *STAT,* August 5, 2019, as quoted in Aldhous, *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019. https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/05/citing-nerd-tunnel-vision-biologist-george-church-apologizes-for-contacts-with-jeffrey-epstein/
|
||||
[^9]: "Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why," *CNN Business,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/business/leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-senate-investigation
|
||||
[^10]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on the 2012 lunch photographs and Church's calendar entries, including the Ito meal. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
|
||||
[^11]: Molteni, Megan. "Jeffrey Epstein's tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church," *STAT,* February 24, 2026, republished in shorter form by *The Boston Globe,* on Ball's account, the cell lines, Church's 2026 statements, and funding after 2013. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/epstein-cell-line-george-church-harvard-personal-genome-project/ ; https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/24/business/jeffrey-epstein-george-church-harvard-tissue-samples-lab/
|
||||
[^12]: Molteni, Megan. "A new mystery emerges about Epstein's involvement in Harvard genetics study," *STAT,* March 4, 2026, on the 2013 cell lines and the profile edit dated January 31, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/04/jeffrey-epstein-new-mystery-harvard-genetics-project-george-church/
|
||||
[^13]: Stewart, James B., Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. "Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA," *The New York Times,* July 31, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html
|
||||
[^14]: Brandom, Russell. "AI pioneer accused of having sex with trafficking victim on Jeffrey Epstein's island," *The Verge,* August 9, 2019, quoting Dershowitz's 2015 deposition. https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/9/20798900/marvin-minsky-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-island-court-records-unsealed
|
||||
[^15]: Fernandes, Deirdre, and Tricia L. Nadolny. "Introductions to women. Free flights. Business deals. Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Harvard run deeper than previously known," *The Boston Globe,* February 25, 2026, on the 2014 Black gift brokered by Epstein and Church's non-response. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/25/metro/jeffrey-epstein-harvard-spotlight-report/
|
||||
95
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Jamie Dimon.md
Normal file
95
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Jamie Dimon.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Business & Finance"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- JamieDimon
|
||||
- JPMorgan
|
||||
- Citigroup
|
||||
- BankOne
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Banking
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- James Dimon
|
||||
- James L. Dimon
|
||||
summary: "American banker who has led JPMorgan Chase since 2005 and testified in 2023 that he knew nothing of Jeffrey Epstein as a client until 2019, while his deputies managed the relationship."
|
||||
born: 1956
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Citigroup]]"
|
||||
role: "president"
|
||||
end: 1998
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Bank One Corporation]]"
|
||||
role: "Chairman and Chief Executive Officer"
|
||||
start: 2000-03
|
||||
end: 2004-07-01
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
role: "President and Chief Operating Officer"
|
||||
start: 2004-07-01
|
||||
end: 2005-12-31
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
role: "Chief Executive Officer; Chairman from December 31, 2006"
|
||||
start: 2005-12-31
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
James "Jamie" Dimon is an American banker who has been chief executive of [[JPMorgan Chase]] since December 31, 2005 and its chairman since December 31, 2006. He came to the bank as president and chief operating officer through its July 1, 2004 merger with [[Bank One Corporation]], which he had run since March 2000, after senior posts at [[Citigroup]], [[Salomon Smith Barney]] and [[Travelers Group]] under [[Sanford Weill]]. In a May 26, 2023 deposition in the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank|Virgin Islands suit]] over the bank's relationship with [[Jeffrey Epstein]], Dimon testified that he did not recall knowing anything about Epstein until 2018 or 2019 and had never met him.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Citigroup, Bank One and the Merger
|
||||
|
||||
Dimon graduated from [[Tufts University]] and received an MBA from [[Harvard Business School]]. Before Bank One he held senior executive positions at Citigroup, its subsidiary Salomon Smith Barney, and its predecessor Travelers Group, and he testified that he had been president of Citigroup immediately before joining Bank One. He became Bank One's chairman and chief executive in March 2000.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 14, 2004 JPMorgan Chase agreed to acquire Bank One. *[[New York Times|The New York Times]]* reported that day that [[William B. Harrison Jr.]] would head the combined company, that Dimon would become president and chief operating officer, and that "he is to succeed Mr. Harrison as chief executive in 2006." The merger closed on July 1, 2004. Dimon became chief executive on December 31, 2005 and added the chairmanship a year later.[^2][^4] In his 2023 deposition he testified that he had discussed with Harrison "does a merger make sense, how would it work, what we call the social engineering around it," that the succession was part of a contract, and that he did not think it was known in March 2004 who would lead the combined company.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Highbridge Capital
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan's files include a memorandum dated March 18, 2004, on JPMorgan Chase stationery, addressed to Dimon, Harrison and [[David Coulter]] from [[Jes Staley]] and others, titled "Overview of a potential partnership with and investment in Highbridge Capital Management." It stated: "Highbridge has approached JB, JPMC based on an existing relationship with the founders/owners, and with Jeffrey Epstein [a founding investor in Highbridge]." A June 16, 2004 email to Staley and [[David Brigstocke]] about pricing "discussed with Dimon et al" said Highbridge should "be encouraged to go ahead with the Dimon and Coulter lunch" and added: "We continue to be concerned about the role Jeffrey Epstein is or is not playing. One concern that we have is that Jeffrey has been educating Glenn & Henry about our structure and valuation thoughts."[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Dimon testified that Staley, then running asset management, brought [[Highbridge Capital Management]] to the bank, that he himself "had ultimate approval of the transaction" and approved it, and that he did not know of any role Epstein played and did not know Epstein. Shown the March 2004 memorandum, he said he did not recall receiving it, suggested through counsel that it was a draft, and noted that he was still chairman and chief executive of Bank One at the time. Asked for any explanation of why Staley would write to him about Highbridge and Epstein in March 2004, he answered, "You got me."[^3] Senator [[Ron Wyden]] later asked JPMorgan to describe any payments to Epstein for services to the bank, "such as the reported $15 million paid by JPMC to Epstein related to the acquisition of Highbridge."[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Knowledge of the Epstein Relationship
|
||||
|
||||
Dimon testified, "I recall not hearing about Jeffrey Epstein until about 2018 or sometime in 2019 when the story blew wide open," and said that he "never met Jeff Epstein... never went to Jeff Epstein's house... never had a meal with Jeff Epstein," and that he was not told in 2008 of the internal review that left Epstein's relationship unchanged after his guilty plea. He said he did not discuss Epstein with the board from 2006 to 2011, did not know whether general counsel [[Stephen Cutler]] ever reported to the board about him, and did not speak with Staley about Epstein in 2011 or 2012. Asked whether Staley and [[Mary Erdoes]] had made the decision to retain Epstein, he said "they cannot make that decision alone" and that "the ultimate decider would have been the general counsel of the company."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
Other evidence in the case placed Dimon's name around the relationship. Staley admitted in discovery that in 2006 Dimon communicated with him about Epstein's arrest, and testified that on or about July 26, 2006 he spoke to Dimon about the indictment because Dimon was his boss and the case "was a very public event." An August 28, 2008 email from private banker [[Mary Casey]] counted Epstein's roughly 120 million dollars as a probable outflow "as I can't imagine it will stay (pending Dimon review)." In January 2008 Staley directed his assistant to arrange, through Dimon's office, a meeting for JPMorgan executives with [[Ehud Barak]] that Epstein had facilitated. In November 2013 [[Prince Andrew]] hosted Dimon for dinner and performances at [[Buckingham Palace]].[^4] On July 17, 2008, while Epstein was in custody in Florida, Staley emailed him for advice on his own pay: "Jamie wants me to tell him how much I should make." Epstein advised him to ask for "a one million dollar increase to 25 million."[^6] Internal JPMorgan records quoted by the Senate Finance Committee state that decisions on Epstein were elevated to members of the Operating Committee who reported directly to Dimon.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In a CNN interview on April 7, 2023, asked whether the bank should have acted more quickly after Epstein's 2008 plea, Dimon said, "Hindsight is a fabulous gift." Asked whether the Virgin Islands' allegations had merit, he said the bank had "some of the best lawyers in the world, compliance, out of the [[Department of Justice|DOJ]], out of SEC important divisions who review all of these things and make decisions at the time based on what they know, as best as they know." Cutler, the general counsel in those years, had previously run the enforcement division of the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]].[^4][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
During the deposition, JPMorgan general counsel [[Stacey Friedman]] interjected when Dimon asked counsel when the bank had bought Highbridge, and [[Linda Singer]] of [[Motley Rice]], examining Dimon for the Virgin Islands, objected on the record to "counsel coaching the witness on answers," which she said "has happened a number of times." Dimon testified that when the *New York Times* prepared a 2019 story about a "brawl" between Erdoes and compliance over keeping Epstein, he "put it in the jurisdiction of my general counsel."[^3] JPMorgan settled the Doe class action for 290 million dollars and the Virgin Islands suit for 75 million dollars in 2023 without admitting wrongdoing.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Project Jeep and "Top of the House"
|
||||
|
||||
On July 22, 2019, after *The New York Times* published "Jeffrey Epstein's Deep Ties to Top Wall Street Figures," JPMorgan's Global Head of Financial Crimes Compliance, Peter Neilson, wrote to two chief compliance officers that "Top of house requested that we expand our analysis to related parties and put together slides," and that "There is a highbridge angle and one dating back to Bear." The resulting internal review, Project Jeep, produced a 22-page summary of Epstein's emails with Staley and others by October 2019. In a June 7, 2023 motion to recall Dimon for further questioning, the Virgin Islands' lawyers argued that Project Jeep "may have been ordered by Dimon himself," citing a separate 2008 email stating that "JPM requires top of the house ok for clients who are convicted felons. (ie PCS Legal to Asset Mgt Legal to Cutler to Jaime Daimnon [sic])," and noted that the summary confirmed "more than four pages of Epstein referrals to JPMorgan," including [[Andrew Farkas]], [[Boris Nikolic]], [[Bill Gates]] and [[Peter Mandelson]], while Dimon had testified, "We did not need introductions to anybody."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan's lawyers at [[WilmerHale]] replied on June 9, 2023 that Dimon had testified he did not recognize the name "Project Jeep" and had told the bank's general counsel after Epstein's arrest and death to "do everything" to establish the facts, that the author of the July 2019 email had confirmed "top of house" referred to general counsel Stacey Friedman and not to Dimon, and that a follow-up sent eight minutes after the 2008 email showed its "top of the house" meant general counsel Cutler. They added that the summary was absent from Dimon's custodial files and that he had been examined at his deposition on the alleged referrals, including Nikolic, Gates, Mandelson, [[Leon Black]] and Ehud Barak.[^11] In August 2023 Judge [[Jed Rakoff]] declined to compel production of all Project Jeep materials.[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Wyden Letters
|
||||
|
||||
On September 24, 2025 Wyden wrote to Dimon that newly reported internal emails, one describing a 2008 retention decision as "pending Dimon review" and another saying Cutler was reviewing Epstein documents "for Jamie," contradicted his sworn testimony. The letter posed 31 questions, including whether Dimon had been involved in Epstein decisions between 2007 and 2010, whether Staley had told him of Epstein's 2008 plea and been told to take it to Cutler, and why the bank waited until 2019 to file suspicious activity reports on Epstein.[^5] JPMorgan replied on October 10, 2025 that "over a million pages of documents" produced in discovery "none established Mr. Dimon's knowledge of Epstein prior to 2019," that Dimon "testified truthfully," that the reported emails were "cherry-picked snippets of emails where he was neither the sender nor recipient," and that the only person claiming otherwise was Staley, whom a UK tribunal had found "lacked credibility." It declined to discuss any suspicious-activity filings, citing Bank Secrecy Act confidentiality.[^13]
|
||||
|
||||
Wyden's August 4, 2026 report stated that JPMorgan had filed seven suspicious activity reports on Epstein totaling about 4.3 million dollars between 2002 and 2016 and then, in August and September 2019, reports covering more than 5,000 wires worth about 1.28 billion dollars.[^7] On June 24, 2026 the board's compensation committee approved 20 million dollar retention awards for Erdoes and chief operating officer [[Jennifer Piepszak]], and 30 million dollar awards for two newly named co-presidents, as part of what the filing called the board's "ongoing succession planning."[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Definitive Proxy Statement (Schedule 14A), filed March 31, 2006, director biography of James Dimon, age 50. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000119312506070353/ddef14a.htm
|
||||
[^2]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2006, "Executive officers of the registrant" (James Dimon: "Chairman of the Board since December 31, 2006, and President and Chief Executive Officer since December 31, 2005. He had been President and Chief Operating Officer from July 1, 2004, until December 31, 2005."). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000019617/000095012307003015/y30834e10vk.htm
|
||||
[^3]: Deposition of James Dimon, May 26, 2023, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), transcript pp. 28, 51-57, 83, 168, 179-180, 218, 250-251, 261-273. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rQOuhi8KqiM0/v0
|
||||
[^4]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts, ECF No. 221 (filed July 24, 2023), paras. 55, 111, 265, 292, 305, 374-375, 418-419. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.221.0.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., September 24, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_from_senator_wyden_to_jpmorgan_chase_epstein_accounts_09-24-25pdf.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026, pp. 16, 22, 30. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Enforcement Director Stephen M. Cutler to Leave SEC," Press Release 2005-56, April 14, 2005. https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-56.htm
|
||||
[^9]: "JPMorgan Chase and Epstein survivor Jane Doe 1 reach $290 million settlement," *NPR,* June 12, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181675580/epstein-jane-doe-1-290-million-settlement-jpmorgan-chase ; "JPMorgan Chase settles Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking suit by U.S. Virgin Islands for $75 million," *CNBC,* September 26, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/jpmorgan-to-settle-jeffrey-epstein-suit-by-virgin-islands.html
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, ECF No. 191, June 7, 2023 (filed June 20, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808625, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter of John J. Butts, WilmerHale, opposing the motion to reopen depositions, ECF No. 187, June 9, 2023 (filed June 15, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02814941, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), Order of Judge Jed S. Rakoff on Dkt. 212, August 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02814941.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: Letter from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, October 10, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/101025jpmcresponsetowyden.pdf
|
||||
[^14]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 8-K, Item 5.02 (awards approved June 24, 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000001961726000241/jpm-20260624.htm
|
||||
|
|
@ -2,46 +2,67 @@
|
|||
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
|
||||
tags: [Person, JeanLucBrunel, JeffreyEpstein, MC2ModelManagement, KarinModels, Modeling, SexTrafficking, France]
|
||||
alias: ["Jean-Luc Brunel"]
|
||||
summary: "French modeling agent and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, co-founder of MC2 Model Management with reported Epstein funding, who was arrested in France in 2020 on charges including rape of minors and died in a Paris prison in 2022."
|
||||
summary: "French modeling agent who founded MC2 Model Management with Jeffrey Epstein's money, was placed under investigation in Paris in 2020 for raping minors, and died in La Santé Prison in 2022."
|
||||
born: 1946-09-18
|
||||
died: 2022-02-19
|
||||
location: Paris, France
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Karin Models]]"
|
||||
role: "owner and director"
|
||||
start: 1978
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Paris Prosecutor's Office]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019-08
|
||||
end: 2022-02-19
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Jean-Luc Brunel was a French modeling agent who ran [[Karin Models]] in Paris and later co-founded [[MC2 Model Management]] in New York with reported funding from [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. He was the subject of decades of abuse allegations within the modeling industry, was arrested in France in December 2020 on charges including the rape of minors and human trafficking, and was found hanged in his cell at [[La Santé Prison]] in Paris in February 2022.
|
||||
Jean-Luc Brunel was a French modeling agent who ran [[Karin Models]] in Paris and later co-founded [[MC2 Model Management]] in New York with reported funding from [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. He was the subject of decades of abuse allegations within the modeling industry, was placed under formal investigation in France in December 2020 for the rape of minors over fifteen and sexual harassment, in an inquiry that also covered the trafficking of minors, and was found hanged in his cell at [[La Santé Prison]] in Paris in February 2022.
|
||||
|
||||
### Modeling Career
|
||||
|
||||
Brunel was born on September 18, 1946 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and worked in restaurant public relations before entering modeling as a scout in the 1970s, acquiring the Paris agency Karin Models from its founder Karin Mossberg and running it by 1978.[^1] He claimed to have launched the careers of models including Monica Bellucci, Sharon Stone and Christy Turlington, and his contemporaries in the Paris and New York agency business included [[John Casablancas]], founder of [[Elite Model Management]], and the agent [[Paolo Zampolli]].[^5] Brunel later restructured Karin Models' U.S. division into a new agency.[^1]
|
||||
Brunel was born on September 18, 1946 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and worked in restaurant public relations before entering modeling as a scout in the 1970s, acquiring the Paris agency Karin Models from its founder Karin Mossberg and running it by 1978.[^1] He claimed to have launched the careers of models including Monica Bellucci, Sharon Stone and Christy Turlington, and his contemporaries in the Paris and New York agency business included [[John Casablancas]], founder of [[Elite Model Management]], and the agent [[Paolo Zampolli]].[^2] Brunel later restructured Karin Models' U.S. division into a new agency.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
A 1988 [[60 Minutes]] investigation titled "American Girls in Paris," reported by Diane Sawyer, interviewed nearly two dozen American models who said Brunel and his fellow Paris agent [[Claude Haddad]] had drugged and raped them.[^2] Around the same time the CBS correspondent Craig Pyes spoke with additional models who made similar claims.[^5] The journalist [[Michael Gross]] documented allegations against Brunel in his 1995 book *Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women,* quoting industry figures who described him as a predator and said he belonged "behind bars."[^5] Brunel consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he "strongly den[ied] having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing" in his work as a scout and agency manager.[^1]
|
||||
A 1988 [[60 Minutes]] investigation titled "American Girls in Paris," reported by Diane Sawyer, interviewed nearly two dozen American models who said Brunel and his fellow Paris agent [[Claude Haddad]] had drugged and raped them.[^3] Around the same time the CBS correspondent Craig Pyes spoke with additional models who made similar claims.[^2] The journalist [[Michael Gross]] documented allegations against Brunel in his 1995 book *Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women,* quoting industry figures who described him as a predator and said he belonged "behind bars."[^2] Brunel consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he "strongly den[ied] having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing" in his work as a scout and agency manager.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### MC2 Model Management
|
||||
|
||||
Around 2004 to 2005 Brunel founded MC2 Model Management, with operations in New York and Miami, building it out of the restructured U.S. division of Karin Models.[^5] Financial records cited in litigation showed Jeffrey Epstein wired about one million dollars to Brunel in connection with the launch, and Epstein provided MC2 a line of credit; some accounts put his total backing closer to two million dollars.[^5] Maritza Vasquez, MC2's former bookkeeper, testified in a 2010 deposition that Epstein had invested roughly one million dollars in the agency.[^5]
|
||||
Around 2004 to 2005 Brunel founded MC2 Model Management, with operations in New York and Miami, building it out of the restructured U.S. division of Karin Models.[^2] Financial records cited in litigation showed Jeffrey Epstein wired about one million dollars to Brunel in connection with the launch, and Epstein provided MC2 a line of credit; some accounts put his total backing closer to two million dollars.[^2] Maritza Vasquez, MC2's former bookkeeper, testified in a 2010 deposition that Epstein had invested roughly one million dollars in the agency.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
U.S. prosecutors and investigators reported that they believed MC2 functioned as a cover to recruit and supply women and girls for Jeffrey Epstein.[^4] Flight logs placed Brunel on Epstein's aircraft, including a February 2005 flight with the model [[Nadia Marcinkova]], and visitor records reportedly showed Brunel visiting Epstein dozens of times during his 2008 to 2010 Florida incarceration.[^5] Brunel denied these allegations.[^1]
|
||||
U.S. prosecutors and investigators reported that they believed MC2 functioned as a cover to recruit and supply women and girls for Jeffrey Epstein.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's bank, [[JPMorgan Chase]], reviewed the agency internally. According to shareholder complaints quoting the bank's records, a March 2011 JPMorgan report stated that "MC2 Model Management and Jeffrey Epstein engaged in racketeering that involved luring in minor children for sexual play for money," that MC2's owner was a "frequent passenger on Epstein's private jet and often visited Epstein in jail," and that Epstein had paid MC2 one million dollars in 2005, "unknown if the money was given as a secret investment or payment for services as a procurer." A 2011 compliance summary recorded that press reports said girls were brought "to the US via a modeling agency M2 that is owned by a guy named Brunel," and that "the banker said today we extended Epstein a loan in relation to this modeling agency"; the loan was a JPMorgan letter of credit to MC2. The writer judged the agency "legit." The bank continued doing business with Epstein personally until 2013, and payments drawn from his JPMorgan accounts included nearly 1.5 million dollars to known recruiters including MC2.[^5] Flight logs placed Brunel on Epstein's aircraft, including a February 2005 flight with the model [[Nadia Marcinkova]], and visitor records reportedly showed Brunel visiting Epstein dozens of times during his 2008 to 2010 Florida incarceration.[^2] Brunel denied these allegations.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Allegations Connected to Jeffrey Epstein
|
||||
|
||||
Multiple women accused Brunel of drugging and sexually assaulting them in Paris during the 1980s and 1990s.[^1] [[Virginia Giuffre]], who accused Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her, alleged that Brunel sexually abused her and supplied young women and girls to Epstein, stating in sworn accounts that Epstein had directed her to provide sexual services to Brunel.[^3] In a 2015 court filing she said she had "sexual intercourse with Jean-Luc Brunel many times" between the ages of 16 and 19.[^5]
|
||||
Multiple women accused Brunel of drugging and sexually assaulting them in Paris during the 1980s and 1990s.[^1] [[Virginia Giuffre]], who accused Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her, alleged that Brunel sexually abused her and supplied young women and girls to Epstein, stating in sworn accounts that Epstein had directed her to provide sexual services to Brunel.[^6] In a 2015 court filing she said she had "sexual intercourse with Jean-Luc Brunel many times" between the ages of 16 and 19.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre alleged in her filings that Brunel had "many contacts" with young girls and could "get dozens" of them, and she claimed he had an arrangement to obtain passports that allowed him to bring girls "ranging in age from 12 to 24" into the United States.[^5] In one filing she said Epstein had boasted of sleeping with more than 1,000 of Brunel's girls.[^1] U.S. prosecutors and investigators reported that they believed Brunel was used to recruit and supply women and girls for Jeffrey Epstein, and Brunel denied the allegations.[^4]
|
||||
Giuffre alleged in her filings that Brunel had "many contacts" with young girls and could "get dozens" of them, and she claimed he had an arrangement to obtain passports that allowed him to bring girls "ranging in age from 12 to 24" into the [[United States]].[^2] In one filing she said Epstein had boasted of sleeping with more than 1,000 of Brunel's girls.[^1] [[Sarah Ransome]], who sued Epstein and Maxwell in 2017, produced in [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] dozens of photographs of young women on Epstein's island, some of which she said Brunel had taken and given to her.[^7] U.S. prosecutors and investigators reported that they believed Brunel was used to recruit and supply women and girls for Jeffrey Epstein, and Brunel denied the allegations.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Arrest and Death
|
||||
|
||||
Brunel was detained on December 16, 2020 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris as he prepared to board a flight to Senegal, part of an investigation French authorities had opened in 2019 after Epstein's death.[^4] He was charged with the rape of minors over 15 and sexual harassment, and was placed under formal investigation in a case encompassing rape and sexual assault of minors under and over 15, sexual harassment, criminal association and human trafficking of minors for the purposes of sexual exploitation.[^6] He was held in pre-trial detention and maintained his innocence.[^3]
|
||||
Brunel was detained on December 16, 2020 at [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]] in [[Paris]] as he prepared to board a flight to [[Dakar]], [[Senegal]]. The [[Paris Prosecutor's Office]] had opened its investigation in August 2019, the month of Epstein's death in New York, and a public call for witnesses in September 2019 brought reports from several former models of incidents spanning three decades. According to court filings by Virginia Giuffre, Brunel "offered modeling opportunities to lure young girls, some as young as 12, to the U.S."[^4][^8] He was charged with the rape of minors over 15 and sexual harassment, and was placed under formal investigation in a case encompassing rape and sexual assault of minors under and over 15, sexual harassment, criminal association and human trafficking of minors for the purposes of sexual exploitation.[^9] He was held in pre-trial detention and maintained his innocence.[^6] The prosecutors' statement described the charges as "rape of minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment."[^8] At the end of June 2021 he was placed under formal investigation a second time, for the rape of a minor over fifteen, concerning an adolescent. He was released for a few days at the end of 2021 and then returned to detention.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
On February 19, 2022 Brunel was found hanged with bedsheets in his cell at La Santé Prison in Paris at around 1:30 a.m.; he was 75.[^6] French authorities treated the death as a suicide, and a medical examiner reported death by hanging.[^9] He died in custody before facing trial, leaving the allegations unadjudicated.[^9] His lawyers said that his "distress was that of a 75-year-old man crushed by a media-judicial system" and that he had never stopped proclaiming his innocence; under French law his death extinguished the public action against him, though not against any other person implicated.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
The French investigation into the wider network of allegations against Brunel and others connected to Epstein remained open after his death, with French prosecutors continuing to examine the trafficking and abuse claims.[^4] His death, the second of a central Epstein figure to occur in custody and be ruled a suicide after Epstein's own 2019 death, drew renewed scrutiny from lawyers for the alleged victims.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
On February 19, 2022 Brunel was found hanged with bedsheets in his cell at La Santé Prison in Paris at around 1:30 a.m.; he was 75.[^3] French authorities treated the death as a suicide, and a medical examiner reported death by hanging.[^6] He died in custody before facing trial, leaving the allegations unadjudicated.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The French investigation into the wider network of allegations against Brunel and others connected to Epstein remained open after his death, with French prosecutors continuing to examine the trafficking and abuse claims.[^4] His death, the second of a central Epstein figure to occur in custody and be ruled a suicide after Epstein's own 2019 death, drew renewed scrutiny from lawyers for the alleged victims.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Jean-Luc Brunel," summarizing reporting on his career, MC2 Model Management, the Epstein funding, the 1995 Michael Gross book *Model,* and his denials. https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/former-model-agent-close-to-jeffrey-epstein-found-hanged-1235085929/
|
||||
[^2]: "American Girls in Paris," *60 Minutes,* CBS, reported by Diane Sawyer, December 1988. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13887034/fashion-is-about-to-have-its-metoo-moment-and-its-long-overdue
|
||||
[^3]: "Jean-Luc Brunel, Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of rape, supplying girls, found hanged in prison," *Washington Post,* 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/19/jean-luc-brunel-hanged-epstein/
|
||||
[^2]: "Jean-Luc Brunel: The French Modeling Honcho at the Center of Jeffrey Epstein's Web," *The Fashion Law,* on Karin Models, the 1988 60 Minutes report and Claude Haddad, the Michael Gross book, the MC2 founding and Epstein funding, Maritza Vasquez's deposition, and Virginia Giuffre's allegations. https://www.thefashionlaw.com/jean-luc-brunel-at-the-center-of-jeffrey-epsteins-web-of-underage-girls/
|
||||
[^3]: "American Girls in Paris," *60 Minutes,* CBS, reported by Diane Sawyer, December 1988. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13887034/fashion-is-about-to-have-its-metoo-moment-and-its-long-overdue
|
||||
[^4]: "Modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel arrested in Paris in Epstein probe," *NBC News,* 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/modeling-agent-jean-luc-brunel-arrested-paris-epstein-probe-n1251589
|
||||
[^5]: "Jean-Luc Brunel: The French Modeling Honcho at the Center of Jeffrey Epstein's Web," *The Fashion Law,* on Karin Models, the 1988 60 Minutes report and Claude Haddad, the Michael Gross book, the MC2 founding and Epstein funding, Maritza Vasquez's deposition, and Virginia Giuffre's allegations. https://www.thefashionlaw.com/jean-luc-brunel-at-the-center-of-jeffrey-epsteins-web-of-underage-girls/
|
||||
[^6]: "Jean-Luc Brunel, French modeling agent and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, found dead in prison cell," *CNN,* 2022, on the charges, the Senegal flight, the suicide ruling and the open investigation. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/europe/jean-luc-brunel-jeffrey-epstein-death-intl
|
||||
[^5]: City of Miami General Employees & Sanitation Employees Retirement Trust v. Dimon, No. 1:23-cv-03903-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Verified Amended Stockholder Derivative Complaint, ECF No. 17, paras. 24, 152-154, 165 (June 30, 2023), citing the complaint in Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), paras. 42, 48, 98. https://wallstreetonparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CITY-OF-MIAMI-GENERAL-et-al-v-James-Dimon-et-al-JPMorgan-Chase-Amended-Complaint-June-30-2023.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: "Jean-Luc Brunel, Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of rape, supplying girls, found hanged in prison," *Washington Post,* 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/19/jean-luc-brunel-hanged-epstein/
|
||||
[^7]: "Discredited claims about Clinton, Trump mentioned in latest batch of Epstein docs," *ABC News,* January 9, 2024. https://abcnews.com/US/new-round-jeffrey-epstein-court-documents-unsealed/story?id=106174129
|
||||
[^8]: "France charges Epstein ex-associate over sex crime claims," *Al Jazeera,* December 19, 2020. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/19/france-charges-epstein-ex-associate-over-sex-crime-claims
|
||||
[^9]: "Jean-Luc Brunel, French modeling agent and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, found dead in prison cell," *CNN,* 2022, on the charges, the Senegal flight, the suicide ruling and the open investigation. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/europe/jean-luc-brunel-jeffrey-epstein-death-intl
|
||||
[^10]: "Affaire Epstein : l'ancien agent de mannequins Jean-Luc Brunel est mort en détention," *Radio-Canada,* February 19, 2022. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1863452/france-deces-brunel-prison-accuse-viols-mineurs
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,129 +13,546 @@ tags:
|
|||
- LesWexner
|
||||
- SciencePhilanthropy
|
||||
- DarkMoney
|
||||
- EpsteinFiles
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
- USVirginIslands
|
||||
- Carbyne
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Jeffrey Edward Epstein
|
||||
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender who ran a sex-trafficking operation alongside Ghislaine Maxwell, cultivated a network spanning technology billionaires, heads of state, intelligence officials, and elite scientists, and whose unexplained wealth, intelligence-adjacent contacts, and 2019 jail death produced sustained questions about whether his operation served blackmail or intelligence functions."
|
||||
- Jeffrey E. Epstein
|
||||
- JEE
|
||||
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender who trafficked girls with Ghislaine Maxwell across five residences, cultivated financiers, politicians, scientists and intelligence officials, and died in federal custody in 2019."
|
||||
born: 1953-01-20
|
||||
died: 2019-08-10
|
||||
location: "Brooklyn, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Dalton School]]"
|
||||
start: 1974
|
||||
role: "mathematics and physics teacher"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: director_of
|
||||
with: "[[Wexner Foundation]]"
|
||||
start: 1992
|
||||
role: "trustee"
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: director_of
|
||||
with: "[[Black Family Foundation]]"
|
||||
start: 1997
|
||||
end: 2007
|
||||
role: "trustee"
|
||||
fn: 55
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Liquid Funding]]"
|
||||
role: "chairman"
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[JEGE, Inc.]]"
|
||||
role: "president, sole director and sole shareholder; owner of the Boeing 727 N908JE"
|
||||
fn: 26
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Hyperion Air, Inc.]]"
|
||||
role: "president, sole director and sole shareholder; owner of the Gulfstream N909JE"
|
||||
fn: 26
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[9 East 71st Street]]"
|
||||
role: "through Nine East 71st Street Corporation and Maple, Inc."
|
||||
fn: 11
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Little St. James]]"
|
||||
start: 1998
|
||||
fn: 11
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Great St. James]]"
|
||||
start: 2016
|
||||
fn: 11
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Zorro Ranch]]"
|
||||
fn: 19
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Florida Science Foundation]]"
|
||||
role: "work-release employer during the Palm Beach sentence"
|
||||
fn: 33
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Gratitude America]]"
|
||||
start: 2012
|
||||
role: "private charity; paid Leon Botstein 37,500 dollars a quarter in 2016"
|
||||
fn: 69
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
|
||||
start: 1998
|
||||
end: 2007
|
||||
role: "9,179,000 dollars in 22 gifts"
|
||||
fn: 55
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[World Transhumanist Association]]"
|
||||
start: 2010
|
||||
role: "20,000 dollars"
|
||||
fn: 59
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Machine Intelligence Research Institute]]"
|
||||
start: 2009
|
||||
role: "50,000 dollars to the Singularity Institute through the C.O.U.Q. Foundation"
|
||||
fn: 59
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Darren Indyke]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-08-08
|
||||
role: "co-executor under the will"
|
||||
fn: 120
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Richard Kahn]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-08-08
|
||||
role: "co-executor under the will"
|
||||
fn: 120
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Boris Nikolic]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-08-08
|
||||
role: "backup executor under the will"
|
||||
fn: 120
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Palm Beach Police Department]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2005
|
||||
fn: 17
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2006
|
||||
fn: 33
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Southern District of Florida]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2006
|
||||
end: 2008
|
||||
role: "U.S. Attorney's Office; draft 60-count indictment, resolved by non-prosecution agreement"
|
||||
fn: 33
|
||||
- type: prosecuted
|
||||
with: "[[Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2006
|
||||
end: 2008
|
||||
role: "state solicitation charges"
|
||||
fn: 30
|
||||
- type: prosecuted
|
||||
with: "[[Southern District of New York]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
role: "United States v. Epstein, 19 Cr. 490"
|
||||
fn: 111
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Jay Lefkowitz]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2007
|
||||
end: 2008
|
||||
role: "lead negotiator of the non-prosecution agreement"
|
||||
fn: 33
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Kenneth Starr]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2007
|
||||
end: 2008
|
||||
fn: 33
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Gerald Lefcourt]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2007
|
||||
fn: 38
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Jack Goldberger]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
fn: 31
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Martin Weinberg]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2011
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
fn: 85
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Reid Weingarten]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
fn: 112
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Marc Fernich]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
fn: 112
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Mark Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "brother"
|
||||
fn: 89
|
||||
created: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Jeffrey Epstein (January 20, 1953 to August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender who, with his companion [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], ran a sex-trafficking operation that recruited and abused dozens of underage girls across his residences in [[Manhattan]], [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], [[New Mexico]], the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], and [[Paris]]. He built a social and financial network that encompassed technology billionaires ([[Peter Thiel]], [[Bill Gates]], [[Elon Musk]], [[Reid Hoffman]], [[Mark Zuckerberg]]), heads of state and politicians ([[Bill Clinton]], [[Ehud Barak]], [[Prince Andrew]], [[Donald Trump]]), intelligence officials ([[William Burns]]), financiers and executives ([[Leslie Wexner]], [[Tom Pritzker]], [[Howard Lutnick]]), and prominent scientists ([[Martin Nowak]], [[Marvin Minsky]], [[George Church]], [[Stephen Hawking]]) brokered through the literary agent [[John Brockman]]. The source of his fortune was never satisfactorily explained, his long association with [[Robert Maxwell|Robert Maxwell's]] daughter raised documented intelligence questions, and his death in federal custody in 2019 was ruled a suicide over disputes that have not been resolved.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
Jeffrey Epstein (January 20, 1953 to August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender who, with his companion [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], ran a sex-trafficking operation that recruited and abused dozens of underage girls across his residences in [[Manhattan]], [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], [[New Mexico]], the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], and [[Paris]]. He built a social and financial network that encompassed technology billionaires ([[Peter Thiel]], [[Bill Gates]], [[Elon Musk]], [[Reid Hoffman]], [[Mark Zuckerberg]]), heads of state and politicians ([[Bill Clinton]], [[Ehud Barak]], [[Prince Andrew]], [[Donald Trump]]), diplomats and intelligence officials ([[William Burns]], [[Vitaly Churkin]]), financiers and executives ([[Leslie Wexner]], [[Leon Black]], [[Tom Pritzker]], [[Howard Lutnick]]), and prominent scientists ([[Martin Nowak]], [[Marvin Minsky]], [[George Church]], [[Stephen Hawking]]) brokered through the literary agent [[John Brockman]]. The source of his fortune was never satisfactorily explained, his long association with [[Robert Maxwell|Robert Maxwell's]] daughter raised documented intelligence questions, and his death in federal custody in 2019 was ruled a suicide over disputes that have not been resolved.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Early Life, Dalton, and Bear Stearns
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York, and raised in the Sea Gate and [[Coney Island]] area in a working-class Jewish family; his father worked for the New York City parks department. He attended Lafayette High School, then [[Cooper Union]] and the Courant Institute at [[New York University]], leaving both without a degree. In 1974 he was hired to teach mathematics and physics at the [[Dalton School]], the elite Upper East Side preparatory school, despite having no degree and no teaching credential. The headmaster during the period of his hiring was [[Donald Barr]], the novelist and educator who was the father of the future U.S. Attorney General [[William Barr]], whose Department of Justice would later oversee the federal case and the jail in which Epstein died. Accounts differ on whether Barr personally hired Epstein, since Barr resigned the headmastership in 1974.[^1][^5]
|
||||
Epstein was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York, and raised in the Sea Gate and [[Coney Island]] area in a working-class Jewish family; his father worked for the [[New York City]] parks department. He attended Lafayette High School, then [[Cooper Union]] and the Courant Institute at [[New York University]], leaving both without a degree. In 1974 he was hired to teach mathematics and physics at the [[Dalton School]], the elite Upper East Side preparatory school, despite having no degree and no teaching credential. The headmaster during the period of his hiring was [[Donald Barr]], the novelist and educator who was the father of the future [[U.S. Attorney General]] [[William Barr]], whose [[Department of Justice]] would later oversee the federal case and the jail in which Epstein died. Accounts differ on whether Barr personally hired Epstein, since Barr resigned the headmastership in 1974.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
At Dalton, Epstein cultivated the parents of his students, and a connection there brought him to [[Bear Stearns]], the investment bank then led by [[Alan Greenberg]]. He joined in 1976, worked in the special products division advising wealthy clients on tax strategy, and rose to limited partner before resigning in 1981. The firm and Epstein gave varying accounts of the departure, which has been attributed to a Regulation D securities violation and to an internal inquiry. In 1981 he founded the consulting firm Intercontinental Assets Group, and in 1988 he established [[J. Epstein & Co.]], which he said managed money exclusively for clients worth more than one billion dollars, a claim that obscured rather than explained his finances.[^1][^3]
|
||||
At Dalton, Epstein cultivated the parents of his students, and a connection there brought him to [[Bear Stearns]], the investment bank then led by [[Alan Greenberg]]. He joined in 1976, worked in the special products division advising wealthy clients on tax strategy, and rose to limited partner. The firm and Epstein gave varying accounts of the departure, which has been attributed to a Regulation D securities violation and to an internal inquiry. After leaving he ran a consulting company, [[International Assets Group]], out of his apartment in the Solo building on East 66th Street, and around 1988 he established [[J. Epstein & Co.]], which he said managed money exclusively for clients worth more than one billion dollars; in 2003 he said he had run it "for the last 15 years."[^1][^3][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein resigned from Bear Stearns on March 12, 1981, the day after [[Seagram]] announced its tender offer for [[St. Joe Minerals]]. The [[Securities and Exchange Commission]], investigating insider trading in St. Joe and told that Epstein had information about trading at Bear Stearns, took his testimony on April 1, 1981. He said management had fined him 2,500 dollars over a possible "Reg D" violation, a loan of about 20,000 dollars to his friend Warren Eisenstein to buy stock, together with "carelessness" over expenses, and that rumors had tied his exit to "an illicit affair with a secretary." Bear Stearns paid his bonus of about 100,000 dollars. [[James Cayne]] said Epstein "left Bear Stearns of his own volition"; a former Bear executive told Fox Business in 2019 that he "left at our invitation ... it was very serious stuff"; [[Steven Hoffenberg]] claimed Epstein told him he had been caught executing "illegal operations." The SEC brought no insider-trading charges against anyone at Bear Stearns in the St. Joe matter.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein stayed a major Bear Stearns customer. His company [[Financial Trust Company]] stated in a 2009 verified complaint that "since 1981, Epstein has conducted hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions with Bear Stearns for his own, as well as his clients', accounts," with the firm's senior management. From at least 2000 to 2007 he chaired [[Liquid Funding]] Ltd., a [[Bermuda]] company partly owned by Bear Stearns that held mortgage-backed securities, a directorship disclosed in the [[Paradise Papers]]. Fox Business reported that he had about 60 million dollars in the Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage Fund, which collapsed in June 2007. On August 6, 2007, according to the 2009 complaint, Cayne told Epstein to "hold tight" to Financial Trust's 120,000 Bear shares; Financial Trust sold the last 100,000 on March 17, 2008 at 3.41 dollars and sued Bear Stearns in the District Court of the Virgin Islands (Civil No. 2009/106).[^6][^7][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### Towers Financial and the Hoffenberg Partnership
|
||||
|
||||
In the late 1980s Epstein worked closely with [[Steven Hoffenberg]], the financier who controlled [[Towers Financial Corporation]], a debt-collection company that bought portfolios of distressed medical and telephone receivables and sold notes and bonds to investors. Epstein was retained as a consultant, reportedly at twenty-five thousand dollars a month, and the two pursued attempted corporate takeovers of [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] and [[Emery Air Freight]] around 1987 and 1988. Towers Financial collapsed in 1993 in what prosecutors described as one of the largest [[Ponzi scheme|Ponzi schemes]] before [[Bernard Madoff]], with roughly 475 million dollars taken from investors. Hoffenberg pleaded guilty in 1995, was sentenced to twenty years, and served about eighteen.[^7]
|
||||
Two accounts of how Epstein came to Steven Hoffenberg survive. Hoffenberg told the journalist [[Vicky Ward]] that the two men, who met in [[London]] in the 1980s, were introduced by [[Douglas Leese]], a British defense contractor; Epstein said they were introduced by [[John Mitchell]], the former [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] convicted in the [[Watergate]] cover-up, who had died in 1988. Leese appears in the parliamentary record in January 1996, when [[George Galloway]] told the [[House of Commons]] under privilege that commissions on the [[Al-Yamamah]] arms sale to [[Saudi Arabia]] had been "handled by [[British Aerospace]] through a British business man, Douglas Leese, who has close connections with an offshore bank, the [[Bank of N. T. Butterfield|Bank of NT Butterfield]] in Bermuda." At the time of the introduction Epstein was running International Assets Group from his apartment; he testified in a 1989 deposition that he spent 80 percent of his time helping people recover stolen money from fraudulent brokers and lawyers.[^5][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
After his release Hoffenberg publicly claimed that Epstein had been a co-architect of the Towers fraud and had walked away with money while leaving Hoffenberg to face prosecution alone. Epstein was never charged in connection with Towers Financial, and Hoffenberg's reliability was contested; he made his accusations only years later, in litigation and interviews. Hoffenberg was found dead at his home in Derby, [[Connecticut]] in August 2022. The Towers period is one of two documented sources of capital, alongside the Wexner relationship, around which Epstein's later wealth was assembled.[^7]
|
||||
In the late 1980s Epstein worked closely with Hoffenberg, the financier who controlled [[Towers Financial Corporation]], a debt-collection company that bought portfolios of distressed medical and telephone receivables and sold notes and bonds to investors. Epstein was retained as a consultant, reportedly at twenty-five thousand dollars a month, and the two pursued attempted corporate takeovers of [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]], beginning in November 1987, and of [[Emery Air Freight]] in 1988. Towers Financial collapsed in 1993 in what prosecutors described as one of the largest [[Ponzi scheme|Ponzi schemes]] before [[Bernard Madoff]]; the court-ordered restitution was 475,157,340 dollars. Hoffenberg pleaded guilty in 1995, was sentenced on March 4, 1997 to twenty years, and was released on October 11, 2013.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
After his release Hoffenberg publicly claimed that Epstein had been a co-architect of the Towers fraud and had walked away with money while leaving Hoffenberg to face prosecution alone. Epstein was never charged in connection with Towers Financial. Hoffenberg swore in 2018 that prosecutors had "offered me a reduced sentence in exchange for information about Epstein's role" and that he refused; his lawyer Gary Baise said Judge [[Robert W. Sweet]] asked him, "Why did he not give up Epstein?", while Epstein's lawyers wrote that at a December 2013 conference "Judge Sweet stated he was unaware of Epstein." Hoffenberg sued Epstein and Financial Trust Company on May 27, 2016 (No. 1:16-cv-03989); after Epstein's counsel at [[Troutman Sanders]] raised standing, limitations and in pari delicto, he withdrew with prejudice and Judge [[Richard J. Sullivan]] dismissed the case on July 5, 2016. A class action by two Towers noteholders filed August 20, 2018 with Hoffenberg's affidavit (No. 1:18-cv-07580) was terminated on October 5, 2018 after a motion to dismiss and a sanctions threat. [[Illinois Department of Insurance|Illinois insurance regulators]], who had sued Hoffenberg in 1991, never deposed Epstein; their lawyer, Barry Gross, called him "very elusive." Hoffenberg was found dead at his home in Derby, [[Connecticut]] in August 2022.[^5][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Leslie Wexner and the Source of Wealth
|
||||
|
||||
Leslie Wexner, the founder of [[The Limited]], [[L Brands]], [[Victoria's Secret]], and [[Bath & Body Works]], met Epstein in the mid-1980s and made him his money manager and confidant. In 1991 Wexner granted Epstein sweeping power of attorney, authority to borrow money, sign checks, buy and sell property, and hire and fire on his behalf. Wexner transferred to Epstein the use of, and eventually title to, the seven-story townhouse at [[9 East 71st Street]] in Manhattan, one of the largest private residences in the city, which an Epstein entity took over around 2011 for far below its market value. Wexner also co-founded the [[Mega Group]], a club of wealthy Jewish businessmen and philanthropists, with the [[Seagram]] heir [[Charles Bronfman]].[^3][^6]
|
||||
Leslie Wexner, the founder of [[The Limited]], [[L Brands]], [[Victoria's Secret]], and [[Bath & Body Works]], met Epstein in the mid-1980s and made him his money manager and confidant. In 1991 Wexner granted Epstein sweeping power of attorney, authority to borrow money, sign checks, buy and sell property, and hire and fire on his behalf. Epstein joined the board of the [[Wexner Foundation]] in 1992, in the seat of Wexner's mother, Bella Wexner. Wexner transferred to Epstein the use of, and eventually title to, the seven-story townhouse at [[9 East 71st Street]] in Manhattan, one of the largest private residences in the city, under a 1998 purchase agreement secured by a 10 million dollar note; in December 2011 the Epstein-owned Nine East 71st Street Corporation transferred the house to Maple, Inc., another Epstein entity. Wexner also co-founded the [[Mega Group]], a club of wealthy Jewish businessmen and philanthropists, with the Seagram heir [[Charles Bronfman]].[^3][^5][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
Wexner cut ties with Epstein around 2007, and in 2019 he stated publicly that Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums" from him and his family, an amount reported as more than 46 million dollars, which Wexner said he had recovered. The mechanics of how a single client's fortune translated into Epstein's own remained opaque. A December 2025 [[New York Times]] investigation concluded that Epstein built his apparent wealth through "scams, theft and lies" rather than financial acumen, that his billionaire status was exaggerated, and that the Wexner relationship was central to whatever fortune he actually held.[^3]
|
||||
Wexner cut ties with Epstein around 2007, and in 2019 he stated publicly that Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums" from him and his family, an amount reported as more than 46 million dollars, which Wexner said he had recovered. The mechanics of how a single client's fortune translated into Epstein's own remained opaque. A December 2025 [[New York Times]] investigation concluded that Epstein built his apparent wealth through "scams, theft and lies" rather than financial acumen, that his billionaire status was exaggerated, and that the Wexner relationship was central to whatever fortune he actually held. A May 2003 [[JPMorgan Chase|JPMorgan]] due-diligence report stated that Epstein, "through the trading of his accounts and that of Leslie Wexner," generated "one of the largest annual revenue flows of private clients in the private bank."[^3][^12]
|
||||
|
||||
An August 15, 2019 FBI Criminal Investigative Division document, released in 2026, listed eight people as co-conspirators, among them Wexner, [[Jean-Luc Brunel]] and [[Lesley Groff]]; the Justice Department removed the redaction of Wexner's name in February 2026 after Representative [[Thomas Massie]] raised it. A representative for Wexner said prosecutors told his lawyers in 2019 that he was "neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect." In Israel a March 1, 2026 criminal complaint asked police to investigate the Wexner Foundation's 2.3 million dollar payments to Ehud Barak, after a January 30, 2026 Justice Department release showed Epstein's lawyer [[Darren Indyke]] writing in December 2005 that he "was involved in the negotiation and execution" of Barak's contract.[^13][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
### Ghislaine Maxwell and the Maxwell Intelligence Question
|
||||
|
||||
Ghislaine Maxwell became Epstein's companion, social organizer, and, according to her 2021 federal conviction, the principal recruiter and procurer of his trafficking operation, beginning in the early 1990s after she moved to New York. She is the youngest daughter of Robert Maxwell (born Jan Ludvik Hoch in [[Czechoslovakia]] in 1923), the British publishing magnate who controlled [[Mirror Group Newspapers]], served as a Labour [[Member of Parliament]], looted roughly 460 million pounds from the Mirror Group pension funds, and died in a disputed drowning off his yacht near the [[Canary Islands]] on November 5, 1991. Robert Maxwell was alleged across multiple published accounts to have operated as an intelligence asset, including for [[Mossad]], [[MI6]], and the [[KGB]], with claims involving the distribution of modified [[PROMIS]] software and a role in the [[Mordechai Vanunu]] case.[^2][^20]
|
||||
Ghislaine Maxwell became Epstein's companion, social organizer, and, according to her 2021 federal conviction, the principal recruiter and procurer of his trafficking operation, beginning in the early 1990s after she moved to New York. She is the youngest daughter of Robert Maxwell (born Jan Ludvik Hoch in [[Czechoslovakia]] in 1923), the British publishing magnate who controlled [[Mirror Group Newspapers]], served as a Labour [[Member of Parliament]], looted roughly 460 million pounds from the Mirror Group pension funds, and died in a disputed drowning off his yacht near the [[Canary Islands]] on November 5, 1991. Robert Maxwell was alleged across multiple published accounts to have operated as an intelligence asset, including for [[Mossad]], [[MI6]], and the [[KGB]], with claims involving the distribution of modified [[PROMIS]] software and a role in the [[Mordechai Vanunu]] case. On March 15, 2018 Epstein emailed a correspondent, whose name is redacted, a press passage stating that Robert Maxwell had "threatened Mossad," demanding 400 million pounds "to save his crumbling empire" or he "would expose all he had done for them."[^2][^15][^16]
|
||||
|
||||
The strongest version of the intelligence claim traces to [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-described former Israeli military intelligence officer, who alleged in his book Profits of War (1992) and later interviews that Robert Maxwell was a longtime Mossad asset and that Epstein and Ghislaine ran a sexual blackmail operation connected to Israeli intelligence. Ben-Menashe's account is uncorroborated by any declassified file, and his reliability is widely disputed. What is documented is narrower: that Ghislaine maintained the transatlantic social access through which Epstein operated, and that Epstein separately cultivated Barak and the Israeli surveillance-technology firm [[Carbyne]]. Whether the operation was directed by any service, or simply weaponized inherited wealth and connections for leverage, is unproven in any primary source and is treated here as a documented analytical thread rather than established fact.[^2][^20]
|
||||
The strongest version of the intelligence claim traces to [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-described former Israeli military intelligence officer, who alleged in his book Profits of War (1992) and later interviews that Robert Maxwell was a longtime Mossad asset and that Epstein and Ghislaine ran a sexual blackmail operation connected to Israeli intelligence. Ben-Menashe's account is uncorroborated by any declassified file, and his reliability is widely disputed. What is documented is narrower: that Ghislaine maintained the transatlantic social access through which Epstein operated, and that Epstein separately cultivated Barak and the Israeli surveillance-technology firm [[Carbyne]]. No primary source establishes that the operation was directed by any service.[^2][^15]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Properties
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's residences functioned as the physical infrastructure of the trafficking operation. The Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street, the Palm Beach house at [[358 El Brillo Way]] (acquired in 1990), the roughly 10,000-acre [[Zorro Ranch]] near Stanley, New Mexico, the private island of [[Little St. James]] in the U.S. Virgin Islands (acquired in 1998), the neighboring [[Great St. James]] (acquired in 2016), and an apartment on the [[Avenue Foch]] in Paris formed a circuit across which victims and associates were moved. Victims and a 1996 [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] report by [[Maria Farmer]] described hidden cameras and surveillance equipment in the properties, which fed the later allegation that the residences were instrumented to record guests.[^4][^9]
|
||||
Epstein's residences functioned as the physical infrastructure of the trafficking operation. The Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street, the Palm Beach house at [[358 El Brillo Way]] (acquired in 1990), the roughly 10,000-acre [[Zorro Ranch]] near Stanley, New Mexico, the private island of [[Little St. James]] in the U.S. Virgin Islands (acquired in 1998), the neighboring [[Great St. James]] (acquired in 2016), and an apartment on the [[Avenue Foch]] in Paris formed a circuit across which victims and associates were moved. Victims and a 1996 [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] report by [[Maria Farmer]] described hidden cameras and surveillance equipment in the properties, which fed the later allegation that the residences were instrumented to record guests. At his death the estate valued Zorro Ranch at 72 million dollars, the Manhattan house at 56 million, and the two islands together at 86 million.[^17][^18][^19]
|
||||
|
||||
Zorro Ranch in New Mexico was, according to a 2019 New York Times report, the site Epstein discussed for a project to "seed the human race with his DNA" by impregnating many women, a scheme he described to scientists and associates and that never came to fruition. New Mexico reopened a criminal inquiry into the ranch in 2025. Little St. James, called "Pedophile Island" in local accounts, was where Epstein hosted a 2002 science conference and where multiple victims said abuse occurred; under the 2022 settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands the island was sold and half the proceeds paid to the territory.[^9][^15]
|
||||
Zorro Ranch in New Mexico was, according to a 2019 New York Times report, the site Epstein discussed for a project to "seed the human race with his DNA" by impregnating many women, a scheme he described to scientists and associates and that never came to fruition. New Mexico reopened a criminal inquiry into the ranch in 2025. On August 19, 2010, two days after Epstein registered as a sex offender in New Mexico, the state Department of Public Safety told the Santa Fe County sheriff that he was not required to register, because the state treated the Florida offense as registrable only if the minor was under 16; the minor in the plea was 17. Little St. James, called "Pedophile Island" in local accounts, was where Epstein hosted a 2002 science conference and where multiple victims said abuse occurred; under the 2022 settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands the island was sold and half the proceeds, about 11 million dollars, paid to the territory.[^18][^19][^20]
|
||||
|
||||
At his last address verification as a registered sex offender, in July 2018, Epstein refused to let Virgin Islands Department of Justice investigators, assisted by [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]], go beyond the dock of Little St. James, calling the dock his "front door," and had them meet him at his office on [[St. Thomas]]. His organization objected to the territory's inspections of unpermitted construction on Great St. James as "invasions" of his constitutional right to privacy in a home "which he described defined as the entire island." Island employees signed confidentiality agreements barring them from speaking with law enforcement and were told to notify the organization and use its counsel if contacted.[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Trafficking Operation and the Recruitment Network
|
||||
|
||||
The operation recruited girls, some as young as 14, to give Epstein "massages" that became sexual abuse, and paid victims to recruit additional victims in a pyramid structure. The schemers and recruiters included Ghislaine Maxwell and a circle of assistants and procurers: [[Sarah Kellen]], [[Nadia Marcinkova]], [[Adriana Ross]], and [[Lesley Groff]], the four employees named and granted immunity in the 2008 federal agreement, and the French modeling agent [[Jean-Luc Brunel]], whose [[MC2 Model Management]] agency was reportedly seeded with about one million dollars of Epstein money and supplied women and girls. Brunel was arrested in France in December 2020 on charges including the rape of minors and was found hanged in a Paris prison in February 2022.[^4]
|
||||
The operation recruited girls, some as young as 14, to give Epstein "massages" that became sexual abuse, and paid victims to recruit additional victims in a pyramid structure. The schemers and recruiters included Ghislaine Maxwell and a circle of assistants and procurers: [[Sarah Kellen]], [[Nadia Marcinkova]], [[Adriana Ross]], and Lesley Groff, the four employees named and granted immunity in the 2007 federal agreement, and the French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, whose [[MC2 Model Management]] agency was reportedly seeded with about one million dollars of Epstein money and supplied women and girls. Brunel was arrested in France in December 2020 on charges including the rape of minors and was found hanged in a Paris prison in February 2022.[^17]
|
||||
|
||||
The Palm Beach Police Department opened an investigation in 2005 after a parent reported that her teenage daughter had been molested, and detectives identified dozens of victims and a network of recruiters. The most prominent victim-witnesses include [[Virginia Giuffre]] (recruited at age 16 or 17 while working at [[Mar-a-Lago]]), Maria Farmer and her sister [[Annie Farmer]], [[Courtney Wild]], and [[Sarah Ransome]]. Their accounts, depositions, and civil suits, many unsealed in the 2024 [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] document release, provided much of the public record of the operation.[^4][^21]
|
||||
A March 2011 JPMorgan report quoted in later shareholder litigation stated that "MC2 Model Management and Jeffrey Epstein engaged in racketeering that involved luring in minor children for sexual play for money," that Brunel "often visited Epstein in jail," and that Epstein had paid MC2 one million dollars in 2005, "unknown if the money was given as a secret investment or payment for services as a procurer." A 2011 compliance summary recorded that "the banker said today we extended Epstein a loan in relation to this modeling agency," a JPMorgan letter of credit to MC2. Epstein's JPMorgan accounts paid nearly 1.5 million dollars to known recruiters, including MC2.[^21]
|
||||
|
||||
The Palm Beach Police Department opened an investigation in 2005 after a parent reported that her teenage daughter had been molested, and detectives identified dozens of victims and a network of recruiters. The most prominent victim-witnesses overall include [[Virginia Giuffre]] (recruited at age 16 or 17 while working at [[Mar-a-Lago]]), Maria Farmer and her sister [[Annie Farmer]], who was abused at the New Mexico ranch in 1996, [[Courtney Wild]], and [[Sarah Ransome]]. Their accounts, depositions, and civil suits, many unsealed from the [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] record between 2019 and 2024, provided much of the public record of the operation.[^17][^22][^23]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Flight Logs and the Black Book
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein owned a Boeing 727 and additional aircraft flown by the pilots [[Larry Visoski]] and [[David Rodgers]], whose logbooks recorded passengers on flights among New York, Palm Beach, the Virgin Islands, and Europe. The logs surfaced through the civil litigation of 2009 to 2015 and became the basis for much of the public mapping of Epstein's contacts, though a log entry records travel and not conduct. Visoski testified at the 2021 Maxwell trial that he had never witnessed sexual activity aboard the aircraft, and the logs by themselves establish who flew, not what occurred.[^4]
|
||||
Epstein's Boeing 727, the [[Lolita Express]], and additional aircraft were flown by the pilots [[Larry Visoski]] and [[David Rodgers]], whose logbooks recorded passengers on flights among New York, Palm Beach, the Virgin Islands, and Europe. The logs surfaced through the civil litigation of 2009 to 2015 and became the basis for much of the public mapping of Epstein's contacts, though a log entry records travel and not conduct. Visoski testified at the 2021 Maxwell trial that he had never witnessed sexual activity aboard the aircraft, and the logs by themselves establish who flew, not what occurred.[^17][^24]
|
||||
|
||||
A bound contact directory, the "little black book," held roughly 1,900 entries of names, telephone numbers, and addresses spanning finance, politics, royalty, science, and entertainment. A former house manager at the Palm Beach property, [[Alfredo Rodriguez]], copied the directory and tried to sell it in 2009, calling it the "holy grail"; he was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2010. Redacted versions of the directory and of the flight manifests later circulated publicly and were cited in reporting and litigation to identify members of Epstein's social circle.[^4][^23]
|
||||
The 727 was registered N908JE to [[JEGE, Inc.]], of which Epstein was president, sole director and sole shareholder, from January 2001 until the registration was cancelled on October 5, 2019; Epstein was named chief executive on JEGE's Part 125 operating certificate, and Darren Indyke signed its 2013 re-registration. The Gulfstream N909JE was held by [[Hyperion Air, Inc.]], also wholly his. Other aircraft were held by Hyperion Air LLC, JEGE, LLC, Plan D LLC and Air Ghislaine Inc. (renamed Shmitka Air Inc. and then Freedom Air International Inc. in 2010), with Visoski signing filings as manager or director of aviation; Hyperion Air LLC bought back a Sikorsky helicopter on June 13, 2019, three weeks before Epstein's arrest. The 2007 draft federal indictment identified each charged flight by the corporate owner of the aircraft, and according to NBC News a May 2007 prosecution memorandum proposed charging JEGE, Inc. and Hyperion Air, Inc. alongside Epstein; the non-prosecution agreement ended the federal case, and both companies continued to hold his aircraft until after his death.[^25][^26][^27]
|
||||
|
||||
The documentary record expanded sharply after Epstein's death. The January 2024 unsealing of the Giuffre v. Maxwell exhibits by Judge Loretta Preska, the staged 2025 Justice Department releases, and the House Oversight Committee productions added emails, calendars, depositions, and photographs to the logs and the directory. The combined record widened the list of documented contacts while leaving intact the distinction between appearing in Epstein's logs or address book and participating in his crimes, a distinction that much of the subsequent public controversy turned on.[^17][^21]
|
||||
A bound contact directory, the "little black book," held roughly 1,900 entries of names, telephone numbers, and addresses spanning finance, politics, royalty, science, and entertainment. A former house manager at the Palm Beach property, [[Alfredo Rodriguez]], copied the directory and offered it for sale, calling it "the Holy Grail or Golden Nugget." The complaint against him, filed December 1, 2009, bears the name of Assistant U.S. Attorney [[Ann Marie Villafana]], the line prosecutor on the Epstein investigation; it records that Rodriguez offered the material through a cooperating witness to an "associate" who was an undercover FBI employee, and that he had given it to no "law enforcement agency or any of the civil attorneys." The charged obstruction ran from January 18, 2007, while the federal grand jury investigation was open, to November 3, 2009. He pleaded guilty and Judge [[Kenneth Marra]] sentenced him on June 21, 2010 to eighteen months. At Maxwell's 2021 trial a copy of the directory was admitted as Government Exhibit 52 after authentication by the earlier Palm Beach house manager [[Juan Alessi]]. Redacted versions of the directory and of the flight manifests circulated publicly and were cited in reporting and litigation to identify members of Epstein's social circle.[^17][^24]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2008 Non-Prosecution Agreement
|
||||
The documentary record expanded sharply after Epstein's death. The unsealing of the Giuffre v. Maxwell record, which began on August 9, 2019 and continued in tranches through January 2024 under Judge [[Loretta Preska]], the staged Justice Department releases of 2025 and 2026, and the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] productions added emails, calendars, depositions, and photographs to the logs and the directory. The combined record widened the list of documented contacts while leaving intact the distinction between appearing in Epstein's logs or address book and participating in his crimes.[^22][^23][^28]
|
||||
|
||||
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the [[Southern District of Florida]] investigated Epstein in 2006 and 2007 and prepared a 53-page federal indictment. Instead of prosecuting, the U.S. Attorney [[Alexander Acosta]] negotiated a [[non-prosecution agreement]] in 2007 and 2008 under which Epstein pleaded guilty to two Florida state charges, soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution, was sentenced to 18 months, served about 13 in the Palm Beach County stockade with work-release privileges that let him leave six days a week, and registered as a sex offender. The agreement also granted federal immunity to named co-conspirators and was concealed from the victims.[^4]
|
||||
### The Palm Beach Investigation and the State Case
|
||||
|
||||
The deal's leniency became the subject of the [[Miami Herald]] series "Perversion of Justice" by the reporter [[Julie K. Brown]] in 2018, which revived the case. In February 2019 the federal judge [[Kenneth Marra]] ruled that prosecutors had violated the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] by hiding the agreement from victims. Acosta, who had become U.S. Secretary of Labor under Donald Trump, resigned in July 2019. A 2020 Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility report found that Acosta had exercised "poor judgment" but had not committed professional misconduct.[^4][^19][^21]
|
||||
The Palm Beach investigation produced a sworn probable cause affidavit on May 1, 2006 in which Detective [[Joseph Recarey]] recommended four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation, all second-degree felonies. State Attorney [[Barry Krischer]] instead convened a grand jury, which on July 19, 2006 returned one count of felony solicitation of prostitution after hearing two of the girls. Police Chief [[Michael Reiter]] said in a 2009 civil deposition that Krischer had first told him "Let's go for it" because Epstein was "somebody we have to stop," and that "it was pretty clear to me that Mr. Krischer did not want to prosecute this case"; Krischer later told the Justice Department's [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] that "there were witness problems." Reiter gave his evidence to the FBI. Krischer also told the office that [[Alan Dershowitz]], brought in by Epstein's local counsel, had threatened: "We're going to destroy your witnesses; don't go to court because we're going to destroy those girls." According to Krischer, Dershowitz so "tainted the waters" that Epstein also hired the local attorney [[Jack Goldberger]], with whom Krischer had "a working relationship"; the husband of Assistant State Attorney [[Lanna Belohlavek]] was Goldberger's law partner.[^29][^30][^31]
|
||||
|
||||
On September 21, 2007, three days before the federal agreement was signed, Krischer wrote to the federal line prosecutor: "Glad we could get this worked out for reasons I won't put in writing. After this is resolved I would love to buy you a cup at Starbucks and have a conversation." Emails among Krischer, Belohlavek and a federal prosecutor from September 19 to 25, 2007 coordinated a meeting schedule with Epstein's attorneys. In December 2010, two and a half years after the state plea, an Epstein correspondent wrote to him that "krischer spoke to the governor before he left for Korea," that Krischer had lunched with a New York criminal defense lawyer, and that "we may want to think about using him with the registration stuff unless we are too invested with Kirkland. probably help us with Krischer."[^22][^32]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2007 Non-Prosecution Agreement
|
||||
|
||||
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the [[Southern District of Florida]] investigated Epstein in 2006 and 2007 and prepared a 53-page, 60-count draft federal indictment. Instead of prosecuting, the U.S. Attorney [[Alexander Acosta]] negotiated the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]], signed September 24, 2007, under which Epstein pleaded guilty to two Florida state charges, soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution, was sentenced to 18 months, served about 13 in the Palm Beach County stockade with work-release privileges, and registered as a sex offender. The agreement also granted federal immunity to named co-conspirators and was concealed from the victims.[^17][^22][^33]
|
||||
|
||||
The agreement's co-conspirator clause provided that "the [[United States]] also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to Sarah Kellen, Adriana Ross, Lesley Groff, or Nadia Marcinkova." On September 24, 2007 Epstein's lawyer [[Jay Lefkowitz]] asked the prosecutor to "do whatever you can to keep this from becoming public," and the office instructed the official briefing Chief Reiter not to tell him "about the money issue." Acosta met Lefkowitz for breakfast on October 12, 2007, after the signing, and Lefkowitz's follow-up letter thanked him for assuring that his office would not contact the identified victims.[^22][^34]
|
||||
|
||||
Lefkowitz and co-counsel [[Kenneth Starr]] were partners at [[Kirkland & Ellis]], the firm where Acosta had practiced in Washington before joining the [[George W. Bush]] Justice Department. From August 2005 to January 2009 Lefkowitz was also Bush's part-time Special Envoy for Human Rights in [[North Korea]]. On July 6, 2007, eleven weeks before the signing, Dershowitz and [[Gerald Lefcourt]] wrote to First Assistant [[Jeffrey Sloman]], Criminal Division chief [[Matthew Menchel]] and the line prosecutors citing the Harvard psychologist [[Steven Pinker]]'s opinion that their narrow reading of 18 U.S.C. 2422(b) was "the sole rational reading." On his retirement from Kirkland in March 2026 Lefkowitz said that "knowing what we all know now, I would not have taken on the Epstein matter," and a firm spokesperson said: "To say the least, we deeply regret the firm's 2007 representation of Jeffrey Epstein."[^33][^35][^36][^37][^38]
|
||||
|
||||
The prosecution team kept working on the federal case after the signing. On February 14, 2008 Villafana wrote to the FBI case agents that she had not yet sent the indictment and "was just asking for input on who to include and who to exclude." On May 16, 2008 Sloman wrote to her, "We got approved," explaining: "Alex called to tell me. He said the ltr needs to be tweaked which we'll do on Monday. I wouldn't call the FBI yet." In March 2011, JPMorgan's investment bank general counsel reported to the bank's general counsel, [[Stephen Cutler]], a former Director of Enforcement at the SEC, that Lefkowitz, who "represented Epstein in state plea/fed NPA process," believed "any pre-plea conduct is subsumed within plea/NPA"; Cutler later testified that the bank "would have seen the non-pros agreement" sometime before 2011.[^39][^40][^41]
|
||||
|
||||
A 51-page "Epstein Investigation Timeline," marked privileged and as containing grand jury material and stamped Exhibit A-1, records the negotiation from the prosecutors' side. Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter had written to Krischer in May 2006 urging him to proceed on the probable cause affidavits or to recuse himself. In September 2007 Acosta, [[Drew Oosterbaan]], Sloman, Villafana and John McMillan met Starr, Lefkowitz and [[Lilly Ann Sanchez]]; on September 20 an internal email reported that Lefkowitz wanted to remove the registration requirement, and on September 23 Acosta told Lefkowitz to deal directly with Lourie and Villafana. On November 29, 2007 a forwarded exchange between Sloman and [[Andrew Lourie]] recorded that the defense "originally agreed to plead to the state felony that they thought was unregisterable (but did not tell us knowing we thought it was), but then discovered they were wrong and tried to get out of it. They tried several times to knock down the jail time after agreeing to the time." According to the chronology, in a telephone call in early January 2008 Lefkowitz admitted to Acosta that he had never intended Epstein to plead guilty to an offense requiring sex offender registration. After the Criminal Division rejected Epstein's appeal in May 2008, Villafana asked to indict, and Sloman and Acosta advised that Epstein would be given the chance to perform. On June 9, 2009, with Epstein on work release, she sent a memorandum titled "Request to Provide Notification of Breach," an indictment package was signed again for presentation on June 16, and on June 12 she wrote to Jack Goldberger about a violation of the agreement. The chronology ends with the formal office-wide recusal of the Southern District of Florida in July and August 2011.[^42]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein served his sentence in the custody of the [[Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office]] under Sheriff [[Ric Bradshaw]], who approved him for work release. From October 2008 he spent "12 hours a day purportedly working at the '[[Florida Science Foundation]],' an entity Epstein had recently incorporated that was co-located at the West Palm Beach office of one of Epstein's attorneys." The foundation paid the sheriff's office 128,136 dollars during his incarceration, money reported to have paid off-duty deputies assigned to him while he was there; later reporting on sheriff's records described him leaving the jail up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. In August 2019, after a letter from Bradshaw, Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] ordered the [[Florida Department of Law Enforcement]] to investigate; its May 2021 reports found no evidence that Krischer or Belohlavek "committed any crimes, accepted any bribes or gifts, or did anything improper," and found that Epstein "received differential treatment" in sheriff's custody that was not criminal.[^33][^43][^44]
|
||||
|
||||
Federal prosecutors had researched the sheriff's work-release rules from November 2007, seven months before the plea, and in July 2008 Villafana corresponded with "Col. M. Gauger" of the sheriff's office "re Epstein work release." On November 20, 2008, after learning that Epstein was on work release, she asked to indict him, and her criminal chief replied that Sloman agreed with the approach and next steps. On December 3, 2008 she wrote to her supervisors that "Goldberger and Krisher [sic] . . . have been scheming to get Epstein out on work release" and that Epstein was paying off-duty deputies "between $3000 and $4100 per week" for "protection"; on December 11 she wrote to the sheriff's Corrections Division that his application gave, as the Florida Science Foundation's telephone number, the number of Goldberger's law firm, and "the Sheriff's Office neither acknowledged nor responded." The sheriff's Extra Duty Permits System carried the detail as Permit No. 7804, "FL Science Foundation - Plain Clothed Position," and deputies' July 2009 overtime reports describe the assignment as "Provide security for Jeffrey Epstein," with midday escorts from the office to 358 El Brillo Way and back.[^42][^45][^46]
|
||||
|
||||
The civil settlements that followed were written into the criminal agreement. Epstein's November 2009 settlement with Virginia Roberts, later Virginia Giuffre, suing as Jane Doe No. 102 before Judge Marra, paid her 500,000 dollars, released Epstein's agents and employees and "any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant," and recited that it "is pursuant to and is in fulfillment of Jeffrey Epstein's obligations to Virginia Roberts" under "the Non-Prosecution Agreement, its Addendum, and its Affirmation." Epstein agreed "to continue to abide by Judge Marra's July 31, 2009 No Contact Order."[^47]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Agreement in Court and in Review
|
||||
|
||||
The deal's leniency became the subject of the [[Miami Herald]] series "Perversion of Justice" by the reporter [[Julie K. Brown]] in 2018, which revived the case. In February 2019 Judge Marra ruled that prosecutors had violated the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] by hiding the agreement from victims. The Justice Department then recused the Southern District of Florida from the litigation and assigned the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia to defend it. On April 15, 2021 the en banc [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit]] denied Courtney Wild's mandamus petition, holding that the Act gives victims no freestanding pre-charge remedy while declining to decide whether the rights attach before charges; the Supreme Court denied certiorari on February 22, 2022.[^22][^48][^49]
|
||||
|
||||
The Office of Professional Responsibility had declined in May 2011 to investigate a claim by Professor [[Paul Cassell]] that "improper influences" produced the agreement, citing its policy of not investigating matters that "could have been addressed in the course of litigation, unless a court has made a specific finding of misconduct." It opened a review on February 6, 2019 after a December 3, 2018 letter from Senator [[Ben Sasse]]. Acosta, who had become U.S. Secretary of Labor under Donald Trump, resigned in July 2019. The office's November 2020 report found that Acosta had not committed professional misconduct and "did not find evidence that his decision was based on corruption or other impermissible considerations, such as Epstein's wealth, status, or associations," but concluded that resolving the case through the agreement "constitutes poor judgment," that "the NPA was a flawed mechanism," and that the government's conduct "gave victims and the public the misimpression that the government had colluded with Epstein's counsel to keep the NPA secret from the victims." It found that the supervisors other than Acosta had "left the USAO, were transitioning to other jobs, or were absent at critical junctures."[^33][^50]
|
||||
|
||||
Before the report was final, the Chief of the Public Corruption Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the [[Southern District of New York]] reviewed the draft and on August 21, 2020 asked for two wording changes, which the Office of Professional Responsibility accepted: "at least one victim known to be a minor" became "at least one victim believed to be a minor," described as "more accurately reflect[ing] our position in the bail arguments regarding Epstein," and a statement that investigators "were aware" Epstein used hidden cameras in his New York residence to record his sexual encounters became that they "had learned" it.[^51]
|
||||
|
||||
Menchel had left the office in August 2007, weeks before the signing, for [[Kobre & Kim]]; according to reporting on the full report, he had offered the 2007 plea terms to an Epstein lawyer he had formerly dated. Epstein estate records released by the House Oversight Committee in October 2025 show appointments, calls, and dinners between Menchel and Epstein in 2011, 2013, and 2017. Menchel has said he had no business relationship with Epstein "at any point, not before, during or after my tenure," and has denied skiing with him.[^33][^52]
|
||||
|
||||
When Ghislaine Maxwell invoked the co-conspirator clause, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit|Second Circuit]] held in 2024 that under United States v. Annabi it bound only the Southern District of Florida, noting that the circuits "have been split on this issue for decades" and that the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division had told the Office of Professional Responsibility she "played no role" in the agreement; the Supreme Court denied certiorari on October 6, 2025. None of the four named women has been charged by any district. Among the files released in 2026 is a May 6, 2020 email in which a Southern District of New York prosecutor listed the office's internal memoranda, including a co-conspirator memo delivered in the week after Epstein's death, an 86-page "co-conspirator update memo" and a 13-page "corporate prosecution memo" described as "never discussed." Groff's lawyer said she was never told she was considered a co-conspirator.[^13][^34][^53][^54]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Science Network and the Eugenics Ambition
|
||||
|
||||
From the late 1990s Epstein financed and embedded himself in elite science through the literary agent John Brockman and his [[Edge Foundation]], whose annual "billionaires' dinner" Epstein attended and helped underwrite, and through targeted university gifts. He donated roughly 9.1 million dollars to [[Harvard University]] between 2001 and 2007, including about 6.5 million dollars around 2003 to help establish the [[Program for Evolutionary Dynamics]] under the mathematical biologist Martin Nowak, who gave Epstein an office and, according to Harvard's May 2020 internal review, key-card access and more than 40 visits after his 2008 conviction. Epstein cultivated scientists including Marvin Minsky of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], the geneticist George Church, the physicist [[Lawrence Krauss]], and the cognitive scientist [[Steven Pinker]], and funded conferences attended by figures up to Stephen Hawking.[^8][^9]
|
||||
From the late 1990s Epstein financed and embedded himself in elite science through the literary agent John Brockman and his [[Edge Foundation]], whose annual "billionaires' dinner" Epstein attended and helped underwrite, and through targeted university gifts. He gave [[Harvard University]] 9,179,000 dollars between 1998 and 2007, of which 8,443,000 dollars came in 22 gifts before his 2006 arrest and 736,000 dollars came between the arrest and the 2008 conviction. The largest, 6.5 million dollars in 2003, established the [[Program for Evolutionary Dynamics]] under Martin Nowak, who gave Epstein an office and, according to Harvard's May 2020 internal review, key-card access and more than 40 visits after his 2008 conviction. The program's own original web text stated that it "was established in 2003 by Harvard University President [[Larry Summers|Lawrence H. Summers]] following an imaginative proposal by Jeffrey Epstein and [[Benedict Gross]]." Contemporary press reports described the gift as part of a 30 million dollar pledge; Harvard's review "found no Harvard record of such a pledge," and Epstein's own foundation website continued in 2020 to claim a 35 million dollar gift. Epstein had been admitted in September 2005 as a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Psychology on the recommendation of its chair, [[Stephen Kosslyn]], who had received 200,000 dollars from Epstein between 1998 and 2002 and did not disclose it.[^55][^56]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's interest in genetics and population converged with a stated ambition to spread his own DNA. The 2019 New York Times report documented that he told scientists of plans to impregnate women at Zorro Ranch to seed the human race with his genome, and that he was drawn to [[transhumanism]] and [[eugenics]]. After his 2019 arrest, Church apologized for continued contact, and the [[MIT Media Lab]] director [[Joi Ito]] resigned over revelations, reported by Ronan Farrow, that the lab had concealed Epstein's donations. The science network gave Epstein a reputation as a patron of ideas that ran in parallel to his criminal operation.[^8][^9]
|
||||
Epstein cultivated scientists including Marvin Minsky of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], the geneticist George Church, the physicist [[Lawrence Krauss]], and the cognitive scientist Steven Pinker. He funded Minsky's April 2002 St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium and a December 2011 conference, and in March 2006, four months before his indictment, the "Confronting Gravity" conference in St. Thomas organized by Krauss, with about twenty physicists including Stephen Hawking and three Nobel laureates, and a barbecue on Little St. James.[^18][^57][^58]
|
||||
|
||||
After President [[Drew Faust]] barred further Epstein gifts no later than November 2008, donors Epstein introduced gave Harvard 9.5 million dollars between 2010 and 2015: 7.5 million dollars for Nowak's program (500,000 dollars from the [[Falconwood Foundation]] in 2010, and 7 million dollars from Leon Black, [[Debra Black]] and the [[Black Family Foundation]] in 2011, 2014 and 2015) and 2 million dollars from Black for Church. Epstein's accountant arranged gift letters permitting Nowak to spend the Black money on rent, and Harvard development staff thanked Epstein in December 2014 "for trying to expedite this gift." Epstein had been a trustee of the Black Family Foundation from 1997 until, according to Black's representative, July 2007; Black's representative told Harvard that "none of the funds were provided by Mr. Epstein." Black also gave 2 million dollars to Krauss's Origins Project at [[Arizona State University]] in 2014 and 2015, where one accounting entry listed Epstein's employer as "Leon D. Black, Enhanced Education," and, by the account of internal [[MIT Media Lab]] emails, 5.5 million dollars to the Media Lab in 2014 at Epstein's direction.[^55][^59][^60][^61]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's interest in genetics and population converged with a stated ambition to spread his own DNA. The 2019 New York Times report documented that he told scientists of plans to impregnate women at Zorro Ranch to seed the human race with his genome, and that he was drawn to [[transhumanism]] and [[eugenics]]. In 2010, after his conviction, Epstein gave 20,000 dollars to the [[World Transhumanist Association]] (Humanity+), and in 2009 his C.O.U.Q. Foundation gave 50,000 dollars to the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, now the [[Machine Intelligence Research Institute]]. In 2014 he and Church formed an investment company, Georgarage, incorporated in Delaware by Darren Indyke, after Church sent Epstein a ten-stage, 10 million dollar investment plan that included "Supercentenarianstudy.com," reversing aging and "cold-resistant elephants." Epstein discussed Georgarage stakes in the xenotransplant company eGenesis, the gene-editing company Androcyte (where, its founder said, Epstein proposed becoming board chairman), and a California sequencing firm; no investment was completed. Androcyte's assets passed in 2017 to BetterHumans, which describes itself as "the world's first specifically-transhumanist bio-medical research organization." In 2013 Epstein's cells were sampled into Church's Personal Genome Project and cell lines were created, over staff objections to an attempt to expedite his sample. After his 2019 arrest, Church apologized for continued contact.[^18][^59][^62][^63]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's publicists worked to attach his name to the institutions he funded. In mid-2013 his publicist asked Nowak's program for links because "a link on Harvard's network would be very helpful," and in 2014 obtained a "Friends" page on the program's website on which Epstein was the only entry, because "it would be very helpful in terms of Google results if his name were attached to a Harvard.edu url." In a 2012 email a person whose name is redacted in the Justice Department release told Epstein that press releases about Nowak's work had been placed with major outlets, with more planned on Church and others, in an effort to push "the bad stuff" off the first page of search results; Epstein replied that "ther[e] should be an article a day or every two days." In 2015 an Epstein foundation letter falsely told the [[John Templeton Foundation]] that Enhanced Education had funded Nowak's program since 2003, securing matching conditions for a 1.5 million dollar grant; Harvard's review found that Nowak and his administrator "provided false information."[^55][^62]
|
||||
|
||||
The MIT Media Lab director [[Joi Ito]] resigned on September 7, 2019 over revelations, reported by [[Ronan Farrow]], that the lab had concealed Epstein's donations. Farrow reported, citing internal documents and the former development associate [[Signe Swenson]], that Epstein was listed as "disqualified" in MIT's donor database and that the Media Lab recorded his gifts as anonymous. MIT's investigators at [[Goodwin Procter]] wrote that "neither Epstein nor his foundations was ever coded as 'disqualified,'" a code it said denotes dormant donors, while confirming that MIT's senior team (General Counsel R. Gregory Morgan, Vice President Jeffrey Newton and Treasurer Israel Ruiz) approved the anonymous-gift framework in June 2013: "We do not want his name appearing on any list of supporters or donors in any form."[^60][^64]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Post-Conviction Network
|
||||
|
||||
After the 2008 plea Epstein rebuilt his social and business standing and continued to broker access among the wealthy and powerful. The [[Wall Street Journal]] reporting on his recovered calendars documented post-conviction meetings with William Burns (the future CIA director), [[Noam Chomsky]], the [[Obama]]-administration lawyer [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], and Tom Pritzker. Document releases established the August 2015 dinner hosted by Reid Hoffman in [[Palo Alto]] at which Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Joi Ito were present to raise money for the MIT Media Lab; a February 2016 email recording that Thiel "LOVED the secret socieity [sic] idea"; the 2011 Tom Pritzker correspondence using "secret society" language; and 2014 meetings at the townhouse attended by William Burns.[^10][^11][^12]
|
||||
After the 2008 plea Epstein rebuilt his social and business standing and continued to broker access among the wealthy and powerful. On December 2, 2010, seventeen months after his release, he hosted a small dinner for Prince Andrew, who was staying at the Manhattan house; the publicist [[Peggy Siegal]] organized it and listed the guests as Andrew, [[Woody Allen]] and [[Soon-Yi Previn]], [[Katie Couric]] and [[George Stephanopoulos]], describing the house as "one [of] the largest single dwellings in New York."[^65]
|
||||
|
||||
The political relationships were older and equally documented. Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's Boeing 727, the so-called [[Lolita Express]], more than two dozen times in the early 2000s, including a 2002 trip to Africa connected to the [[Clinton Foundation]], while denying any knowledge of Epstein's crimes or any visit to Little St. James. Prince Andrew, the [[Duke of York]], was photographed with Virginia Giuffre in 2001, settled her 2021 civil suit for a reported sum in 2022 without admitting liability, and was stripped of his royal and military titles between 2022 and 2025. Donald Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before a falling out, a relationship documented in flight logs, contemporaneous quotes, and a disputed 2003 birthday letter.[^11][^18]
|
||||
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reporting on his recovered calendars documented post-conviction meetings with [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], Tom Pritzker and William Burns. Burns met Epstein three times in 2014 while serving as [[Deputy Secretary of State]]; the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] spokeswoman [[Tammy Kupperman Thorp]] said in 2023 that Burns remembered "meeting Epstein once briefly in New York." Ruemmler, the [[Barack Obama]] administration's [[White House Counsel]] from 2011 to 2014, had more than three dozen appointments with Epstein between 2014 and 2019; Epstein's staff asked him twice whether young women should be kept out of the townhouse while she was there. On January 8, 2015 she wrote to Epstein: "John Brennan gave me the CIA Agency Medal (the CIA's highest award) this morning. How cool is that?" Ruemmler told the Journal: "I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein." Chomsky had 270,000 dollars moved through Epstein's office.[^66][^67][^68]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's charity [[Gratitude America]], whose operating account was at [[Deutsche Bank]] Trust Company Americas, paid the president of [[Bard College]], [[Leon Botstein]], in quarterly checks; one dated August 1, 2016, for 37,500 dollars payable to "Leon Botstein," bears the memo "3rd Quarterly Payment of 4." Deutsche Bank later produced the check images to federal prosecutors in New York. Bard said the 150,000 dollars was compensation for a year on the foundation's board as a music expert, and Botstein said he gave it to the college as part of a one million dollar gift that year: "I didn't benefit personally at all."[^69]
|
||||
|
||||
In an iMessage exchange of August 23, 2018 exported from a device whose owner's name is redacted, the contact saved as "Steve Bannon" wrote, "Do u have access that's not the front door," adding that "they have 24/7 surveillance on u," and, asked who was watching, "Don't know but real folks costing lot of coin." The account holder proposed meeting at "301 East 66," adding "I don't like he regency as it is totally wired" and "There is also a rear entrance on 67"; that evening he wrote, "Your girlfriend Ruemmler is coming over," proposed "a private screening of dharma for the power players. . . . Non of my fingerprints," referring to [[Errol Morris]]'s documentary on Bannon, and later wrote: "your girlfriend is outraged. . I suggested to her he pardon everyone, say this is not good for the country , and then fake the heart attack." [[Steve Bannon]] confirmed to the New York Times in 2021 that he had recorded more than 15 hours of interviews with Epstein for a documentary that was never released.[^70]
|
||||
|
||||
On August 8, 2016, in reply to Epstein's question "who attends," Pritzker sent him the membership of the [[Aspen Strategy Group]]: "Nye, Scowcroft and Nick Burns run it (Scowcroft being replaced by Condi). Members include Patraeus, Albright, Slaughter, Donalon (Obama NSA), Hadley (Bush NSA), Sullivan (NSA Hillary), Bill Burns (State #2), Kurt Campbell, Hoss Carwright (#2 Jt Chiefs), Harman, Ignatius, Sanger, Nunn, Reed, Sawers (MI6), Sherman (iran deal), Work (current #2 DoD). It seems to now be taking on an aura." [[John Sawers]] had been chief of MI6.[^71]
|
||||
|
||||
Justice Department releases record a dinner on August 2, 2015 at the Baume restaurant in [[Palo Alto]], which the organizers bought out, whose confirmed attendees were [[Ed Boyden]], Reid Hoffman, Mark Zuckerberg, [[Priscilla Chan]], Peter Thiel, Epstein, Elon Musk and Joi Ito. On August 12, 2010 a correspondent whose name is redacted asked Epstein for "suggestions for an old guy. super smart / well connected that wants to continue legacy of 'old school' secret society?"; on February 6, 2016 Epstein wrote to another redacted correspondent that "peter thiel LOVED the secret socieity idea. . he has done alot of work on the concept. all failed so far," and received the reply ":-) let's do it."[^72][^73]
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan records produced in the Virgin Islands case show Epstein arranging introductions for [[Jes Staley]] to Ehud Barak, [[Peter Mandelson]] and Bill Gates, and referring Pritzker to the bank; in January 2008, months before Epstein's plea, Staley had his assistant arrange a meeting between Barak and JPMorgan executives through [[Jamie Dimon]]'s office. Epstein arranged two consulting arrangements for Larry Summers from 2013, a paid advisory seat with the Mongolian president's office worth up to 100,000 dollars a year and a Kazakhstan economic-policy engagement for which Epstein proposed "3-5 million per year"; Summers formed LHSummers Economic Consulting LLC two months after Epstein raised the idea, and an Epstein foundation paid 14,000 dollars for his 2014 first-class airfare to Kazakhstan.[^12][^39][^74]
|
||||
|
||||
Howard Lutnick, who in 1998 bought 11 East 71st Street from an entity that had bought it from Epstein in 1996, signed an investment contract in the advertising company Adfin four days after a December 24, 2012 lunch on Little St. James, with Epstein signing for [[Southern Trust Company]]. A calendar alert of December 20, 2012 asked: "can Howard Lutnick do lunch Sat or Sun on JE's island?" In October 2025 Lutnick said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005. An FBI Guardian complaint form dated April 23, 2021 and filed under the Epstein child-sex-trafficking case number records an October 2020 call from a caller describing himself as a former Cantor Fitzgerald compliance employee, who alleged money laundering by Lutnick through [[BGC Partners|BGC Financial]] and [[Cantor Fitzgerald]], claimed to hold documents linking Lutnick to Epstein and Maxwell, and alleged that "Epstein also sold Lutnick a house for $10 dollars through a trust fund." The FBI's own database query for Lutnick returned 26 results in New York case files, including a closed money-laundering case and a RICO real-estate control file, and three suspicious activity reports; the form notes that "queries were not conducted on Epstein and Maxwell due to the sensitive nature of the case." The caller's allegations are recorded in the form as his statements, without findings.[^75][^76]
|
||||
|
||||
The political relationships were older and equally documented. Bill Clinton flew on the 727 more than two dozen times in the early 2000s, including a 2002 trip to Africa connected to the [[Clinton Foundation]], while denying any knowledge of Epstein's crimes or any visit to Little St. James. Prince Andrew, the [[Duke of York]], was photographed with Virginia Giuffre in 2001, settled her 2021 civil suit for a reported sum in 2022 without admitting liability, and was stripped of his royal and military titles between 2022 and 2025; an FBI New York email of June 8, 2020 asked about the status of the "MLAT request for Prince Andrew." Donald Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before a falling out, a relationship documented in flight logs, contemporaneous quotes, and a disputed 2003 birthday letter.[^66][^77][^78]
|
||||
|
||||
### Carbyne and Ehud Barak
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein invested in the Israeli emergency-response company Reporty Homeland Security, renamed Carbyne in 2018 and chaired by Ehud Barak, through SUM (E.B.) Limited Partnership, whose general partner was Ergo (E.B. 2014) Ltd. In February 2019 SUM held warrants to buy 61,251 more preferred shares for 3.5 million dollars, raising its stake "from about 13% to about 26.33%, on a fully diluted basis"; the exercise was funded by Southern Trust (2.4 million dollars) and [[NJF Capital]], formerly Montilla International Corporation (1.2 million dollars), and wired through [[Bank Leumi]]. When the bank's anti-money-laundering review asked for the "controlling person" of the limited partners, Indyke asked Epstein on March 14, 2019 whether he could confirm that Epstein was the controlling person of Southern Trust, and Epstein replied "Yes." Barak wrote to Epstein on March 11 that the disclosure demands reflected "the Israeli banks paranoia after they paid the penalties they've paid to the US authorities for past mistakes," adding: "According to our experience it was never leaked out of the banks. Just kept with them as an insurance policy."[^79]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 1, 2019, with Epstein copied, Barak sent [[Jabor Al Thani]] a presentation of Carbyne, "public safety company of which I'm the chairman and leading investor," for the security of the 2022 World Cup in [[Qatar]]: "We can work through a European company of your choice and minimize Israeli profile." Jabor Al Thani asked for help with "any anti-drone services or technologies" and named the country manager of a Qatari security services company as his contact; Barak made Carbyne's chief executive, [[Amir Elichai]], the point of contact. On May 21, 2018 Epstein had written to Peter Thiel: "FYI trae is meeting carbyne Ehud Barak co." In February 2019 [[Nicole Junkermann]], a co-investor, wrote to Epstein that "Carbyne invested 1.5 m (1m you and 0.5m me) net of fees is 3.9m your share, Ehud carry 1.5 m and my share 2m," in a message that also concerned a separate "China" matter which she asked whether Barak could help with.[^80][^81][^82]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 8, 2017, as reporting broke on the lawyer [[David Boies]]'s use of former Israeli intelligence operatives, Epstein wrote to Barak: "boies said he got to the mossad guys through you? true?" and then, "Did Boies ask you to help Obtain former mossad agents to do dirty investigations. ? this is getting a lot of press." Barak replied the next morning: "Call me.. [redacted] in Paris." Barak said in February 2026: "I regret meeting him."[^14][^16]
|
||||
|
||||
### Vitaly Churkin
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's iMessage exchanges with Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Permanent Representative to the [[United Nations]], run from November 2015 to January 10, 2017. Epstein wrote in December 2015 "Oil now at the 36 $ level I suggested," and in February 2016 "Good work on Syria , markets will continue bad." He offered Churkin meals with Barak and Summers, introduced "my very close friend Tom Pritzker," and mentioned that "thorbjorn jagland will be staying with me," a reference to [[Thorbjørn Jagland]], then Secretary General of the [[Council of Europe]]. He arranged work for Churkin's son: "Any maxim help is confidential," then "First job confirmed to start day after Labor Day," and later "Maxim is scoring good grades . Thought u should know." On August 29, 2016 Epstein hosted a lunch for Barak, [[Tom Barrack]] and Churkin. Their last exchange arranged a lunch on January 10, 2017. Churkin died in New York on February 20, 2017; Epstein's office scheduled calls and a meeting with his son through August 2017.[^83]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Intelligence and Blackmail Question
|
||||
|
||||
The recurring claim that Epstein's operation served an intelligence or blackmail function rests on several documented strands and one contested central assertion. The documented strands include Ghislaine Maxwell's intelligence-linked paternity; Epstein's brokering of the Israeli emergency-response and surveillance firm Carbyne and his attempts to connect Ehud Barak with Peter Thiel over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]]; the instrumentation of his properties with cameras; and the 2019 search of the townhouse, which recovered a safe containing compact discs, cash, diamonds, and an expired foreign passport in Epstein's name with a Saudi address. The contested central assertion is the claim, attributed by the journalist [[Vicky Ward]] to a former senior [[White House]] official, that Acosta had told Trump transition vetters he was given to understand Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to leave the case alone.[^11][^19]
|
||||
The recurring claim that Epstein's operation served an intelligence or blackmail function rests on several documented strands and one contested central assertion. The documented strands include Ghislaine Maxwell's intelligence-linked paternity; Epstein's investment with Barak in Carbyne and his attempts to connect Barak with Peter Thiel over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]]; the instrumentation of his properties with cameras; and the 2019 search of the townhouse, which recovered a safe containing compact discs, cash, diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with Epstein's photograph under another name. The contested central assertion is the claim, attributed by Vicky Ward to a former senior [[White House]] official, that Acosta had told Trump transition vetters he was given to understand Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to leave the case alone.[^50][^66]
|
||||
|
||||
Acosta denied making the statement when questioned by the House Oversight Committee, saying he had no knowledge of whether Epstein was connected to any intelligence service. The "belonged to intelligence" quote traces to a single anonymous source. No declassified document confirms that Epstein worked for any agency of any country. The blackmail thesis (that the recordings and the elite guest lists were assembled to generate leverage) is supported by victim and witness descriptions of surveillance and by the structure of the operation, but it remains an inference rather than a documented program, and is recorded here as an open question rather than an established fact.[^11][^19][^20]
|
||||
Acosta denied the account in a voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on September 19, 2025, saying he had no knowledge of whether Epstein was connected to any intelligence service. The "belonged to intelligence" quote traces to a single anonymous source. William Barr, Attorney General at the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, was asked about the account in an August 18, 2025 deposition before the committee and answered that he knew of it only from "what's ever been reported in articles over the years." He said he had "no reason to believe he was working for the CIA or any intelligence agency, and I'm dubious about claims like that," answered "No" when asked whether Epstein had been an employee, asset, or informant of any foreign service, and said that "if he was an American asset, as opposed to some businessman who shares stuff with the government, I would've heard about it from the intelligence agency." No declassified document confirms that Epstein worked for any agency of any country.[^50][^84]
|
||||
|
||||
The earliest known report to law enforcement came in 1996, when Maria Farmer told the FBI that she and her younger sister had been abused and described surveillance equipment inside Epstein's New York residence; she said the report produced no apparent action for years. Accounts from victims and household staff describing cameras in the properties, combined with the 2019 recovery of compact discs and the foreign passport from the townhouse safe, are the documented basis for the inference that the operation was instrumented to generate leverage. No recordings of guests have been produced publicly, no service of any country has acknowledged a relationship with Epstein, and the maximalist accounts that describe a fully operational blackmail enterprise rest on inference and contested sourcing rather than a disclosed program. What the cameras recorded, and where any recordings went, remains unresolved in the public record.[^4][^14][^19]
|
||||
In July 2011 Epstein, through his lawyer [[Martin Weinberg]], had Privacy Act requests pending with both the FBI and the CIA for whatever records the agencies held on him. Weinberg wrote to him on July 18, 2011: "we filled out fbi privacy waiver with VI address last year, we filed CIA [[Freedom of Information Act|FOIA]] - they have it - we need a separate privacy waiver signed in 2011 for them to fully process."[^85]
|
||||
|
||||
The earliest known report to law enforcement came on August 29, 1996, when Maria Farmer reported to the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]]'s Sixth Precinct (complaint No. 1996-0067241, recording that Epstein "did call her and stated he was going to burn victim's painting" and "has keys to victim's apartment") and then by telephone to the FBI. She alleges that she told the Bureau of the recording devices and monitoring equipment Epstein had shown her at the New York house and of a "modeling book" of apparently underage girls kept in his safe, which Maxwell said was used in connection with Victoria's Secret; that she had been assaulted at Epstein's house in [[New Albany, Ohio]], "part of or adjacent to Les Wexner's estate," and held there by "a local Sheriff and other persons connected with Wexner"; and that the FBI hung up on her mid-sentence. FBI agents interviewed her in 2006 during the Florida investigation. The Bureau's record of the 1996 report was released on December 23, 2025. In July 2023 she and Sarah Ransome filed a 600 million dollar Federal Tort Claims Act claim against the FBI, and in May 2025 she sued the United States (No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C.)). Her complaint also records that in 1992 the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] leased Epstein a New York townhouse and sued him in 1996 after he sublet it at a profit, and that he relied in his defense on communications with an official of the Office of Foreign Missions; certain documents in that case were sealed.[^86][^87][^88]
|
||||
|
||||
Accounts from victims and household staff describing cameras in the properties, combined with the 2019 recovery of compact discs and the foreign passport from the townhouse safe, are the documented basis for the inference that the operation was instrumented to generate leverage. In December 2009, five months after his release, a correspondent signing "Gmax" wrote to Epstein: "If you call I'd start by saying what ever you saw was fake and part of a blackmail scheme." No recordings of guests have been produced publicly, and no service of any country has acknowledged a relationship with Epstein. What the cameras recorded, and where any recordings went, is not established in the public record.[^17][^50][^89][^90]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Financial Structures and the Bank Settlements
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's finances ran through entities chartered in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including [[Financial Trust Company]] (established in 1996) and [[Southern Trust Company]] (established around 2012), which obtained territorial tax benefits under the Economic Development Commission program. The Virgin Islands later alleged that Southern Trust fraudulently obtained those benefits by claiming to run a "DNA database" and data-mining ("informatics") business it never actually conducted, and that the company existed to fund Epstein's criminal activity and properties. His banking ran through [[JPMorgan Chase]], which kept him as a client until 2013, and then [[Deutsche Bank]].[^15][^16]
|
||||
Epstein's finances ran through entities chartered in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including Financial Trust Company, incorporated in St. Thomas on November 6, 1998, and Southern Trust Company, incorporated on November 18, 2011 as Financial Informatics, Inc. and renamed in September 2012, with assets of about 391 million dollars in 2015. Both obtained territorial tax benefits under the [[Economic Development Commission]] program: Financial Trust from 1999 under a certificate signed by Industrial Development Commission director [[Frandelle Gerard]], amended in 2012 over the signature of EDC chairman [[Albert Bryan]], who also signed Southern Trust's January 24, 2014 certificate. At the November 15, 2012 EDC hearing the company described its business under oath as "cutting edge consulting services" in "biomedical and financial informatics"; the Virgin Islands later alleged that Southern Trust obtained the benefits for a business it never conducted and existed to fund Epstein's criminal activity and properties. His banking ran through JPMorgan Chase, which kept him as a client until 2013, then Deutsche Bank, and also through [[BNY Mellon]]; the June 15, 2007 7.4 million dollar wire to Maxwell for her Sikorsky helicopter came from his Mellon Bank account.[^11][^12][^20][^91][^92]
|
||||
|
||||
The Virgin Islands operation extended into territorial politics. According to the Attorney General's complaint, Epstein's local affairs were managed by [[Cecile de Jongh]], the office manager of Southern Trust and the wife of Governor [[John de Jongh]] (in office 2007 to 2015), and the complaint alleged that she helped Epstein shape legislation affecting sex-offender monitoring and the Economic Development Commission benefits while Epstein-linked entities paid family expenses. The territory's later Attorney General, [[Denise George]], who filed the 2020 suit against the estate and a 2022 suit against JPMorgan, was removed by Governor [[Albert Bryan]] days after the bank suit was filed. The banks themselves became defendants, with Jes Staley, the JPMorgan executive who managed the Epstein relationship, later banned from senior UK finance roles over it.[^15][^16]
|
||||
Southern Trust reported about 184 million dollars in revenue from 2013 to 2017 with no visible clients and one information-technology employee. The territory's 2022 complaint stated that "virtually all" of its income came "from a single source," which paid it 158 million dollars from 2013 to 2017, 85 percent of its revenue. The [[Dechert]] review commissioned by [[Apollo Global Management]] found that Leon Black signed a service agreement with Southern Trust Company, Inc. on February 13, 2013 and paid Epstein 50 million dollars in 2013, 70 million in 2014, 30 million in 2015, nothing in 2016 and 8 million in 2017, a total of 158 million dollars, plus 30.5 million dollars in 2017 loans from BV70 LLC to Plan D LLC; Dechert found no evidence Black paid for anything but "legitimate advice." Senator [[Ron Wyden]]'s staff put Black's share at 166 million dollars, or 90 percent. Black's wires came from [[Bank of America]] accounts; the bank filed its first suspicious activity report on them on February 7, 2020, flagging 156 million dollars as having "no apparent economic, business or lawful purpose." Black's January 20, 2023 settlement with the territory recites that "Jeffrey Epstein used the money Black paid him to partially fund his operations in the Virgin Islands," while disclaiming any admission of liability. Financial Trust also bought 263,257 Apollo shares in the March 2011 initial public offering through a directed-share program; the shares passed to Southern Financial LLC in 2013.[^11][^12][^93][^94][^95]
|
||||
|
||||
The post-death litigation produced large settlements. In 2022 Epstein's estate agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than 105 million dollars, plus the repayment of roughly 80 million dollars in tax benefits and half the proceeds of Little St. James. In 2023 JPMorgan paid 290 million dollars to victims and 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands, and Deutsche Bank paid 75 million dollars to victims. The former JPMorgan and Barclays executive [[Jes Staley]], who managed the Epstein banking relationship, was fined and permanently banned from senior financial roles by the UK Financial Conduct Authority in 2023 for misleading the regulator about his ties to Epstein; an appeals tribunal upheld the ban in 2025 while reducing the penalty to about 1.1 million pounds. The Epstein Victims' Compensation Program separately paid out roughly 121 million dollars to more than 125 claimants.[^15][^16]
|
||||
Epstein received the working papers of Black's estate planning during the years of the Southern Trust payments. A "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring" dated October 2, 2013 covered the substitution of trust assets for a promissory note, financing against Black's art collection with "Preliminary meetings with Deutsche Bank taken," the decanting of family trusts, the restructuring of Black Family Partners and other family entities, and the creation of foundations for each of Black's children. On January 21, 2014 Ada Clapp of Black Family Partners, 445 Park Avenue, sent Epstein the updated version: "Attached is what I believe you are referring to by the 9 page list. I updated to show progress." On July 24, 2017 Barry J. Cohen forwarded to Epstein a privileged [[Sullivan & Cromwell]] memorandum on "Leon Black Estate Planning," addressed by the firm to Clapp, Cohen and Brad Wechsler, with the note: "Let us know what issues you have."[^96]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 Federal Charges and the Death
|
||||
A forensic accountant retained by the Virgin Islands identified 134 JPMorgan accounts owned by Epstein or related people and entities, including accounts for Maxwell, [[Richard Kahn]], Darren Indyke, [[Harry Beller]] and Nadia Marcinkova. In September 2009 his balances were 142,867,562 dollars on the bank's internal "Wall of Cash" list. He withdrew more than 7 million dollars in cash from JPMorgan accounts from 2002 to 2013. A March 18, 2004 JPMorgan memorandum to Dimon and others described Epstein as "a founding investor in Highbridge," the hedge fund [[Highbridge Capital Management]] that JPMorgan bought into that year. On July 20, 2011 Cutler wrote to Staley and [[Mary Erdoes]] that Epstein "should not be a client." After Epstein left the bank in 2013, Erdoes approved continued dealings with him on Black's business "as long as it was through the client accounts." JPMorgan filed seven suspicious activity reports on him totaling about 4.3 million dollars between 2002 and 2016, none covering May 2003 to September 2008; after his July 2019 arrest it filed reports on August 13, 2019 (469 wires, about 201 million dollars, including payments to women in Russia, Belarus and Turkmenistan through correspondent accounts at Russian banks including [[Sberbank]] and [[Alfa-Bank]]) and September 26, 2019 (4,725 wires, 1,081,819,653 dollars). Deutsche Bank retroactively reported more than 250 million dollars in Epstein wires after his arrest.[^12][^21][^39][^92][^97]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested at [[Teterboro Airport]] in [[New Jersey]] as he returned from Paris, charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the [[Southern District of New York]] under [[Geoffrey Berman]] (with the prosecutor [[Maurene Comey]] on the case) with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The search of the townhouse recovered the safe and its contents, and a judge ordered him held without bail. On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center]] in Manhattan. The New York City Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging.[^1][^14]
|
||||
After a July 22, 2019 New York Times article on Epstein's ties to Wall Street figures, JPMorgan's global head of financial crimes compliance wrote to two chief compliance officers: "Top of house requested that we expand our analysis to related parties and put together slides.... There is a highbridge angle and one dating back to Bear." The work became an internal review called "Project Jeep," whose 22-page summary of Epstein, Staley and Erdoes emails, circulated internally in October 2019, stated that "Jes Staley appears to have a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, regularly communicating with him and seeking advice from him including while Epstein is incarcerated," and that Epstein "appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew" and "Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British Government," and "a close relationship with [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem|Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem]]," the chairman of [[DP World]]. The Virgin Islands argued in June 2023 that it would have asked Dimon whether the "top of house" order came from him, citing another bank email in which "top of the house ok for clients who are convicted felons" ran "to Cutler to Jaime Daimnon [sic]"; JPMorgan answered that the phrase referred to Cutler. Late-produced emails showed that the former Bear Stearns chairman Alan Greenberg had gone to Cutler "for an exception to the felony policy" for Epstein, and JPMorgan acknowledged that legacy Bear Stearns staff including Greenberg "may have attempted to speak with" Cutler about the policy, a decision "made by Mr. Cutler." At a January 7, 2011 meeting the head of the U.S. Private Bank, Catherine Keating, said that "no one on today's call was in favor of having retained him as a client. Seems it was all due to Jes's personal relationship"; twelve days later a JPMorgan Securities employee wrote to Epstein that "Ace would love to speak to Jeffrey." Dimon testified that the bank "did not need introductions to anybody." In August 2023 Judge [[Jed S. Rakoff]] denied the territory's request to compel production of all documents concerning "Project Jeep" or other investigations after Epstein's 2019 arrest.[^98]
|
||||
|
||||
The death produced sustained dispute. The guards [[Tova Noel]] and [[Michael Thomas]] had failed to perform required checks and later admitted to falsifying records; they were charged in November 2019 and entered a deferred-prosecution agreement, and the charges were ultimately dropped. The cameras outside the cell malfunctioned, and Epstein had been removed from suicide watch after an earlier incident. The forensic pathologist [[Michael Baden]], retained by Epstein's brother [[Mark Epstein]], said the fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were more consistent with homicidal strangulation than hanging, while the Medical Examiner stood by the suicide ruling. A 2023 Justice Department Inspector General report attributed the death to the guards' negligence and the jail's failures and found no evidence of murder, while documenting that the combination of lapses was extraordinary.[^14]
|
||||
Deutsche Bank informally designated Epstein an "Honorary PEP," or politically exposed person, "because of his connections to prominent political figures," and a January 2015 compliance escalation cited his relationships with "a prominent former U.S. politician and a member of a European royal family," whom the New York regulator did not name. In October 2008, while Epstein was serving his Florida sentence, Staley sent him the term sheet for "Micawber," a proposed JPMorgan and [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|FDIC]] vehicle to borrow from the [[Federal Reserve]] during the financial crisis; the UK Upper Tribunal found Epstein was the only recipient not involved in the proposal. In a June 4, 2026 letter Wyden wrote that unsealed Justice Department files indicated Epstein "reached out to Russian government officials" to help Black with women with whom Black had settlements or nondisclosure agreements, and acted "as a middleman for Black to pay women"; Black's counsel called the inquiry an attempt to "unfairly harass" a private citizen.[^99][^100]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Estate, the Document Releases, and the 2025-2026 Files
|
||||
The post-death litigation produced large settlements. In 2022 Epstein's estate agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than 105 million dollars, plus the repayment of 80,576,236 dollars in tax benefits and half the proceeds of Little St. James. In 2023 JPMorgan paid 290 million dollars to victims and 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands, and Deutsche Bank paid 75 million dollars to victims. Staley, who managed the Epstein banking relationship at JPMorgan before becoming chief executive of Barclays, was banned from senior UK financial roles and fined by the [[Financial Conduct Authority]] in a decision dated May 30, 2023 and published that October, which the Upper Tribunal upheld in June 2025 while reducing the penalty to 1,107,306.92 pounds; the ban took effect with the Authority's Final Notice of July 23, 2025. The Epstein Victims' Compensation Program's administrator, [[Jordana Feldman]], announced in 2021 nearly 125 million dollars in payments to 150 eligible claimants; the co-executors' lawyers later put it at 121 million dollars to 136 claimants, and the estate separately settled with 58 women for about 48 million dollars.[^11][^20][^99][^101][^102][^103]
|
||||
|
||||
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in [[New Hampshire]] in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts including sex trafficking of a minor, and sentenced to 20 years in June 2022. Beginning in January 2024 the Giuffre v. Maxwell documents were unsealed by the judge [[Loretta Preska]], naming associates and contacts across hundreds of pages. Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025; her memoir, Nobody's Girl, was published posthumously in 2025.[^21][^22]
|
||||
### The Virgin Islands Government
|
||||
|
||||
In 2025 the Trump Justice Department under Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] released files in stages amid controversy over a promised "client list" that was never produced. Congress then passed the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] (H.R. 4405) by a nearly unanimous House vote in November 2025, and Trump signed it. The Department released a library reaching roughly 3.5 million pages, more than 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images, and in December 2025 disclosed that more than one million additional documents had been found, missing a statutory deadline and prompting a Government Accountability Office inquiry into redactions made at the request of members of Congress. A separate strand concerned the 2003 "birthday book" assembled for Epstein's 50th birthday, which the Wall Street Journal reported in July 2025 contained a bawdy letter bearing Donald Trump's signature; Trump denied authorship and sued the paper, and the House Oversight Committee released the book in September 2025.[^17][^18]
|
||||
According to JPMorgan's 2023 filings in the territory's suit against the bank, Epstein's local affairs were managed by [[Cecile de Jongh]], the office manager of Southern Trust and the wife of Governor [[John de Jongh]] (in office 2007 to 2015), who helped Epstein shape legislation affecting sex-offender monitoring and the Economic Development Commission benefits while Epstein-linked entities paid family expenses. On the day the commission's certificate for Southern Trust was dated, January 24, 2014, Cecile de Jongh asked Epstein to match 15,000 dollars for her husband's final State of the Territory reception and asked Richard Kahn to make out a check to the "Governor's Special Events Fund." The commission's general counsel from 2007 to 2014 was [[Stacey Plaskett]], later the territory's delegate to Congress, who acknowledged receiving about 30,000 dollars in campaign contributions from Epstein and his employees. Epstein's office also handled requests from the Mapp-Potter inaugural committee (10,000 dollars from Southern Trust, December 2014), a Mapp super PAC (75,000 dollars, September 2016), and the Bryan/Roach inaugural committee (25,000 dollars requested, December 2018; payment not shown).[^11][^104][^105]
|
||||
|
||||
The territory's later Attorney General, [[Denise George]], filed the 2020 suit against the estate and a 2022 suit against JPMorgan, and was removed by Governor Albert Bryan days after the bank suit was filed. According to FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview released in January 2026, George said Bryan asked her in 2019 to grant Epstein a waiver of the 21-day travel-notice rule, told her after Epstein's death "He's dead go for it," later pressed her to settle with the estate for 80 million dollars with the attorney [[Henry Smock]] as mediator, and said the estate "just wanted to clear people." Smock had assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of Little St. James and was counsel to the Economic Development Authority board; he later represented Bryan in a sealed 2023 divorce. Bryan's chief legal counsel, [[David Bornn]], a former employee of Epstein's attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]], called George to relay Kellerhals's question about what she was investigating. Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration. The territory recovered about 180 million dollars after legal fees and, as of January 2026, had not filed the accounting of the money that a 2024 law requires.[^20][^106][^107]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 Federal Charges
|
||||
|
||||
In the spring of 2019, months before the arrest, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York obtained the confidential discovery from Giuffre v. Maxwell by serving a grand jury subpoena on Giuffre's law firm, [[Boies Schiller Flexner]], under an April 9, 2019 order. On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested at [[Teterboro Airport]] in [[New Jersey]] as he returned from Paris, charged by the office under [[Geoffrey Berman]] with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The case was assigned to the Public Corruption Unit, which typically handles cases involving public officials; Berman declined to explain the assignment. The prosecutors were [[Alex Rossmiller]], [[Alison Moe]], and [[Maurene Comey]].[^1][^108][^109]
|
||||
|
||||
The safe in the townhouse held more than 70,000 dollars in cash, 48 loose diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with a photograph that "appears to depict the defendant, but lists a different name," issued within three years of an expired U.S. passport in Epstein's own name. The word "Austrian" entered the docket through the defense's July 16, 2019 letter, which said the passport "expired 32 years ago." The government replied that the passport "contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the [[United Kingdom]], and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s." [[Marc Fernich]], Martin Weinberg, and [[Reid Weingarten]] answered that "Epstein was given the passport at issue by a friend," that "some Jewish-Americans were informally advised at the time to carry identification bearing a non-Jewish name when traveling internationally in case of hijacking," and that the stamps "predating his receipt of the document, do not reflect Mr. Epstein's entries or exits." Press reports described the passport as listing a residence in Saudi Arabia. The dispute was not resolved before Epstein's death.[^110][^111][^112]
|
||||
|
||||
The government's July 16, 2019 detention supplement disclosed that on or about November 30, 2018, two days after the Miami Herald began its series, Epstein wired 100,000 dollars from a trust account he controlled to an individual named as a potential co-conspirator in the 2007 agreement and featured in the series, and that on or about December 3, 2018 he wired 250,000 dollars from the same account to a second potential co-conspirator protected by the agreement, an employee identified in the indictment as having scheduled victims' encounters with him. Both names were redacted with the court's consent. On July 18, 2019 Judge [[Richard M. Berman]], no relation to the U.S. Attorney, ordered him held without bail. On July 31, 2019 a Southern District prosecutor forwarded a New York magazine article on Epstein's finances to colleagues, asking: "Is our Office looking at Epstein for fraud-related offenses?"[^89][^111][^113]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Detention at the Metropolitan Correctional Center
|
||||
|
||||
At the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]], Epstein's cellmate was [[Nicholas Tartaglione]], a former police officer held on capital murder charges; a later internal review stated that administrators housed them together because both had high-profile cases and Tartaglione, "a certified death penalty eligible inmate," was "less likely to assault or otherwise try to harm Mr. Epstein." At about 1:27 a.m. on July 23, 2019 officers found Epstein with "a piece of handmade orange cloth around his neck." When he became responsive he told a responding officer that he thought his cellmate "tried to kill him," that the cellmate had tried "to extort money from him," and that "this has been going on for a week," and that he had told only his lawyer. The psychologist who interviewed him that day recorded that he had not told her this. On July 31 he told the Special Investigative Services lieutenant that "he has never had any issues with Tartaglione," that he was "not threatened" by him and that he "feels safe"; Tartaglione told the same investigator that Epstein had once said "fourteen (14) is legal in most states and I don't understand what's the problem here." The investigation found "insufficient evidence" of an assault, an August 2 threat assessment was "inconclusive" as to whether Epstein harmed himself, fought his cellmate, or was assaulted, and the self-mutilation incident report was later expunged.[^114][^115]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 30 a psychologist ordered that Epstein always have a cellmate. His next cellmate, according to the internal review, was an inmate held in protective housing who "was confirmed as proffering with the U.S. Attorney's Office." On August 8 Epstein signed a new will in a meeting with his lawyers, unknown to jail officials. On August 9 about 2,000 pages of the Giuffre v. Maxwell record were unsealed, including his 2016 deposition invoking the Fifth Amendment. That day his cellmate was transferred out and not replaced, and a unit manager let him place an unrecorded call on the legal line, supposedly to his mother, who had died in 2004; the Inspector General found he spoke for about 20 minutes with a woman identified as Individual 1, who declined to be interviewed and whose lawyer said she was in Belarus. One of Epstein's attorneys had earlier asked a senior officer "how Epstein could get an unmonitored call."[^108][^114][^115][^116]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Death
|
||||
|
||||
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell; nursing records log CPR compressions from 6:35 a.m. Dr. Kristin Roman performed the autopsy on August 11 and first listed the manner of death as "pending"; Chief Medical Examiner [[Barbara Sampson]] changed it to suicide by hanging days later. The guards [[Tova Noel]] and [[Michael Thomas]] had failed to perform required checks and admitted to falsifying records; they were charged in November 2019, entered deferred-prosecution agreements on May 25, 2021, and the charges were dismissed on December 13, 2021, while the Southern District declined to prosecute other staff who had also falsified records. The DVR recording system serving about half the jail's cameras, including those near the cell, failed on July 29 and 30, was discovered on August 8, and was not repaired; one camera on another system recorded the common area but not the cell door. The forensic pathologist [[Michael Baden]], retained by Epstein's brother [[Mark Epstein]], said the fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were more consistent with homicidal strangulation than hanging, while the Medical Examiner stood by the suicide ruling. The Inspector General's June 2023 report attributed the death to the guards' negligence and the jail's failures and "did not uncover evidence contradicting the FBI's determination regarding the absence of criminality." Prison officials cited the August 9 unsealing, "combined with a lack of significant interpersonal connections," among the factors contributing to his death.[^89][^114][^115][^116]
|
||||
|
||||
Documents released in 2026 showed that JPMorgan filed a suspicious activity report on November 22, 2019 on twelve cash deposits by Noel, the largest 5,000 dollars on July 30, 2019; she was not asked about them in her 2021 interview. A search for "latest on epstein in jail" was run on her workstation at 5:42 and 5:52 a.m. on August 10; she said she did not recall it. On August 19, 2019, a jail employee told the FBI that an inmate said Bureau of Prisons after-action staff "were shredding boxes of paperwork"; the records do not show that the dumpster was searched. The Justice Department and FBI memorandum of July 7, 2025 reaffirmed suicide, citing "the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings" (the autopsy was on August 11) and describing Epstein as locked in "at around 10:40 pm" (the Inspector General dates lock-in to about 8 p.m.); its "full raw" video had been assembled in Adobe Premiere under a Windows account "MJCOLE~1," with close to three minutes missing. Maurene Comey was fired without stated cause on July 16, 2025, nine days after the memorandum.[^115][^116][^117][^118][^119]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Estate and the Executors
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's will, signed on August 8, 2019, named Indyke and Kahn as executors and [[Boris Nikolic]], formerly chief science adviser to Bill Gates, as backup executor; Nikolic said he "was not consulted in these matters and I have no intent to fulfill these duties, whatsoever." The will left Nowak 5 million dollars, which Nowak said he has not received. The co-executors valued Epstein's Virgin Islands property at 577,672,654 dollars in the August 15, 2019 probate petition; the estate's February 2021 accounting showed about 240.8 million dollars and September 2026 filings 107.6 million dollars. The 1953 Trust, signed two days before his death, leaves 100 million dollars to [[Karyna Shuliak]], 50 million to Indyke and 25 million to Kahn, paid in that order.[^11][^74][^102][^120]
|
||||
|
||||
The territory alleged that Epstein entities paid Indyke more than 16 million dollars and Kahn more than 10 million dollars net from 2011 to 2019 through companies it called shells, and that the two held at least 140 bank accounts with Epstein. Indyke testified in March 2026 that Epstein's 40 million dollars invested in 2015 and 2016 in two funds of [[Valar Ventures]], co-founded by Peter Thiel, was worth about 172 million dollars. The estate agreed in February 2026 to pay up to 35 million dollars to settle a victims' class action against the co-executors (Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204), and in September 2026 federal prosecutors in Manhattan were reported to be investigating both men, who deny knowing of Epstein's crimes. Wyden's August 2026 report stated that federal prosecutors never questioned Indyke, Kahn or Beller, none of whom has been charged.[^11][^12][^102][^121][^122]
|
||||
|
||||
### Maxwell and the Giuffre Litigation After 2019
|
||||
|
||||
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in [[New Hampshire]] in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts including sex trafficking of a minor, and sentenced to 20 years in June 2022. The Giuffre v. Maxwell summary judgment record ordered released in Brown v. Maxwell was unsealed on August 9, 2019; Maxwell's April 2016 deposition was unsealed on July 23, 2020, and further tranches followed through January 2024. On July 23, 2025 the Second Circuit vacated Preska's December 2019 and January 2020 unsealing orders. Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025; her memoir, [[Nobody's Girl]], was published posthumously in 2025. She died intestate, and in November 2025 the Supreme Court of Western Australia appointed [[Ian Torrington Blatchford]] interim administrator; his authority extends to the reopened Giuffre v. Maxwell docket, recaptioned in his name on September 3, 2026, to an arbitration involving Dershowitz, and to a defamation suit against the estate by [[Rina Oh]].[^22][^23][^108][^123][^124]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 18, 2025, Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]], formerly Trump's personal criminal attorney, entered an appearance in Maxwell's closed criminal case and moved to unseal the grand jury transcripts; Judge [[Paul Engelmayer]] denied the motion on August 11, 2025. Blanche interviewed Maxwell under limited immunity on July 24 and 25, 2025; she said Trump "was always very cordial and very kind to me" and that she did not know how he and Epstein met. On August 1 she was moved to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]], and Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] wrote that the transfer "raises questions about whether she has been given special treatment in exchange for political favors."[^125][^126][^127]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Files, 2025 and 2026
|
||||
|
||||
On February 27, 2025, Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] released a "first phase" of [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] that the department itself described as "largely" previously leaked, and on July 7, 2025, the department and the FBI issued an unsigned memorandum stating that their review "revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." Senator [[Dick Durbin]] wrote on July 18 that, according to information his office received, FBI records staff reviewing some 100,000 Epstein records in March 2025 "were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned." Treasury Secretary [[Scott Bessent]] declined Wyden's March 11, June 16 and September 2, 2025 requests for the Treasury's Epstein suspicious-activity file and on January 22, 2026 said it had given the records to the House Oversight Committee instead.[^12][^117][^128][^129]
|
||||
|
||||
A separate strand concerned the 2003 "birthday book" assembled for Epstein's 50th birthday, which the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] reported in July 2025 contained a bawdy letter bearing Donald Trump's signature; Trump denied authorship and sued the paper, and the House Oversight Committee released the book on September 8, 2025 under an August 25 subpoena to the estate.[^77]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 14, 2025, at Trump's request, Bondi assigned [[Jay Clayton]] to investigate Epstein's dealings with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman and JPMorgan Chase. Five days later Trump signed the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] (H.R. 4405, Pub. L. No. 119-38), which the House had passed 427 to 1 after a discharge petition by Thomas Massie and [[Ro Khanna]], and which permits withholding records that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation." The department missed the December 19, 2025 deadline, disclosed on December 24 that it had found more than a million additional documents, and on January 30, 2026 published the bulk of the material, bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million pages, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images; its letter to Congress that day stated that about 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted under privileges the statute does not list.[^28][^130][^131][^132][^133]
|
||||
|
||||
The January 2026 release stated that "notable individuals and politicians were not redacted"; four senators called that "plainly false" in asking the [[Government Accountability Office]] to review the department's redaction and release process, which the GAO agreed to do in late April 2026, days after the department's inspector general opened its own audit. In February and March 2026 NPR and CNN reported that FBI interview records of a woman who accused both Epstein and Trump were missing from the public library; the department said nothing had been deleted, later published three of the interviews as records mistakenly tagged as duplicates, and NPR counted 37 pages still missing. A White House spokeswoman said Trump "has been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein." On January 13, 2026 Massie and Khanna asked Engelmayer to appoint a special master, reporting that the department had "publicly released only 12,285 documents" of "more than 2 million" under review; he denied the motion on January 21, 2026 for want of jurisdiction. On August 11, 2026 Preska authorized the government to release under the Act the Boies Schiller material obtained by the 2019 subpoena, over Maxwell's opposition.[^108][^134][^135][^136][^137]
|
||||
|
||||
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bondi on March 4, 2026; Trump removed her on April 2 and named Blanche acting Attorney General. On March 3, 2026 Finance Committee chairman [[Mike Crapo]] objected to Wyden's request to pass the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act (S. 2746), citing the House review and the Banking Committee's jurisdiction. Wyden's August 4, 2026 report, "Looking the Other Way," stated that Blanche had intervened to block the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] from answering his request about a federal investigation in which Epstein and associates had been targets, and that a 60 Minutes interview Wyden taped on March 26, 2026 was not aired after CBS News fired correspondent [[Sharyn Alfonsi]].[^12][^138][^139][^140][^141]
|
||||
|
||||
The 2025 and 2026 releases produced resignations and removals without prosecutions. Summers left the [[OpenAI]] board on November 19, 2025, was banned for life by the [[American Economic Association]] on December 2, 2025, and resigned from Harvard on February 25, 2026, the day after The Boston Globe sent the university its questions; Harvard placed Nowak on leave the same day. Pritzker retired as executive chairman of [[Hyatt Hotels Corporation|Hyatt]] on February 17, 2026, and Ruemmler resigned as general counsel of [[Goldman Sachs]].[^74][^142][^143][^144]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Timeline of the Life and Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein." *CBS New York,* 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/timeline-of-the-life-and-crimes-of-jeffrey-epstein/ ; "A Young Jeffrey Epstein Made An Impression On His High School Students." *NPR,* July 19, 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/19/742725946/a-young-jeffrey-epstein-made-an-impression-on-his-high-school-students
|
||||
[^2]: "The murky life and death of Robert Maxwell, and how it shaped his daughter Ghislaine." *The Guardian,* August 22, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/22/the-murky-life-and-death-of-robert-maxwell-and-how-it-shaped-his-daughter-ghislaine
|
||||
[^3]: "The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich." *New York Times,* December 16, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-money-scams-investigation.html
|
||||
[^4]: Brown, Julie K. "Perversion of Justice." *Miami Herald,* 2018. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html
|
||||
[^5]: "The 'Epstein-Barr' Problem of New York City's Dalton School." *Law and Crime,* 2019. https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-epstein-barr-problem-of-new-york-citys-dalton-school/
|
||||
[^6]: Ward, Vicky. "The Talented Mr. Epstein." *Vanity Fair,* March 2003. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303
|
||||
[^7]: For the Towers Financial Corporation collapse, the 1995 Hoffenberg conviction, and Hoffenberg's later claims about Epstein, see the contemporaneous SEC and federal court record (United States v. Hoffenberg, S.D.N.Y.) and "The Mogul and the Monster" reporting; Hoffenberg's "architect" claim is his own assertion and Epstein was never charged in the matter.
|
||||
[^8]: Harvard University, "Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Connections to Harvard," May 1, 2020. https://www.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reportconcerning-Jeffrey-Epstein.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: Stewart, James B., Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. "Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA." *New York Times,* July 31, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html ; "New Investigation Launched into Epstein's Zorro Ranch." *Time,* 2025. https://time.com/7379228/epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation/
|
||||
[^10]: For the EFTA primary documents (EFTA01738574, EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564, EFTA02407727), see the Tommy Carstensen Epstein Files index. https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/people/peter-thiel.html
|
||||
[^11]: For the recovered Epstein calendars (Burns, Chomsky, Ruemmler, Pritzker meetings), see the *Wall Street Journal* "Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar" reporting, May 2023.
|
||||
[^12]: "Epstein's Silicon Valley ties extended beyond just Musk and Gates." *CNBC,* February 9, 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/09/tech-leaders-epstein-records-silicon-valley-sergey-brin-thiel-sinofsky-reid-hoffman-musk-gates.html
|
||||
[^14]: "NYC medical examiner rejects claim that Jeffrey Epstein's death was a homicide." *CNN,* October 30, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-fox ; "Jeffrey Epstein autopsy finds broken bones in his neck." *CNN,* August 15, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/15/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-broken-neck ; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, "Investigation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein," June 2023.
|
||||
[^15]: "U.S. Virgin Islands reaches a $105M settlement with Jeffrey Epstein's estate." *NPR,* December 1, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/01/1140096222/jeffrey-epsteins-estate-reaches-a-105m-settlement-with-the-u-s-virgin-islands ; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, "Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate of Jeffrey Epstein," 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/
|
||||
[^16]: "JPMorgan settles with Jeffrey Epstein victims for $290 million." *WHYY,* 2023. https://whyy.org/articles/jpmorgan-settlement/ ; "Ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley fined and banned by UK regulator for Epstein ties." *AP/AOL,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/finance/ex-barclays-ceo-jes-staley-142727090.html
|
||||
[^17]: "New Epstein files include photos, documents with redactions as DOJ releases initial trove of records." *CBS News,* 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/epstein-files-released-2025/ ; "DOJ says it has found over a million additional documents potentially related to Epstein." *CNN,* December 24, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/24/politics/epstein-documents-doj-million ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures
|
||||
[^18]: "Birthday letter to Epstein bore Trump's signature, drawing of naked woman, Wall Street Journal reports." *CNN,* July 17, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/epstein-birthday-letter-trump ; "Trump Epstein letter and drawing from 'birthday book' released." *CNBC,* September 8, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/08/trump-epstein-birthday-book-oversight.html
|
||||
[^19]: Ward, Vicky. "Jeffrey Epstein's Sick Story Played Out for Years in Plain Sight." *The Daily Beast,* July 9, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight/ ; for Acosta's denial, see his September 2019 testimony before the House Oversight Committee.
|
||||
[^20]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network.* Sheridan Square Press, 1992. Ben-Menashe's claims that Robert Maxwell was a Mossad asset and that the Maxwell-Epstein link served Israeli intelligence are uncorroborated by declassified material and treated as contested allegation.
|
||||
[^21]: United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (S.D.N.Y.); for the Crime Victims' Rights Act ruling see Doe v. United States, No. 08-80736 (S.D. Fla. February 21, 2019), Marra, J.
|
||||
[^22]: "Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison." *U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of New York,* June 28, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
|
||||
[^23]: For the flight logs, the pilots' testimony, and the contact directory, see the trial record in United States v. Maxwell (S.D.N.Y. 2021), the *Miami Herald* "Perversion of Justice" reporting, and the Alfredo Rodriguez obstruction case, United States v. Rodriguez (S.D. Fla. 2010).
|
||||
[^4]: "The 'Epstein-Barr' Problem of New York City's Dalton School." *Law and Crime,* 2019. https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-epstein-barr-problem-of-new-york-citys-dalton-school/
|
||||
[^5]: Ward, Vicky. "The Talented Mr. Epstein." *Vanity Fair,* March 2003. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303 (archived: http://web.archive.org/web/20260916130321/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303); republished by the author: https://vickyward.com/article/the-talented-mr-epstein/
|
||||
[^6]: Charles Gasparino and Lydia Moynihan, "The woes of Jeffrey Epstein: How he maintained Wall Street connections while downplaying child sex accusations," *Fox Business,* August 10, 2019. https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/jeffrey-epstein-wall-street-connections-child-sex-trafficking
|
||||
[^7]: Financial Trust Company, Inc. v. The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., Civil No. 2009/106 (D.V.I.), Verified Complaint dated August 5, 2009, reproduced as Exhibit 253, ECF No. 244-8, Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.). https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011822/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/244-08.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: Spencer Woodman, "Jeffrey Epstein's offshore fortune traced to Paradise Papers," *ICIJ,* July 18, 2019. https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/jeffrey-epsteins-offshore-fortune-traced-to-paradise-papers/
|
||||
[^9]: House of Commons, *Hansard,* HC Deb 24 January 1996, vol 270, cc453-462, "Saudi Arabia" (George Galloway). https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/jan/24/saudi-arabia
|
||||
[^10]: Marvin Gerber and Kalma Koenig v. The Financial Trust Company et al., No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO (S.D.N.Y.), Complaint, ECF No. 7 (filed August 21, 2018), paras. 21, 27 and n. 4, with Affidavit of Steven J. Hoffenberg sworn August 17, 2018, ECF No. 7-2. https://truthinadvertising.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Gerber-v-The-Financial-Trust-Co-complaint.pdf ; docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7698990/gerber-v-the-financial-trust-company/ ; Letter of Bennet J. Moskowitz, Troutman Sanders LLP, to Hon. Richard J. Sullivan, June 28, 2016, and Order of July 5, 2016, Hoffenberg v. Epstein, No. 1:16-cv-03989-RJS (S.D.N.Y.), filed as ECF Nos. 16-7 and 16-9 in No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.7.pdf ; https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.9.pdf ; Brian Pascus, "Jeffrey Epstein worked at Towers Financial with Steven Hoffenberg, who committed Ponzi scheme crimes," *CBS News,* August 13, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-worked-at-towers-financial-with-stephen-hoffenberg-who-committed-ponzi-scheme-crimes/ . Hoffenberg's "architect" claim is his own assertion; Epstein was never charged in the matter.
|
||||
[^11]: Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v. Darren K. Indyke et al. (Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein), No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint (November 30, 2022), paras. 6, 11 to 17, 37, 76 to 117, 128 to 141, 157 to 195; ECF No. 1-1 in No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.). https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: Dareh Gregorian, "Justice Department releases names of 3 people the FBI once called Jeffrey Epstein 'co-conspirators,'" *NBC News,* February 10, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-names-3-people-fbi-once-called-jeffrey-epstein-co-conspirators-rcna258335
|
||||
[^14]: Lefkovits, Etgar. "Complaint seeks police probe into Ehud Barak and Wexner Foundation." *JNS,* March 17, 2026. https://www.jns.org/complaint-seeks-police-probe-into-barak-and-wexner-foundation/ ; "'I regret meeting him': Former PM Ehud Barak responds to Epstein Files recording in N12 interview." *The Jerusalem Post,* February 2026. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886519
|
||||
[^15]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network.* Sheridan Square Press, 1992. Ben-Menashe's claims that Robert Maxwell was a Mossad asset and that the Maxwell-Epstein link served Israeli intelligence are uncorroborated by declassified material and treated as contested allegation.
|
||||
[^16]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Ehud Barak, November 8, 2017, 15:54 and 16:49 UTC, EFTA00964912 and EFTA00964979; Barak to Epstein, November 9, 2017, EFTA00965384 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964912.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00964979.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00965384.pdf ; Jeffrey Epstein to a redacted recipient, "he was passed away," March 15, 2018, EFTA02507843 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02507843.pdf
|
||||
[^17]: Brown, Julie K. "Perversion of Justice." *Miami Herald,* 2018. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html
|
||||
[^18]: Stewart, James B., Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. "Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA." *New York Times,* July 31, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html ; "New Investigation Launched into Epstein's Zorro Ranch." *Time,* 2025. https://time.com/7379228/epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation/
|
||||
[^19]: "Epstein Absent from Sex Offender List." *Santa Fe Reporter,* July 11, 2019. https://sfreporter.com/archives/epstein-absent-sex-offender-list/ ; Bates, Clara. "Lawmakers look to close 'Epstein loophole' that kept financier off sex offender list." *Santa Fe New Mexican,* September 12, 2026. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/epstein/lawmakers-look-to-close-epstein-loophole-that-kept-financier-off-sex-offender-list/article_4d071ff8-db1c-48e0-8eb4-daeb68f561ae.html ; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, Second Amended Complaint (see note 26) and the estate's 2019 probate valuations reported therein.
|
||||
[^20]: "U.S. Virgin Islands reaches a $105M settlement with Jeffrey Epstein's estate." *NPR,* December 1, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/01/1140096222/jeffrey-epsteins-estate-reaches-a-105m-settlement-with-the-u-s-virgin-islands ; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, "Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate of Jeffrey Epstein," 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/
|
||||
[^21]: City of Miami General Employees & Sanitation Employees Retirement Trust v. Dimon, No. 1:23-cv-03903-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Verified Amended Stockholder Derivative Complaint, ECF No. 17, paras. 24-26, 152-154, 165 (June 30, 2023). https://wallstreetonparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CITY-OF-MIAMI-GENERAL-et-al-v-James-Dimon-et-al-JPMorgan-Chase-Amended-Complaint-June-30-2023.pdf
|
||||
[^22]: Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435 (Marra, J.), reported at 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201, quoting ECF No. 407 at paragraphs 12, 33, 37, 52, 61, 63. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf ; *United States v. Maxwell*, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
|
||||
[^23]: "Nearly 3,000 pages of Epstein records have been released so far. These questions remain," *PBS News,* January 7, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/nearly-3000-pages-of-epstein-records-have-been-released-so-far-these-questions-remain
|
||||
[^24]: *United States v. Rodriguez*, No. 9:10-cr-80015-KAM (S.D. Fla.), Criminal Complaint, ECF No. 3 (Dec. 1, 2009); Plea Agreement, ECF No. 25 (March 18, 2010); Judgment, ECF No. 31 (June 21, 2010). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15913423/united-states-v-rodriguez/ ; *United States v. Maxwell*, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Memorandum Opinion and Order, ECF No. 535 (Dec. 9, 2021). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
|
||||
[^25]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: email chain, "RE: FAA Question," FAA Law Enforcement Assistance Program special agent to federal investigators, August 24 to September 29, 2021, EFTA00021675 to EFTA00021680 (DataSet 8). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%208/EFTA00021675.pdf
|
||||
[^26]: United States v. Epstein, draft indictment, S.D. Fla. (unfiled, 2007), paras. 1 to 6, EFTA01703108 to EFTA01703163 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01703108.pdf
|
||||
[^27]: "Epstein files live updates: Trump DOJ releases millions more pages of records," *NBC News,* January 30, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/live-blog/epstein-files-trump-doj-release-live-updates-rcna256639
|
||||
[^28]: "New Epstein files include photos, documents with redactions as DOJ releases initial trove of records." *CBS News,* 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/epstein-files-released-2025/ ; "DOJ says it has found over a million additional documents potentially related to Epstein." *CNN,* December 24, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/24/politics/epstein-documents-doj-million ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures
|
||||
[^29]: Palm Beach Police Department, probable cause affidavit of Detective Joseph Recarey regarding Jeffrey Epstein, sworn May 1, 2006 (redacted). https://archive.org/stream/JeffreyEpstein/Jeffrey%20Epstein%20Redacted%20Probable%20Cause%20Affadavit_djvu.txt
|
||||
[^30]: "Judge releases Jeffrey Epstein grand jury investigation transcripts," *WUSF / Associated Press,* July 1, 2024. https://www.wusf.org/courts-law/2024-07-01/florida-judge-releases-transcripts-2006-grand-jury-investigation-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking
|
||||
[^31]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, full report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the 2006-2008 Epstein investigation, November 2020, as produced in the Epstein Library, EFTA02847284 (Prior DOJ Disclosures, Memos and Correspondence). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^32]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: "jagesq" to Jeffrey Epstein, "krischer richardson," December 15, 2010, EFTA01830557 (DataSet 10); Krischer, Belohlavek and USAFLS, "RE: Meeting with Epstein's attorneys," September 19 to 25, 2007, EFTA00215188 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01830557.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00215188.pdf
|
||||
[^33]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, "Investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Resolution of Its 2006-2008 Federal Criminal Investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and Its Interactions with Victims during the Investigation," Executive Summary, November 2020, pp. i-x. https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl ; archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260623200353id_/https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^34]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 6, 9-12 (2d Cir. Sept. 17, 2024), reported at 118 F.4th 256, quoting the NPA at A-178. https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2024/09/17/united_states_v._maxwell.pdf
|
||||
[^35]: The White House (George W. Bush archives), "Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta," official biography. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/racosta-bio.html
|
||||
[^36]: U.S. Department of State, "Jay Lefkowitz, Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea," official biography, 2005. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/66929.htm
|
||||
[^37]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Disgraced Lawyer Jay Lefkowitz Who Secured Sweetheart Deal Leaves Firm," *The Daily Beast,* March 2026. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-disgraced-lawyer-jay-lefkowitz-who-secured-sweetheart-deal-leaves-firm/
|
||||
[^38]: Letter of Gerald B. Lefcourt and Alan M. Dershowitz, July 6, 2007, Exhibit 46, *Doe v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla.), ECF No. 361-46 (Feb. 10, 2016). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.361.46.pdf
|
||||
[^39]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts, ECF No. 221 (filed July 24, 2023), paras. 123-124, 257, 290-310, 374. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.221.0.pdf
|
||||
[^40]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Ann Marie Villafana to FBI agents, "RE: Epstein Indictment" and "RE: DOBs," February 14, 2008, EFTA00225102 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00225102.pdf
|
||||
[^41]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeff Sloman and Ann Marie Villafana, "Re: Did u hear?," May 16, 2008, EFTA00214486 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00214486.pdf
|
||||
[^42]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00224943, DataSet 9, "Epstein Investigation Timeline," Exhibit A-1, privileged chronology of the federal investigation, May 2006 to August 2011, pp. 1, 9 to 10, 12, 19 to 20, 24, 28 to 29, 34, 38, 45, 48, 50 to 51. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00224943.pdf
|
||||
[^43]: "Jeffrey Epstein paid Palm Beach Sheriff's Office $128,000 during incarceration for prostitution charges," *WPTV,* 2019. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/new-jeffrey-epstein-paid-palm-beach-sheriffs-office-128-000-during-incarceration-for-prostitution
|
||||
[^44]: "Florida authorities find no evidence of criminal activity in state's handling of Jeffrey Epstein case," *NBC News,* May 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-authorities-no-evidence-criminal-activity-state-s-handling-jeffrey-n1266888
|
||||
[^45]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284, Prior DOJ Disclosures, Office of Professional Responsibility report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation, November 2020, pp. 116 to 117 (Villafana email of December 3, 2008 and letter of December 11, 2008). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^46]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01308629, DataSet 10, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Extra Duty Permits System overtime report forms, Permit No. 7804, "Florida Science Foundation," July 1 to 14, 2009, faxed July 21, 2009. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01308629.pdf
|
||||
[^47]: Settlement Agreement and General Release, Jane Doe No. 102 v. Jeffrey Epstein, No. 09-80656-CIV-Marra/Johnson (S.D. Fla.), filed in Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, No. 1:21-cv-06702 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 32-1 (Oct. 29, 2021). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.32.1.pdf
|
||||
[^48]: *In re Wild*, No. 19-13843, 994 F.3d 1244 (11th Cir. Apr. 15, 2021) (en banc). https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201913843.enb.pdf
|
||||
[^49]: Supreme Court of the United States, docket No. 21-351, order of February 22, 2022 denying certiorari. https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/21-351.html
|
||||
[^50]: Ward, Vicky. "Jeffrey Epstein's Sick Story Played Out for Years in Plain Sight." *The Daily Beast,* July 9, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight/ ; for Acosta's denial, his voluntary transcribed interview with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, September 19, 2025 (transcript released October 17, 2025): "Alex Acosta, former US attorney who negotiated Epstein's plea deal, appears before House Oversight Committee," *ABC News,* October 2025. https://abcnews.com/Politics/alex-acosta-former-us-attorney-negotiated-epsteins-plea/story?id=125731737
|
||||
[^51]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Chief, Public Corruption Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Office of Professional Responsibility, "RE: Draft OPR Report," August 21, 2020, EFTA00077309 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00077309.pdf
|
||||
[^52]: Debra Cassens Weiss, "Jeffrey Epstein had dinners with top criminal prosecutor in years following favorable deal, documents show," *ABA Journal,* October 20, 2025. https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jeffrey-epstein-had-dinners-with-top-criminal-prosecutor-in-years-following-favorable-deal-documents-show
|
||||
[^53]: Maxwell v. United States, No. 24-1073 (U.S.), cert. denied (Oct. 6, 2025). https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-1073.html
|
||||
[^54]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: email from an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, subject "memos," May 6, 2020, EFTA00030339 (DataSet 8). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%208/EFTA00030339.pdf
|
||||
[^55]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard University Office of the General Counsel and Foley Hoag LLP, May 1, 2020, pp. 3-5, 10-17, 20-23 and nn. 8-10. https://www.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reportconcerning-Jeffrey-Epstein.pdf ; https://ogc.harvard.edu/report-concerning-Epstein
|
||||
[^56]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein Called Himself A 'Science Philanthropist' And Donated Millions To These Researchers," *BuzzFeed News,* July 11, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-science-donations
|
||||
[^57]: Neuman, Scott, and Ava Berger. "Epstein paid for a conference of top scientists in 2006. His motives are now clear," *NPR,* March 9, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5721150/epstein-scientists-physics-virgin-islands-conference
|
||||
[^58]: Minsky, Marvin L., Push Singh, and Aaron Sloman. "The St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium: Designing Architectures for Human-Level Intelligence," *AI Magazine* 25, no. 2 (2004): 113. https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v25i2.1764 ; Brandom, Russell. "AI pioneer accused of having sex with trafficking victim on Jeffrey Epstein's island," *The Verge,* August 9, 2019. https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/9/20798900/marvin-minsky-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-island-court-records-unsealed
|
||||
[^59]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
|
||||
[^60]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 5, 10, 28 n. 28. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
|
||||
[^61]: "Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why," *CNN Business,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/business/leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-senate-investigation
|
||||
[^62]: Owermohle, Sarah, and Austin Culpepper. "How Epstein enlisted Harvard scientists to burnish his reputation, and try to make a profit," *CNN,* February 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/19/politics/harvard-epstein-donations-influence-exclusive
|
||||
[^63]: Molteni, Megan. "Jeffrey Epstein's tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church," *STAT,* February 24, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/epstein-cell-line-george-church-harvard-personal-genome-project/
|
||||
[^64]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-an-elite-university-research-center-concealed-its-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein
|
||||
[^65]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Peggy Siegal and George Stephanopoulos, "Thursday small dinner for Prince Andrew," November and December 2010, EFTA02411832 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02411832.pdf
|
||||
[^66]: Ponieman, Natan. *Benzinga,* May 2023, on Epstein's private calendar, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/05/32134015/private-calendar-reveals-jeffrey-epsteins-meetings-with-cia-director-noamchomsky-and-goldman-sachs ; *The Daily Beast,* May 2023, on Epstein's calendar meetings with Noam Chomsky and William Burns. https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-calendar-reveals-meetings-with-noam-chomsky-and-former-cia-chief-william-burns/ ; "The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar." *Above the Law,* May 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://abovethelaw.com/2023/05/the-former-biglaw-partner-in-jeffrey-epsteins-private-calendar/
|
||||
[^67]: Hamilton, Katherine. "Jeffrey Epstein Moved Money For Noam Chomsky, Paid Bard President Botstein $150,000, Report Says." *Forbes,* May 17, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/05/17/jeffrey-epstein-moved-money-for-noam-chomsky-paid-bard-president-botstein-150000-report-says/
|
||||
[^68]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Kathy Ruemmler to Jeffrey Epstein, January 8, 2015, EFTA02386175 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02386175.pdf
|
||||
[^69]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01348714, DataSet 10, check image, Gratitude America, Ltd, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, to Leon Botstein, August 1, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348714.pdf ; EFTA01348725, DataSet 10, check image, February 3, 2016 (Bates DB-SDNY-0035646). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348725.pdf ; "Leon Botstein received $150,000 from Jeffrey Epstein," *Inside Higher Ed,* May 18, 2023. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/05/18/leon-botstein-received-150000-jeffrey-epstein
|
||||
[^70]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01615267, DataSet 10, iMessage log with the contact "Steve Bannon," August 23, 2018, EFTA01615267 to EFTA01615272. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615267.pdf ; "'Let me see the videotapes': Mark Epstein wants Steve Bannon's 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother," *NBC News,* 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/mark-epstein-steve-bannon-15-hours-brother-jeffrey-epstein-rcna219630
|
||||
[^71]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Tom Pritzker to Jeffrey Epstein, "RE: Re:," August 8, 2016, EFTA01783338 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01783338.pdf
|
||||
[^72]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: email to Jeffrey Epstein, sender redacted, "Any other," August 12, 2010, EFTA02407727 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02407727.pdf ; Saida Sapieva to Lesley Groff, "CONFIRMED: DINNER: Sunday, 8/2," July 31, 2015, EFTA00344556, and reply chain, EFTA00344564 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344556.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344564.pdf ; email chain, Jeffrey Epstein and a redacted correspondent, February 6, 2016, EFTA01738574 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01738574.pdf
|
||||
[^73]: "Epstein's Silicon Valley ties extended beyond just Musk and Gates." *CNBC,* February 9, 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/09/tech-leaders-epstein-records-silicon-valley-sergey-brin-thiel-sinofsky-reid-hoffman-musk-gates.html
|
||||
[^74]: Fernandes, Deirdre, and Tricia L. Nadolny. "Introductions to women. Free flights. Business deals. Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Harvard run deeper than previously known," *The Boston Globe,* February 25, 2026. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/25/metro/jeffrey-epstein-harvard-spotlight-report/
|
||||
[^75]: Ruetenik, Daniel, and Graham Kates. "Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show." *CBS News,* February 7, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-in-business-together/
|
||||
[^76]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI Form FD-71A Guardian Complaint Form, "Alleged Money Laundering by Howard Lutnick via BGC Financial and Cantor Fitzgerald," case 50D-NY-3027571, April 23, 2021, EFTA01249210 (DataSet 9); calendar alert, December 20, 2012, EFTA02152992 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01249210.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf
|
||||
[^77]: "Birthday letter to Epstein bore Trump's signature, drawing of naked woman, Wall Street Journal reports." *CNN,* July 17, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/epstein-birthday-letter-trump ; "Trump Epstein letter and drawing from 'birthday book' released." *CNBC,* September 8, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/08/trump-epstein-birthday-book-oversight.html
|
||||
[^78]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI New York internal email on the Prince Andrew MLAT request, June 8, 2020, EFTA00149598 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00149598.pdf
|
||||
[^79]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: correspondence of Tomer Toor, Darren Indyke, Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein on the exercise of Carbyne warrants, February and March 2019, EFTA02632339 and EFTA02634615 (DataSet 11); Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke on Carbyne financial statements, March 2019, EFTA01035810 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02632339.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01035810.pdf
|
||||
[^80]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Ehud Barak to Jabor Al Thani, copied to Jeffrey Epstein, "Qatar Presentation <> Carbyne 911," January 1, 2019, EFTA02607775, and continuing thread to February 4, 2019, EFTA02628648 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02607775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02628648.pdf
|
||||
[^81]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Thiel, May 21, 2018, EFTA01052344 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01052344.pdf
|
||||
[^82]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein and Nicole Junkermann, February 18, 2019, EFTA02630791 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02630791.pdf
|
||||
[^83]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: iMessage logs with the contact "Vitaly Churkin," November 16, 2015 to January 10, 2017, EFTA01619434, EFTA01619438 and EFTA01619444 (DataSet 10); Lesley Groff, "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," August 28, 2016, EFTA02044775 (DataSet 10); scheduling of Maxim Churkin, July and August 2017, EFTA02219806 (DataSet 11) and EFTA00676901 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619434.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619444.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02044775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02219806.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00676901.pdf
|
||||
[^84]: U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, deposition of William P. Barr, August 18, 2025, transcript released September 2025. https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barr-Transcript.pdf
|
||||
[^85]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Martin Weinberg, "Re: CIA FOIA Request," July 18, 2011, EFTA00915248; Weinberg to Epstein, same date, EFTA00687827; FBI Privacy Waiver and Certification of Identity, EFTA00624683 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00915248.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00687827.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00624683.pdf
|
||||
[^86]: Complaint, Farmer v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C. May 29, 2025), paras. 80, 85-126, 176-185, citing United States v. Epstein, 27 F. Supp. 2d 404 (S.D.N.Y. 1998). https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doc-1-Complaint-05-29-2025.pdf
|
||||
[^87]: Maria Farmer and Sarah Ransome, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death (Standard Form 95), signed July 20, 2023. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Farmer-and-Ransome-Jeffrey-Epstein-Notice-of-Claim-FBI-07-20-2023.pdf
|
||||
[^88]: "Maria Farmer and Marsh Law Firm's Persistent Advocacy Vindicated as FBI Releases Farmer's 1996 Report on Jeffrey Epstein," *Marsh Law Firm,* December 23, 2025. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/persistent-advocacy-vindicated/
|
||||
[^89]: "NYC medical examiner rejects claim that Jeffrey Epstein's death was a homicide." *CNN,* October 30, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-fox ; "Jeffrey Epstein autopsy finds broken bones in his neck." *CNN,* August 15, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/15/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-broken-neck
|
||||
[^90]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: "Gmax" to Jeffrey Epstein, December 8, 2009, EFTA02434764 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02434764.pdf
|
||||
[^91]: Suzanne Carlson, "Epstein estate could be ordered to repay more than $144 million in tax breaks," *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 13, 2020 (ECF No. 158-36 in No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR). http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/epstein-estate-could-be-ordered-to-repay-more-than-144-million-in-tax-breaks/article_b84d9710-14af-5e69-a890-bcf8265cf8f9.html
|
||||
[^92]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Expert Report of Jorge Amador, ECF No. 238-31 (filed July 25, 2023), report pp. 6, 16-17, 24, 46, 74. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.238.31.pdf
|
||||
[^93]: Dechert LLP, Memorandum to the Apollo Conflicts Committee, January 22, 2021, Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management Form 8-K (January 25, 2021), pp. 3 to 5, 16 to 17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm
|
||||
[^94]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, March 11, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/download/wyden-letter-to-doj-treasury-fbi-on-epsteinpdf?download=1
|
||||
[^95]: Settlement Agreement and Release between the Government of the United States Virgin Islands and Leon Black, executed January 20, 2023. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/usvi_black_settlement_agreement_-_executedpdf.pdf
|
||||
[^96]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01071282, DataSet 9, "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring," as of October 2, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01071282.pdf ; EFTA00982173, DataSet 9, email, Ada Clapp to Jeffrey Epstein, "6.7.13 Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring-updated 1.14.14," January 21, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00982173.pdf ; EFTA00702518, DataSet 9, email, Barry J. Cohen to Jeffrey Epstein, "S&C: Leon Black Estate Planning," July 24, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00702518.pdf
|
||||
[^97]: Deposition of James Dimon, May 26, 2023, No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), transcript pp. 261-269. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rQOuhi8KqiM0/v0
|
||||
[^98]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, June 7, 2023 (ECF No. 191). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf ; EFTA02808625, Court Records, same case, letter of JPMorgan's counsel in opposition, June 9, 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf ; EFTA02814941, Court Records, same case, Order of Judge Jed S. Rakoff, August 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02814941.pdf
|
||||
[^99]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
|
||||
[^100]: New York State Department of Financial Services, Consent Order in the Matter of Deutsche Bank AG et al., July 6, 2020, paras. 26, 33. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank ; Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_house_oversight_on_leon_black-epstein_060426.pdf
|
||||
[^101]: "JPMorgan settles with Jeffrey Epstein victims for $290 million." *WHYY,* 2023. https://whyy.org/articles/jpmorgan-settlement/ ; "Ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley fined and banned by UK regulator for Epstein ties." *AP/AOL,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/finance/ex-barclays-ceo-jes-staley-142727090.html
|
||||
[^102]: Em Steck, "Epstein left millions to his closest advisers. A shrinking estate and new lawsuits may stand in the way," *CNN,* September 21, 2026. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/21/politics/jeffrey-epstein-estate-lawsuit-vis
|
||||
[^103]: Financial Conduct Authority, Final Notice to James Edward Staley, July 23, 2025. https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/final-notices/james-edward-staley-2025.pdf
|
||||
[^104]: "V.I. Officials Enabled Epstein to Act With Impunity, JPMorgan Alleges in Latest Salvo." *St. Thomas Source,* June 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240721172424/https://stthomassource.com/content/2023/06/16/v-i-officials-enabled-epstein-to-act-with-impunity-jpmorgan-alleges-in-latest-salvo/
|
||||
[^105]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html
|
||||
[^106]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html
|
||||
[^107]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
|
||||
[^108]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 1:15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1360 with Exhibits 2-9 (Feb. 20, 2026), describing In re Grand Jury Subpoena, No. 19-MC-149 (CM) (April 9, 2019 order); Order, ECF No. 1367 (Aug. 11, 2026); Order, ECF No. 1370 (Sept. 3, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/ian-torrington-blatchford-as-interim-administrator-of-virginia-giuffres/
|
||||
[^109]: "Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast sex-trafficking network of underage girls who recruited other victims, prosecutors say." *CNN,* July 8, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/jeffrey-epstein-monday-court-appearance
|
||||
[^110]: "Jeffrey Epstein used foreign passport with fake name to enter Saudi Arabia: prosecutors." *NBC News,* July 17, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jeffrey-epstein-used-foreign-passport-fake-name-enter-saudi-arabia-n1031046
|
||||
[^111]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 23, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe to Judge Richard M. Berman (Supplement to Detention Memorandum), July 16, 2019, pp. 1-3. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649.23.0_2.pdf
|
||||
[^112]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 30, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe, July 17, 2019 (quoting ECF No. 24 at 7); ECF No. 31, Letter from Marc Fernich, Martin Weinberg, and Reid Weingarten, July 18, 2019. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15887848/united-states-v-epstein/
|
||||
[^113]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: internal USANYS email, "FW: Fraud and Blackmail: Jeffrey Epstein's Finances," July 31, 2019, EFTA00086657 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00086657.pdf
|
||||
[^114]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Federal Bureau of Prisons records of Jeffrey Epstein's detention at MCC New York, July 8 to August 10, 2019, including staff memoranda of July 23, 2019, SIS Inmate Investigative Report NYM-19-0061 (July 31, 2019, pp. EFTA00049239 to 43), and an institution response on cellmate assignments and documentation, EFTA00048963 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00048963.pdf
|
||||
[^115]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. *Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New York.* Report 23-085, June 2023, pp. iii to iv, 1 to 6, 14 to 20, 58 to 60. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf
|
||||
[^116]: Khurshudyan, Isabelle. "Epstein files shed new light on what prison officials were doing the night he died." *CNN,* March 26, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/politics/epstein-files-prison-officials-night-he-died ; "Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy: A closer look." *CBS News, 60 Minutes,* January 5, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-a-closer-look-60-minutes-2020-01-05/
|
||||
[^117]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, unsigned memorandum on review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline
|
||||
[^118]: Eastham, Janet. "'Suspicious' payments to last guard who saw Epstein." *The Telegraph* via *Yahoo News,* March 8, 2026. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-prison-guard-made-suspicious-132416347.html ; "Hany Farid and WIRED Analyze the Department of Justice's Released Epstein Video, Find Anomalies with Metadata." *UC Berkeley School of Information,* July 2025. https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2025/hany-farid-and-wired-analyze-department-justices-released-epstein-video-find-anomalies ; "Jeffrey Epstein prison video had nearly 3 minutes cut from it: report." *LiveNOW from FOX,* July 2025. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/epstein-prison-video-edit-discrepancy
|
||||
[^119]: "Maurene Comey, prosecutor in Epstein and Combs cases and daughter of former FBI director, sues after being fired." *CNN,* September 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/maurene-comey-justice-department-lawsuit ; Comey v. United States Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-07625 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
|
||||
[^120]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Executor Is Ex-Science Adviser to Bill Gates." *Bloomberg,* August 19, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-19/epstein-s-11th-hour-executor-is-ex-science-adviser-to-bill-gates
|
||||
[^121]: Reuters, "Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement in victim class action," *NBC News,* February 20, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-estate-agrees-35-million-settlement-victim-class-action-rcna259863 ; Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68260876/doe-3-v-indyke/
|
||||
[^122]: Kaelan Deese, "Two Jeffrey Epstein associates under investigation by New York federal prosecutors," *Washington Examiner,* September 23, 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4739210/jeffrey-epstein-associates-under-investigation-new-york-federal-prosecutors/
|
||||
[^123]: "Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison." *U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of New York,* June 28, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
|
||||
[^124]: "Court Rules Virginia Giuffre Died Without a Will, Appoints Administrator," *Newsweek,* November 26, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/court-rules-virginia-giuffre-died-without-will-11110482
|
||||
[^125]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF Nos. 784, 785 (July 18, 2025); ECF No. 809 (Aug. 11, 2025), 794 F. Supp. 3d 215. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
|
||||
[^126]: U.S. Department of Justice, "Interview Transcript, Maxwell, 2025.07.24 (Redacted)." https://www.justice.gov/storage/audio-files/Interview%20Transcript/Interview%20Transcript%20-%20Maxwell%202025.07.24%20(Redacted).pdf
|
||||
[^127]: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, letter to William K. Marshall III, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, August 7, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-07-Letter-to-BOP-Maxwell-Transfer.pdf
|
||||
[^128]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files," Press Release No. 25-201, February 27, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-releases-first-phase-declassified-epstein-files
|
||||
[^129]: Senator Richard J. Durbin, letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, July 18, 2025. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/2025-07-18-rjd-letter-to-ag-bondi-re-epstein?download=1
|
||||
[^130]: "Bondi taps acting U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to probe Democrats' ties to Epstein," *The Washington Times,* November 14, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/14/bondi-taps-acting-us-attorney-jay-clayton-probe-democrats-ties/
|
||||
[^131]: Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, § 2(c)(1)(C), 139 Stat. 656. https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ38/PLAW-119publ38.pdf ; Office of the Clerk, Roll Call 289, November 18, 2025. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289
|
||||
[^132]: U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release No. 26-84, January 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-publishes-35-million-responsive-pages-compliance-epstein-files
|
||||
[^133]: Pamela J. Bondi and Todd Blanche, letter to Congress, January 30, 2026, p. 4. https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf
|
||||
[^134]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 21, 2026), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844. https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
|
||||
[^135]: Senators Jeffrey A. Merkley, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Ray Luján and Richard J. Durbin, letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, March 11, 2026. https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/GAO-Epstein-Files-Redactions-Review-Letter.pdf
|
||||
[^136]: "Government watchdog to review DOJ's handling of the Epstein files," *NBC News,* April 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/government-watchdog-review-dojs-handling-epstein-files-rcna342513
|
||||
[^137]: "DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* February 24, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell ; "Justice Department posts more Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* March 5, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/nx-s1-5737562/justice-department-missing-epstein-files-trump ; *CNN,* February 24, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs
|
||||
[^138]: Congressional Record, vol. 172, no. 40 (March 3, 2026), pp. S748 ff. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2026-03-03/html/CREC-2026-03-03-pt1-PgS748-2.htm
|
||||
[^139]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Releases New Report on Failure of Wall Street Banks to Blow the Whistle on Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking and Money Laundering Schemes," August 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-report-on-failure-of-wall-street-banks-to-blow-the-whistle-on-jeffrey-epsteins-sex-trafficking-and-money-laundering-schemes
|
||||
[^140]: Dareh Gregorian et al., "House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Pam Bondi for testimony on Epstein files," *NBC News,* March 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pam-bondi-subpoenaed-testify-epstein-files-house-oversight-committee-rcna261779
|
||||
[^141]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general, installs Todd Blanche as acting AG," *CBS News,* April 2, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pam-bondi-attorney-general/
|
||||
[^142]: "Summers Resigns From OpenAI Board Amid Backlash Over Epstein Emails." *The Harvard Crimson,* November 19, 2025. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/19/summers-resigns-open-ai/ ; "Larry Summers banned for life from American Economic Association." Associated Press via *Fortune,* December 3, 2025. https://fortune.com/2025/12/03/larry-summers-banned-for-life-from-american-economic-association
|
||||
[^143]: Chapman, Michelle. "Thomas Pritzker steps down from Hyatt board, saying he deeply regrets association with Epstein." Associated Press via *PBS NewsHour,* February 17, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/thomas-pritzker-steps-down-from-hyatt-board-saying-he-deeply-regrets-association-with-epstein
|
||||
[^144]: *CBS News,* February 2026, on Ruemmler's resignation as Goldman Sachs general counsel. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathryn-ruemmler-resigning-from-goldman-sachs-epstein-files/
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -14,51 +14,79 @@ summary: "John Brockman is a New York literary agent who founded the Edge Founda
|
|||
born: 1941-02-16
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Edge Foundation]]"
|
||||
start: 1988
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Katinka Matson]]"
|
||||
role: "husband; co-founded Brockman Inc. and Edge with Matson"
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Max Brockman]]"
|
||||
role: "son; chief executive of Brockman Inc."
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
John Brockman (born February 16, 1941) is an American literary agent and author who founded the [[Edge Foundation]] and its website [[Edge.org]], coined the popularized version of the "third culture," and built a science-and-technology client list through his agency Brockman Inc. For years his annual literary salon and its Billionaires' Dinner were substantially financed by [[Jeffrey Epstein]], and foundations associated with Epstein supplied a majority of Edge's revenue over 2001 to 2017.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### From the 1960s Art Scene to Brockman Inc.
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman was born in Boston to Austrian Jewish immigrants and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood, taking an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1963. He moved into the New York avant-garde of the 1960s, organizing intermedia and underground-film events and absorbing the ideas of [[Marshall McLuhan]], [[John Cage]], and [[Buckminster Fuller]], whom he later cited as formative influences. He published early experimental books including *By the Late John Brockman* (1969) before turning to literary agenting.[^3][^1]
|
||||
Brockman was born in Boston to Austrian Jewish immigrants and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood, taking an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1963. He moved into the New York avant-garde of the 1960s, organizing intermedia and underground-film events and absorbing the ideas of [[Marshall McLuhan]], [[John Cage]], and [[Buckminster Fuller]], whom he later cited as formative influences. He published early experimental books including *By the Late John Brockman* (1969) before turning to literary agenting.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman formed the literary agency Brockman Inc. in 1973 as an international agency for serious nonfiction. It became the leading agency in science and technology writing, negotiating large advances for authors including [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Kahneman]], [[Steven Pinker]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[Jared Diamond]], [[Nassim Nicholas Taleb]], and [[Martin Rees]], a roster that at points included three Nobel laureates. His wife [[Katinka Matson]] co-founded the agency, served as its president, and produced the digital botanical images used across Edge; she is listed as a co-founder of Edge as well.[^3][^9]
|
||||
Brockman formed the literary agency Brockman Inc. in 1973 as an international agency for serious nonfiction. It became the leading agency in science and technology writing, negotiating large advances for authors including [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Kahneman]], [[Steven Pinker]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[Jared Diamond]], [[Nassim Nicholas Taleb]], and [[Martin Rees]], a roster that at points included three Nobel laureates. His wife [[Katinka Matson]] co-founded the agency, served as its president, and produced the digital botanical images used across Edge; she is listed as a co-founder of Edge as well.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman described the agency and the salon as overlapping enterprises, with many Edge contributors also being agency clients. His son [[Max Brockman]] joined the firm, became its chief executive, and edited the *This Will Make You Smarter* and *What's Next?* anthologies drawn from younger Edge contributors. Among the clients whose Epstein ties later drew scrutiny were Pinker, Dennett, [[Marvin Minsky]], and the [[MIT Media Lab]] director [[Joi Ito]], all of whom appeared on Edge or in Epstein's orbit.[^9][^1]
|
||||
Brockman described the agency and the salon as overlapping enterprises, with many Edge contributors also being agency clients. His son [[Max Brockman]] joined the firm, became its chief executive, and edited the *This Will Make You Smarter* and *What's Next?* anthologies drawn from younger Edge contributors. Among the clients whose Epstein ties later drew scrutiny were Pinker, Dennett, [[Marvin Minsky]], and the [[MIT Media Lab]] director [[Joi Ito]], all of whom appeared on Edge or in Epstein's orbit.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Reality Club and the Third Culture
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman founded a discussion group he called the Reality Club, which met from 1981 to 1996 in restaurants, lofts, the Rosa Mexicano restaurant, and other venues around New York for seminars by scientists and intellectuals. In 1995 he published *The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution* (Simon & Schuster), arguing that scientists who write for a general public were displacing the literary intellectual as the people "rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives," an expansion of [[C. P. Snow]]'s 1959 idea of two cultures.[^5][^4]
|
||||
Brockman founded a discussion group he called the Reality Club, which met from 1981 to 1996 in restaurants, lofts, the Rosa Mexicano restaurant, and other venues around New York for seminars by scientists and intellectuals. In 1995 he published *The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution* (Simon & Schuster), arguing that scientists who write for a general public were displacing the literary intellectual as the people "rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives," an expansion of [[C. P. Snow]]'s 1959 idea of two cultures.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The Reality Club moved online as Edge.org, which Brockman launched in 1996 under the nonprofit Edge Foundation he had incorporated in 1988. From 1998 he posed an annual Edge Question to his contributors, drawn from a curated pool of scientists, writers, and what he called third-culture intellectuals, with prompts such as "What is your dangerous idea?," "What will change everything?," and "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?" The responses were published on the site and collected in a long-running book series with titles including *What We Believe but Cannot Prove*, *What Is Your Dangerous Idea?*, *This Will Change Everything*, and *This Explains Everything*.[^6][^4]
|
||||
The Reality Club moved online as Edge.org, which Brockman launched in 1996 under the nonprofit Edge Foundation he had incorporated in 1988. From 1998 he posed an annual Edge Question to his contributors, drawn from a curated pool of scientists, writers, and what he called third-culture intellectuals, with prompts such as "What is your dangerous idea?," "What will change everything?," and "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?" The responses were published on the site and collected in a long-running book series with titles including *What We Believe but Cannot Prove*, *What Is Your Dangerous Idea?*, *This Will Change Everything*, and *This Explains Everything*.[^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The journalist [[John Naughton]] called Edge.org "the world's smartest website" in a 2012 *Observer* profile, a phrase Brockman and the foundation thereafter used in their own materials. Brockman retired the annual question in 2018, framing the move as the finale to twenty years of Edge Questions. The contributor pool skewed heavily male; one tally of those answering put the figure at roughly 80 percent men.[^7][^1]
|
||||
The journalist [[John Naughton]] called Edge.org "the world's smartest website" in a 2012 *Observer* profile, a phrase Brockman and the foundation thereafter used in their own materials. Brockman retired the annual question in 2018, framing the move as the finale to twenty years of Edge Questions. The contributor pool skewed heavily male; one tally of those answering put the figure at roughly 80 percent men.[^1][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein Funding and the Billionaires' Dinner
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman hosted an annual dinner from 1999, timed to the [[TED Conference]] then held in Monterey, California, which became known as the Billionaires' Dinner and brought Edge contributors together with technology and finance figures including [[Jeff Bezos]], [[Sergey Brin]], and [[Elon Musk]]. Brockman embraced the name after trying alternatives; recalling the 2004 dinner, he wrote that "last year we tried 'The Science Dinner.' Everyone yawned. So this year, it's back to the money-sex-power thing with 'The Billionaires' Dinner.'" Katinka Matson organized the events alongside him.[^1][^10]
|
||||
Brockman hosted an annual dinner from 1999, timed to the [[TED Conference]] then held in Monterey, California, which became known as the Billionaires' Dinner and brought Edge contributors together with technology and finance figures including [[Jeff Bezos]], [[Sergey Brin]], and [[Elon Musk]]. Brockman embraced the name after trying alternatives; recalling the 2004 dinner, he wrote that "last year we tried 'The Science Dinner.' Everyone yawned. So this year, it's back to the money-sex-power thing with 'The Billionaires' Dinner.'" Katinka Matson organized the events alongside him.[^1][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
According to financial records reviewed by *BuzzFeed News*, foundations associated with Epstein provided $638,000 of nearly $857,000 in revenue that Edge received between 2001 and 2017, and for a period Epstein's dinners and Edge were nearly entirely funded by him. Epstein gave at least $50,000 a year in 2009, 2010, and 2011; no gifts were recorded from 2006 to 2008, the period of his Florida investigation and imprisonment. Epstein was photographed at the dinners in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004 and attended the 2011 dinner alongside Bezos and Brin; his last recorded gift to Edge was $30,000 in 2015, after which Edge raised only several thousand dollars from a single donor and the dinner series ended.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
In a 2013 email later published by his client [[Evgeny Morozov]] in *[[The New Republic]]*, Brockman sought to arrange a meeting between Morozov and Epstein, writing that Epstein "showed up at this weekend's event by helicopter (with his beautiful young assistant from Belarus)," noting that Epstein "got into trouble and spent a year in jail in Florida," and stating that Epstein "gave Harvard $30m to set up [[Martin Nowak]]." Brockman also described visiting Epstein's home and seeing Epstein "in a sweatsuit and a British guy in a suit with suspenders, getting foot massages from two young well-dressed Russian women," and said he later realized the second man was [[Prince Andrew]]. Morozov declined the introduction, replying that the Victoria's Secret and modeling-agency connection was "one more reason to stay away actually."[^8][^11]
|
||||
In a 2013 email later published by his client [[Evgeny Morozov]] in *[[The New Republic]]*, Brockman sought to arrange a meeting between Morozov and Epstein, writing that Epstein "showed up at this weekend's event by helicopter (with his beautiful young assistant from Belarus)," noting that Epstein "got into trouble and spent a year in jail in Florida," and stating that Epstein "gave Harvard $30m to set up [[Martin Nowak]]." Brockman also described visiting Epstein's home and seeing Epstein "in a sweatsuit and a British guy in a suit with suspenders, getting foot massages from two young well-dressed Russian women," and said he later realized the second man was [[Prince Andrew]]. Morozov declined the introduction, replying that the Victoria's Secret and modeling-agency connection was "one more reason to stay away actually."[^10][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 Fallout
|
||||
|
||||
After Epstein's July 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges, the science writer [[Carl Zimmer]] asked to be removed from Edge, citing the Epstein funding. The author [[Naomi Wolf]] left Brockman Inc. on July 31, 2019, citing both Epstein's funding of Edge and the appearance of Epstein associate [[Sarah Kellen]] on the Edge website, and Morozov publicly called on Brockman to close the foundation. Photographs showing Kellen with Brockman and with Max Brockman at Edge dinners in 2002 and 2003 were removed from the site.[^8][^1]
|
||||
After Epstein's July 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges, the science writer [[Carl Zimmer]] asked to be removed from Edge, citing the Epstein funding. The author [[Naomi Wolf]] left Brockman Inc. on July 31, 2019, citing both Epstein's funding of Edge and the appearance of Epstein associate [[Sarah Kellen]] on the Edge website, and Morozov publicly called on Brockman to close the foundation. Photographs showing Kellen with Brockman and with Max Brockman at Edge dinners in 2002 and 2003 were removed from the site.[^1][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
Most listed Edge contributors did not publicly disassociate from the foundation after the *BuzzFeed News* reporting. The renewed release of U.S. Department of Justice files in 2026 returned attention to the Edge network, with Nowak again placed on Harvard administrative leave in February 2026 and other figures named in the documents drawn from circles that overlapped with Brockman's salon.[^1][^9]
|
||||
Most listed Edge contributors did not publicly disassociate from the foundation after the *BuzzFeed News* reporting. The renewed release of [[Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] files in 2026 returned attention to the Edge network, with Nowak again placed on Harvard administrative leave in February 2026 and other figures named in the documents drawn from circles that overlapped with Brockman's salon.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Conduit
|
||||
|
||||
Brockman's events were the setting in which several scientists first met Epstein. The MIT physicist [[Seth Lloyd]] told *[[The New York Times]]* that he met Epstein in 2004 at a dinner Brockman organized; Lloyd later took two post-conviction grants from Epstein and visited him during his work release. In 2002 Brockman invited a group of East Coast TED speakers, including his clients Steven Pinker, Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett, to fly to California on [[Lolita Express|Epstein's plane]]; Pinker described the arrangement in 2019 as "my lit agent invited me to join a group of east-coast TED speakers Epstein flew to CA." The MIT cosmologist [[Alan Guth]], another client, told NPR that Brockman arranged a meeting at which Epstein was to consider funding Guth's work, and described Edge as a club for Brockman's clients, whom Brockman called "Edgies." A December 31, 2010 email from Brockman to Epstein, released in November 2025, reads: "Thanks to Steven Pinker for suggesting this year's EDGE Question."[^12][^13][^14][^15]
|
||||
|
||||
The fuller text of Brockman's 2013 email to Morozov, as quoted by *[[BuzzFeed News]]*, read: "Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire science philanthropist showed up at this weekend's event by helicopter (with his beautiful young assistant from Belarus). He'll be in Cambridge in a couple of weeks asked me who he should meet. . . . He's been extremely generous in funding projects of many of our friends and clients. He also got into trouble and spent a year in jail in Florida." The "$30m" figure Brockman gave Morozov for the Harvard gift matched the claim in the [[Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation]]'s press releases; Harvard's records show 6.5 million dollars.[^11][^12][^16]
|
||||
|
||||
### Timing of the Money
|
||||
|
||||
An [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] filing of Epstein's [[C.O.U.Q. Foundation]] shows a 50,000 dollar gift to Edge in 2007, months after *The New York Times* reported on whether prosecutors had given Epstein preferential treatment over allegations involving underage girls. Edge then published Epstein's own answer to its 2008 question, "What have you changed your mind about?" Epstein foundation web pages claimed Edge support through at least 2014, which *BuzzFeed News* could not verify against tax filings. Epstein's contributor profile remained on the Edge website into 2019, months after the *[[Miami Herald]]*'s November 2018 series prompted a new federal investigation. Brockman did not respond to requests for comment from *BuzzFeed News* or NPR. NPR reported in 2026 that Edge appeared to have ceased publication in 2023.[^12][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled The Exclusive Edge Foundation And Reaped The Benefits," *BuzzFeed News,* 2019, on the $638,000 of $857,000 figure, the Billionaires' Dinner, the 2013 Morozov email, Kellen, and the 2019 departures. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-john-brockman-edge-foundation
|
||||
[^2]: Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled The Exclusive Edge Foundation And Reaped The Benefits." *BuzzFeed News,* 2019, on the foundation contributions of about $638,000 of nearly $857,000 received 2001 to 2017 and the $30,000 gift in 2015. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-john-brockman-edge-foundation
|
||||
[^3]: Naughton, John. "John Brockman: the man who runs the world's smartest website," *The Observer,* January 8, 2012, on Brockman's background, the McLuhan and Cage influences, and the agency. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/08/john-brockman-edge-interview
|
||||
[^4]: Brockman, John. *The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution.* Simon & Schuster, 1995.
|
||||
[^4]: Naughton, John. "John Brockman: the man who runs the world's smartest website." *The Observer,* January 8, 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/08/john-brockman-edge-interview ; for the agency founding and client roster see also Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled The Exclusive Edge Foundation." *BuzzFeed News,* 2019.
|
||||
[^5]: "About Edge," Edge.org, on the third culture definition and the Reality Club's 1981 to 1996 meetings. https://www.edge.org/about-edge
|
||||
[^6]: "About Edge," Edge.org, on the 1988 incorporation of the Edge Foundation as an outgrowth of the Reality Club. https://www.edge.org/about-edge
|
||||
[^7]: Naughton, John. "The Man Who Runs The World's Smartest Website," *The Observer,* 2012, reproduced at Edge.org. https://www.edge.org/conversation/john_naughton-the-man-who-runs-the-worlds-smartest-website-in-the-observer
|
||||
[^8]: "Edge Foundation President May Have Been Jeffrey Epstein's Connection to Intellectual Elite," *InsideHook,* 2019, on Brockman as Epstein's gatekeeper, the 2013 email, and the 2019 fallout. https://www.insidehook.com/culture/edge-foundation-president-may-have-been-jeffrey-epsteins-connection-to-intellectual-elite
|
||||
[^9]: Naughton, John. "John Brockman: the man who runs the world's smartest website." *The Observer,* January 8, 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/08/john-brockman-edge-interview ; for the agency founding and client roster see also Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled The Exclusive Edge Foundation." *BuzzFeed News,* 2019.
|
||||
[^10]: "The Edge 'Billionaires' Dinner' 1999" and subsequent dinner pages, Edge.org, on the 1999 start of the dinner at the TED conference in Monterey and Brockman's account of the 2004 naming. https://www.edge.org/event/the-edge-billionaires-dinner-1999
|
||||
[^11]: Morozov, Evgeny. "Jeffrey Epstein's Intellectual Enabler," *The New Republic,* 2019, reproducing the 2013 Brockman email, the "$30m to set up Martin Nowak" line, the Prince Andrew foot-massage passage, and Morozov's reply. https://newrepublic.com/article/154826/jeffrey-epsteins-intellectual-enabler
|
||||
[^6]: Brockman, John. *The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution.* Simon & Schuster, 1995.
|
||||
[^7]: "About Edge," Edge.org, on the 1988 incorporation of the Edge Foundation as an outgrowth of the Reality Club. https://www.edge.org/about-edge
|
||||
[^8]: Naughton, John. "The Man Who Runs The World's Smartest Website," *The Observer,* 2012, reproduced at Edge.org. https://www.edge.org/conversation/john_naughton-the-man-who-runs-the-worlds-smartest-website-in-the-observer
|
||||
[^9]: "The Edge 'Billionaires' Dinner' 1999" and subsequent dinner pages, Edge.org, on the 1999 start of the dinner at the TED conference in Monterey and Brockman's account of the 2004 naming. https://www.edge.org/event/the-edge-billionaires-dinner-1999
|
||||
[^10]: "Edge Foundation President May Have Been Jeffrey Epstein's Connection to Intellectual Elite," *InsideHook,* 2019, on Brockman as Epstein's gatekeeper, the 2013 email, and the 2019 fallout. https://www.insidehook.com/culture/edge-foundation-president-may-have-been-jeffrey-epsteins-connection-to-intellectual-elite
|
||||
[^11]: Morozov, Evgeny. "Jeffrey Epstein's Intellectual Enabler," *The New Republic,* August 2019, reproducing the 2013 Brockman email, the "$30m to set up Martin Nowak" line, the Prince Andrew foot-massage passage, and Morozov's reply. https://newrepublic.com/article/154826/jeffrey-epsteins-intellectual-enabler
|
||||
[^12]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on Lloyd's 2004 meeting at a Brockman dinner, the fuller 2013 email text, the 2007 C.O.U.Q. gift, Epstein's 2008 Edge answer, the unverified later claims, the profile's removal in 2019, and Brockman's non-response. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
|
||||
[^13]: Pinker, Steven (@sapinker), X (Twitter), July 11, 2019, reproduced in Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein Called Himself A 'Science Philanthropist' And Donated Millions To These Researchers," *BuzzFeed News,* July 11, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-science-donations
|
||||
[^14]: Neuman, Scott, and Ava Berger. "Epstein paid for a conference of top scientists in 2006. His motives are now clear," *NPR,* March 9, 2026, on Guth's account of Brockman and "Edgies," Brockman's non-response, and Edge's apparent end of publication in 2023. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5721150/epstein-scientists-physics-virgin-islands-conference
|
||||
[^15]: "Release of emails renews interest in Harvard professor Steven Pinker's link to Jeffrey Epstein," *The Boston Globe,* November 19, 2025, on the December 31, 2010 email and the 2002 flight passengers. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/19/metro/steven-pinker-epstein-ties/
|
||||
[^16]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard OGC and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 3, 5, 21, on the 6.5 million dollar gift, the absence of any 30 million dollar pledge, and the foundation's "$35 million" claim. https://ogc.harvard.edu/file_url/208
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -11,20 +11,55 @@ tags:
|
|||
- Finance
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Leon David Black
|
||||
summary: "Co-founder of Apollo Global Management who paid Jeffrey Epstein about 158 million dollars between 2012 and 2017 for tax and estate-planning structures that a Senate investigation said helped avoid more than a billion dollars in gift and estate taxes, and who resigned from Apollo in 2021 over the relationship."
|
||||
- Leon D. Black
|
||||
summary: "Apollo Global Management co-founder who wired Jeffrey Epstein about 158 to 170 million dollars from 2012 to 2017 for tax and estate advice, left Apollo in 2021, and paid the Virgin Islands 62.5 million dollars."
|
||||
born: 1951-07-31
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Apollo Global Management]]"
|
||||
role: "chairman and chief executive"
|
||||
start: 1990
|
||||
end: 2021-03-22
|
||||
fn: 19
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "fees for tax and estate advice paid to Southern Trust Company"
|
||||
start: 2012
|
||||
end: 2017
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: funded
|
||||
with: "[[Gratitude America]]"
|
||||
role: "10 million dollar donation"
|
||||
start: 2015-10
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "outside counsel to Black and the family office"
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Hogan Lovells]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "counsel before the Senate Finance Committee"
|
||||
start: 2026
|
||||
fn: 9
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Senate Finance Committee]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2022-06
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Leon Black (born July 31, 1951) is an American private-equity financier who co-founded [[Apollo Global Management]] in 1990 and ran it until 2021. He paid [[Jeffrey Epstein]] approximately 158 million dollars between 2012 and 2017 for tax, trust, and estate-planning advice, a sum an independent review and a U.S. Senate investigation found far exceeded any plausible market rate for the work, and which was tied to structures that the Senate Finance Committee said helped Black avoid more than one billion dollars in federal gift and estate taxes. The relationship forced Black's resignation as Apollo's chief executive and chairman in 2021, drew a four-year Senate investigation, and ran alongside a 62.5 million dollar payment to end a Virgin Islands inquiry and separate, denied sexual-assault allegations.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
Leon Black (born July 31, 1951) is an American private-equity financier who co-founded [[Apollo Global Management]] in 1990 and ran it until 2021. He paid [[Jeffrey Epstein]] approximately 158 million dollars between 2012 and 2017 for tax, trust, and estate-planning advice, a sum that the review commissioned by Apollo's board found "far exceeded any amounts Black paid to his other professional advisors" and that the [[Senate Finance Committee]] called "inexplicably large," and which was tied to structures that the committee said helped Black avoid more than one billion dollars in federal gift and estate taxes. The wires came from Black's accounts at [[Bank of America]], which reported them to the Treasury as suspicious only in February 2020, after Epstein's death. The relationship forced Black's resignation as Apollo's chief executive and chairman in 2021, drew a four-year Senate investigation, and ran alongside a 62.5 million dollar payment to end a Virgin Islands inquiry and separate, denied sexual-assault allegations.[^1][^2][^3][^4][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Drexel and the Founding of Apollo
|
||||
|
||||
Black is the son of [[Eli Black]], the chief executive of the food conglomerate [[United Brands]] (later [[Chiquita]]), who died by suicide in 1975 during the "Bananagate" foreign-bribery scandal in which United Brands was found to have paid bribes to officials in Honduras. Leon Black earned a degree from [[Dartmouth College]] and an MBA from [[Harvard Business School]], and joined the investment bank [[Drexel Burnham Lambert]], where he became head of mergers and acquisitions and worked closely with the junk-bond financier [[Michael Milken]]. Drexel collapsed into bankruptcy in 1990 after the federal securities-fraud case against Milken and the firm.[^4]
|
||||
Black is the son of [[Eli Black]], the chief executive of the food conglomerate [[United Brands]] (later [[Chiquita]]), who died by suicide in 1975 during the "Bananagate" foreign-bribery scandal in which United Brands was found to have paid bribes to officials in Honduras. Leon Black earned a degree from [[Dartmouth College]] and an MBA from [[Harvard Business School]], and joined the investment bank [[Drexel Burnham|Drexel Burnham Lambert]], where he became head of mergers and acquisitions and worked closely with the junk-bond financier [[Michael Milken]]. Drexel collapsed into bankruptcy in 1990 after the federal securities-fraud case against Milken and the firm.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Out of Drexel's wreckage, Black co-founded Apollo in 1990 with the former Drexel colleagues [[Josh Harris]] and [[Marc Rowan]] (the early partnership also included [[Tony Ressler]], who later founded [[Ares Management]]). Apollo built its early returns on distressed debt and leveraged buyouts and grew into one of the largest alternative-asset managers in the world, with hundreds of billions of dollars under management across private equity, credit, and the annuities insurer [[Athene]], and a 2011 listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Black served as chairman and chief executive and became one of the wealthiest people in American finance, as well as a prominent art collector and the chairman of the [[Museum of Modern Art]].[^4]
|
||||
Out of Drexel's wreckage, Black co-founded Apollo in 1990 with the former Drexel colleagues [[Josh Harris]] and [[Marc Rowan]] (the early partnership also included [[Tony Ressler]], who later founded [[Ares Management]]). Apollo built its early returns on distressed debt and leveraged buyouts and grew into one of the largest alternative-asset managers in the world, with hundreds of billions of dollars under management across private equity, credit, and the annuities insurer [[Athene]], and a 2011 listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Black served as chairman and chief executive and became one of the wealthiest people in American finance, as well as a prominent art collector and the chairman of the [[Museum of Modern Art]].[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Payments
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -32,46 +67,94 @@ Black retained Epstein for financial advice beginning around 2012, several years
|
|||
|
||||
Black has said the payments were for advice on trust and estate planning, tax matters, and the operation of his family office. The central transaction concerned a [[Grantor Retained Annuity Trust]] (GRAT) that Black had established in 2006; Epstein devised a structure that, according to the review commissioned by Apollo, helped resolve a potential tax liability and keep wealth out of Black's taxable estate as he transferred as much as two billion dollars to his children. The size and structure of the payments, and the question of what a convicted sex offender with no professional tax credentials actually provided, became the subject of the Apollo review and the Senate investigation.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Black and Epstein were introduced in the mid-1990s by a mutual friend. In 1997 Black appointed Epstein one of the initial directors of the [[Black Family Foundation]]; Epstein resigned in mid-2007, but the foundation's IRS Form 990 returns for 2008 through 2012 continued to list him, an error the Dechert report called an oversight. Black said he was further impressed that [[David Rockefeller]] had appointed Epstein to the board of [[Rockefeller University]], and that Epstein introduced him to researchers at [[Harvard University]] and the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. Black knew of Epstein's 2008 guilty plea and told the Dechert investigators that Epstein had described it as involving a single masseuse who used false identification to claim she was over 18.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
According to the Dechert report, Epstein told Black that he generally charged clients 40 million dollars a year, but agreed to do the initial trust work for 23.5 million dollars, paid to [[Southern Trust Company]] in two installments, the first of 15 million dollars on February 15, 2013. The arrangement was renegotiated in early 2014, bringing the 2013 total to 50 million dollars. Black paid 70 million dollars for 2014, without written service agreements, for work on the trusts, taxes, audits, art, the family office, and advice on yachts and aircraft; 30 million dollars for 2015, of which 20 million was for a "Step-Up Basis Transaction"; nothing for 2016, amid a fee dispute; and 8 million dollars for 2017 for "tax advisory and compliance advice." Black told Apollo's investors that he paid Epstein "a fee roughly equivalent to 5% of the value he generated on an after-tax basis and not tied to hourly rates."[^4][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The Senate Finance Committee's accounting, drawn from bank records, differs. Its table of wires from Black's Bank of America accounts lists 5.5 million dollars in 2012, 50 million in 2013, 70 million in 2014, 30 million in 2015, 6.3 million in 2016 and 8 million in 2017, a total of 169.8 million dollars in eighteen wires, generally of 8 to 10 million dollars each, including one of 20 million dollars in July 2014. About 140 million dollars went in 2013 through 2015 to Southern Trust's accounts at [[Deutsche Bank]], and other wires went to [[Financial Trust Company]] accounts at [[JPMorgan Chase]]. The accounts that sent the money were held by Black, his wife [[Debra Black]], Black Family Partners L.P., Narrows Holdings LLC, the family office [[Elysium Management]], and one other individual.[^5] A forensic accountant retained by the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]] in its suit against JPMorgan found that Southern Trust, which had obtained territorial tax benefits by representing that it provided "biomedical and financial informatics" services, reported about 184 million dollars in revenue from 2013 to 2017, of which "$158 million or approximately 85% was from a single source, Leon Black"; the Senate committee, using Bank of America's filings, put Black's share at 166 million dollars, or 90 percent.[^5][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
In a June 2026 letter, Wyden compared these sums with Black's other advisers. [[Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison]], his regular counsel, was paid 1,979,761.41 dollars for estate-planning and family-office work in 2013 and 2014, when Black paid Epstein about 120 million dollars; the lawyers who drafted Black's grantor retained annuity trusts and remainder trusts were [[Carlyn McCaffrey]] and [[Ada Clapp]]. Wyden calculated Epstein's fees at 23 to 26 million dollars a year, above the 15.9 million dollar median pay of a Fortune 500 chief executive in 2021.[^9][^10] Documents from the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s Epstein releases cited by Wyden include a 2013 Epstein instruction to "send Leon wire instructions for 15 million dollars," a 2014 confirmation from Epstein's accountant of a 20 million dollar wire from Black, and a 2015 note from Deutsche Bank bankers that another 20 million dollars from Black had "hit" Epstein's accounts.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Dechert Report and the Tax Structures
|
||||
|
||||
Facing investor and press scrutiny over the Epstein relationship, Apollo's board commissioned an independent review by the law firm [[Dechert]] LLP, which the firm released on January 25, 2021. The Dechert review documented the 158 million dollars in payments, concluded that the fees were for legitimate tax and estate-planning work even though they were far larger than the value of that work, and reported that it had found no evidence that Black was involved in Epstein's sex-trafficking crimes or was aware of them. Black also extended Epstein loans, some of which were repaid.[^1][^5]
|
||||
Facing investor and press scrutiny over the Epstein relationship, Black asked Apollo's board on October 20, 2020 for an outside review, and the board's three-member Conflicts Committee retained the law firm [[Dechert]] LLP, which delivered a memorandum dated January 22, 2021 that Apollo filed with the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] on January 25, 2021. Dechert reviewed more than 60,000 documents from Black, Apollo, the family office and Paul Weiss, with [[Milbank]] acting as Apollo's counsel, and interviewed more than twenty witnesses. It documented the 158 million dollars in payments, concluded that the fees were for legitimate tax and estate-planning work, reported that Black and witnesses believed Epstein's advice had conferred between one and two billion dollars in value, and found "no evidence that Black or any employee of the Family Office or Apollo was involved in any way with Epstein's criminal activities."[^1][^4][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
The review nonetheless described arrangements that drew lasting questions. It reported that a transaction Epstein devised to help Black avoid more than one billion dollars in federal taxes raised the question of whether Black had improperly kept billions of dollars out of his taxable estate and might owe substantial gift and estate taxes. The review also recorded that the payments were "inexplicably large," well in excess of what Black paid any other adviser and far above the median pay of a Fortune 500 chief executive at the time. Apollo's board accepted the review's findings while announcing governance changes and the leadership transition.[^1][^5]
|
||||
The central project concerned a 2006 grantor retained annuity trust set up by a trusts-and-estates lawyer whom Epstein had recommended. By 2012 the structure carried a risk of an estate-tax assessment that a former family-office employee and outside counsel put at about 500 million dollars, and that witnesses said could reach one billion dollars or more; outside counsel called Epstein's solution a "grand slam." In the fall of 2015 Epstein claimed credit for a "Step-Up Basis Transaction" involving loans between Black and family trusts, estimated that it saved 600 million dollars, and demanded 60 million dollars, a tenth of the saving; Black paid 20 million dollars. The dispute over that fee led to the break between the two men between 2016 and 2018. Separately, in early 2017 Black lent Epstein 22.5 million and 8 million dollars through his entity BV70 LLC to Epstein's Plan D LLC in connection with an art transaction; after Black demanded repayment in early 2018, Epstein repaid 10 million dollars, and the balance was outstanding when he died. Black also gave 10 million dollars to Epstein's charity [[Gratitude America]] in October 2015, and at Epstein's request made donations to MIT, Harvard, the [[Arizona State University]] Origins Project and the Peace Initiative Foundation.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Black told the investigators he had visited Epstein's island twice with his wife and children, his Santa Fe ranch once, his Paris residence once for drinks and his Florida house once or twice, had flown on his plane once, and had never spent a night at any Epstein property. Dechert also found that Epstein's Financial Trust Company bought 263,257 shares in Apollo's March 2011 initial public offering through a directed-share program run by the lead underwriter, that the shares passed to [[Southern Financial LLC]] and were held through at least September 2019, and that Financial Trust Company had invested in AP SHL Investors LLC and AP Technology Partners LLC, vehicles formed by Apollo executives for deals Apollo declined, and alongside Black and his family in [[Environmental Solutions Worldwide]]. Black's letter to Apollo's investors on the day of release stated, "Apollo did no business with Mr. Epstein."[^4][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The review recorded that some of Epstein's ideas "did not hold up under scrutiny," and that his compensation "far exceeded any amounts Black paid to his other professional advisors." The Senate Finance Committee, reviewing the same payments in July 2023, called them "inexplicably large; well in excess of what Black paid any other financial advisors and far higher than the median compensation of Fortune 500 CEOs at the time," and stated that a transaction Epstein devised to help Black avoid more than one billion dollars in federal taxes raised questions about whether Black had improperly kept billions of dollars out of his taxable estate and might owe substantial gift and estate taxes. Apollo's board accepted the review's findings while announcing governance changes and the leadership transition.[^2][^4][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Estate-Planning Checklists
|
||||
|
||||
Working papers of Black's family office are in the Justice Department's Epstein releases. A "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring," dated as of October 2, 2013, set out the program in ten parts: a cash-flow plan built on Black's substitution of trust assets for a promissory note, completed on August 15, 2013, with Empire Valuation valuing the Black Family Partners (BFP) interests he acquired; financing options "relating to the asset substitution and existing loans secured by art," soliciting information from Bank of America, JPMorgan, [[Morgan Stanley]] and Deutsche Bank, with "Preliminary meetings with Deutsche Bank taken"; decanting the 2006 Trust into a 1997 trust and then into a new "Heritage Trust," with an agreement with "DB" or a lease to Black governing his use of the art the trust would hold; restructuring BFP, LDB 2011 LLC and LBF Holdings LLC "to avoid estate inclusion"; a review of prior SEC filings and of "short-swing profit rules"; new private foundations for each of Black's children; the unwinding of split-dollar life insurance; an inventory of Black's art, cane collection, rare books and bronzes, to be provided by [[Sotheby's]]; and a "freeze partnership" into which Black would contribute art valued by an outside appraiser. It named "Jib Black" as "the 'second' attorney reviewing the cash flow plan."[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 21, 2014 Ada Clapp of Black Family Partners, 445 Park Avenue, copying family-office head [[Eileen Alexanderson]], sent Epstein the updated version: "Hi Jeffrey, Attached is what I believe you are referring to by the 9 page list. I updated to show progress."[^13] The January 14, 2014 version opened with the "Settlement of 2006 Trust Accounting," assigning the family office and Apollo to ascertain the sources of the trust's "Trust Accounting Income" and to calculate what "should have been distributed to Leon annually and in the aggregate," marked complete; it listed release and indemnification agreements for the 2006 Trust and GRATs A through K, providing among other things for "Leon's removal as beneficiary," and an action item to "Confirm that John Hannan and Richard Ressler will proceed without separate counsel." Decanting to entities labeled "APO1 and APO2" was recorded "as first step."[^14] A workbook titled "Apollo / Leon Black / Tax Receivable Agreement (TRA) Payment Workbook / Tax Year 2013," dated March 26, 2014, is in the same releases.[^15]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 24, 2017 one of its recipients forwarded Epstein a "Privileged & Confidential" memorandum on "Leon Black Estate Planning" that Charles T. Dowling of [[Sullivan & Cromwell]] had sent on July 12 to Clapp and two others, then in the period of the fee dispute between the two men, adding only: "Let us know what issues you have."[^16] Black has maintained that Epstein's work was lawful tax and estate advice, and the Dechert review found no evidence that he paid for anything else.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Senate Finance Investigation
|
||||
|
||||
The Senate Finance Committee, under Ranking Member [[Ron Wyden]], opened an investigation into Black's tax planning and his financial ties to Epstein, publicly confirming it in July 2023 and pursuing it across roughly four years. The committee examined whether the payments to Epstein were part of a strategy to avoid more than one billion dollars in federal gift and estate taxes through the 2006 GRAT and related trusts, and sought records from Apollo, from Black, and from financial institutions including [[Bank of America]] that processed the payments.[^2][^3]
|
||||
The Senate Finance Committee, under [[Ron Wyden]], who chaired it at the time, opened an investigation into Black's tax planning and his financial ties to Epstein in June 2022, prompted by what it called "inconsistencies" in the Dechert report, publicly confirmed it on July 25, 2023, and pursued it across roughly four years, with Wyden continuing as ranking member after January 2025. The committee examined whether the payments to Epstein were part of a strategy to avoid more than one billion dollars in federal gift and estate taxes through the 2006 GRAT and related trusts, and sought records from Apollo, from Black, and from financial institutions including Bank of America that processed the payments.[^2][^3] The committee's July 2023 release stated that "Black improperly received excess income from Apollo partnership interests held in a trust, assets he indicated to the IRS he no longer owned," that the 2006 trusts had been funded with interests of 30.35 percent in Apollo Management III, IV, V and VI, 26.8 percent in Apollo Investment Management, 26.9 percent in Apollo Value Management, 44 percent in four other Apollo management partnerships, and 142 points in Apollo Advisors VI, that Black's art collection was valued by his own counsel at more than one billion dollars, and that Black had refused to answer questions or produce documents on how Epstein's pay was set. Black's representatives told the committee the [[Internal Revenue Service]] had not audited any of the transactions or trusts. Black's attorneys also told the committee that the idea behind the step-up transaction "was in the public domain and originated with Black's other legal advisors."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
In July 2025 Wyden said Epstein's work for Black deserved an [[Internal Revenue Service]] probe, and in 2026 the committee escalated. In March 2026 Wyden questioned Black over new material in the Epstein file releases that he said showed the appearance of "hush money" payments and the surveillance of women, and on June 4, 2026 the committee referred its findings on Black's Epstein ties to the [[House Oversight Committee]]. Wyden, with Senator [[Angus King]], also introduced legislation in April 2026 to close the high-value-trust tax loophole the GRAT structure exploited. Black has denied wrongdoing and said his tax planning was lawful.[^2][^6]
|
||||
In July 2025 Wyden said Epstein's work for Black deserved an Internal Revenue Service probe, and in 2026 the committee escalated. In March 2026 Wyden questioned Black over new material in the Epstein file releases that he said showed the appearance of "hush money" payments and the surveillance of women, and on June 4, 2026 the committee referred its findings on Black's Epstein ties to the [[House Oversight Committee]]. Wyden, with Senator [[Angus King]], also introduced legislation in April 2026 to close the high-value-trust tax loophole the GRAT structure exploited. Black has denied wrongdoing and said his tax planning was lawful.[^2][^17]
|
||||
|
||||
### Bank of America and the Suspicious Activity Reports
|
||||
|
||||
On March 11, 2025 Wyden wrote to Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]], Treasury Secretary [[Scott Bessent]] and [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] Director [[Kash Patel]] that the "large U.S. financial institution" holding Black's accounts did not file a suspicious activity report with the [[Financial Crimes Enforcement Network]] until February 2020, about six months after Epstein's death. That report flagged 156 million dollars in wires to Epstein, stating that the activity did "not have a verifiable business purpose," had "no apparent economic, business or lawful purpose," and involved "suspicious use of multiple accounts." A second report in October 2020 flagged two wires the bank had missed, 5.5 million dollars in November 2012 and 8 million dollars in April 2017. Wyden wrote that his staff had found 12 million dollars in wires that the Apollo review did not identify, and that "I have not received any explanation from Black's attorneys as to why the Apollo Board's investigation omitted or failed to identify these $12 million payments or their purpose."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
The committee's August 4, 2026 report identified the bank as Bank of America and dated its first report February 7, 2020. It stated that Justice Department records identify [[Jane Heller]] as one of Black's principal bankers there, that a 2014 email from Black's family office said "Jane Heller is calling every day for this statement," that an internal Bank of America document noted Heller "already has a relationship with Black that includes a $400MM art secured line," and that the bank made four loans of more than 500 million dollars against Black's art, yacht and jet, including a 484 million dollar loan against his art at 1.43 percent. The head of Black's family office, Eileen Alexanderson, told Epstein that "Jane Heller essentially set this up as a personal loan collateralized by the boat." Wyden wrote to Bank of America chief executive [[Brian Moynihan]] on April 4, 2024; the bank's counsel replied that it would not cooperate without a subpoena. Epstein victims later sued Bank of America, and a deposition of Black in that case was set for March 26, 2026; according to the report, the bank settled with the plaintiffs days before it. The report called Black "Epstein's single largest source of funding" and listed Heller among thirteen bankers whose conduct it said merited investigation; neither Heller nor the bank has been charged.[^5][^18]
|
||||
|
||||
On June 4, 2026 Wyden referred his findings to the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] ahead of Black's deposition there. He wrote that unsealed Justice Department files indicated that Epstein "kept close tabs of women who Black had reached settlements/NDAs with and reached out to Russian government officials to help Black with these so-called problems," and "appears to have acted as a middleman for Black to pay women on Black's behalf, raising concerns of potential money laundering," and that several financial institutions may have violated anti-money-laundering law by failing to report Black's transactions in time. Black's counsel, [[Aaron Cutler]] of [[Hogan Lovells]], had written to Wyden on April 13, 2026 that the inquiry concerned a "private citizen's personal life" and was an attempt to "unfairly harass" Black.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Departure from Apollo
|
||||
|
||||
On January 25, 2021, the same day the Dechert review was released, Apollo announced that Black would retire as chief executive on or before July 31, 2021, with Marc Rowan succeeding him, while Black remained chairman. On March 22, 2021, Black left abruptly, relinquishing the chairmanship as well and citing health issues affecting him and his wife, and Rowan assumed the role of chief executive. The departure came months earlier than the announced timeline and amid the emerging sexual-assault allegations against Black.[^7]
|
||||
On January 25, 2021, the same day the Dechert review was released, Apollo announced that Black would retire as chief executive on or before July 31, 2021, with Marc Rowan succeeding him, while Black remained chairman. In his letter to limited partners that day Black wrote that "as I near my 70th birthday this July, I will retire as CEO on or before that date," asked the board to consider cancelling the Class C share that gave the co-founders extra voting rights in favor of "one share, one vote," disclosed that Apollo had engaged [[WilmerHale]] to review its reputational-risk practices, and pledged 200 million dollars to initiatives for women, including help for survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking.[^7] On March 22, 2021, Black left abruptly, relinquishing the chairmanship as well and citing health issues affecting him and his wife, and Rowan assumed the role of chief executive. The departure came months earlier than the announced timeline and amid the emerging sexual-assault allegations against Black.[^19]
|
||||
|
||||
Black publicly blamed his co-founder Josh Harris for what he characterized as a campaign to force him out, and the two men's dispute became an open feud reported across the financial press. Black filed a lawsuit alleging a racketeering conspiracy among Harris, [[Guzel Ganieva]], and others; a federal judge, [[Paul Engelmayer]], dismissed that suit with prejudice in 2022, calling the racketeering claims "glaringly deficient in fundamental respects." Rowan consolidated control of Apollo, which in 2026 faced shareholder securities-fraud suits alleging it had concealed the extent of Black's Epstein ties from investors.[^7][^8]
|
||||
Black publicly blamed his co-founder Josh Harris for what he characterized as a campaign to force him out, and the two men's dispute became an open feud reported across the financial press. Black filed a lawsuit alleging a racketeering conspiracy among Harris, [[Guzel Ganieva]], and others; a federal judge, [[Paul Engelmayer]], dismissed that suit with prejudice in 2022, calling the racketeering claims "glaringly deficient in fundamental respects." Rowan consolidated control of Apollo, which in 2026 faced shareholder securities-fraud suits alleging it had concealed the extent of Black's Epstein ties from investors.[^19][^20]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Ganieva and Assault Allegations
|
||||
|
||||
In 2021 Guzel Ganieva, a Russian former model, publicly accused Black of years of sexual abuse, and after Black responded that the two had had a consensual affair and that she had tried to extort him, she sued him in June 2021 alleging sexual assault, including a rape she said occurred in 2014, and defamation. Black denied the allegations. A New York appeals court later ruled for Black on the defamation claim, finding that a 2015 non-disclosure agreement, under which Ganieva had received about nine million dollars including a 100,000-dollar monthly stipend, covered her claims, and that she had ratified the agreement by accepting the money.[^8][^9]
|
||||
In 2021 Guzel Ganieva, a Russian former model, publicly accused Black of years of sexual abuse, and after Black responded that the two had had a consensual affair and that she had tried to extort him, she sued him in June 2021 alleging sexual assault, including a rape she said occurred in 2014, and defamation. Black denied the allegations. A New York appeals court later ruled for Black on the defamation claim, finding that a 2015 non-disclosure agreement, under which Ganieva had received about nine million dollars including a 100,000-dollar monthly stipend, covered her claims, and that she had ratified the agreement by accepting the money.[^20][^21]
|
||||
|
||||
A separate federal lawsuit filed in July 2023 alleged that Black had raped a then-16-year-old girl with autism at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in 2002. Black's lawyer, [[Susan Estrich]], said Black had never met the accuser and called the suit a fabrication by the [[Wigdor]] law firm. The plaintiff, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe and later reported to be Cheri Pierson, dropped the suit with prejudice in February 2024. Black has denied every allegation of sexual misconduct.[^10]
|
||||
In November 2022 [[Cheri Pierson]], a [[New Jersey]] woman represented by the [[Wigdor]] law firm, sued Black and Epstein's estate under her own name in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging that Black assaulted her in early 2002 at Epstein's townhouse after Epstein arranged for her to give Black a massage. The suit was discontinued with prejudice in February 2024 without any payment by Black, who said, "I have never met Ms. Pierson."[^22][^23]
|
||||
|
||||
A separate federal lawsuit, Doe v. Black, No. 1:23-cv-06418 in the [[Southern District of New York]], filed by Wigdor in July 2023, alleged that Black had raped a then-16-year-old girl with autism at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in 2002. Black's lawyer, [[Susan Estrich]], said Black had never met the accuser and called the suit a fabrication by Wigdor. In April 2025 Wigdor asked to withdraw as the plaintiff's counsel days before a hearing on whether it should be sanctioned, and Judge [[Jessica Clarke]] granted the request. Black has denied every allegation of sexual misconduct.[^22][^24]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Virgin Islands Settlement
|
||||
|
||||
In January 2023 Black paid 62.5 million dollars to the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]] to end the territory's investigation into his ties to Epstein, without any admission of liability or any criminal charge. The payment came as the territory was pursuing the Epstein estate and the banks that served Epstein, and shortly after the estate's own 105 million dollar settlement and the territory's suits against [[JPMorgan Chase]] and [[Deutsche Bank]].[^11]
|
||||
On January 20, 2023 Black signed a settlement agreement with the Government of the United States Virgin Islands, countersigned by Acting Attorney General [[Carol Thomas-Jacobs]], under which he paid 62.5 million dollars within sixty days to end the territory's claims against him arising from Epstein, without any admission of liability or any criminal charge. Governor [[Albert Bryan]] had removed Attorney General [[Denise George]] at the end of December 2022, days after she filed the territory's December 27, 2022 suit against JPMorgan, and appointed Thomas-Jacobs, already assigned as an attorney on the JPMorgan case, as acting attorney general effective January 1, 2023; Bryan's office gave no reason and said reports tying the removal to the suit were "not entirely accurate."[^25] The payment came shortly after the estate's own 105 million dollar settlement, while the territory's suit against JPMorgan Chase and victims' suits against JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank were pending.[^26][^27]
|
||||
|
||||
The Black settlement was the largest individual payment connected to the Virgin Islands inquiry, exceeding the sums paid by the banks to the territory, and was reported as resolving the territory's potential claims against Black arising from his financial dealings with Epstein. Black continued to manage his personal fortune and his art holdings after leaving Apollo, while the Senate referral and the prospect of an IRS examination of the GRAT structures remained open in 2026.[^11][^2]
|
||||
The agreement's recitals state that "according to public reports, Black paid $158 million over approximately five years to Jeffrey Epstein's Virgin Islands company, Southern Trust," and, as a separate recital, "WHEREAS, Jeffrey Epstein used the money Black paid him to partially fund his operations in the Virgin Islands." Section III.2 provides that nothing in the agreement is an admission of liability, which Black expressly denies, and that its terms "shall not be cited by any person as evidence of wrongdoing by Black." Wyden later described the recital as an admission that Black's money funded sex trafficking. The territory directed 15 million dollars of the payment to a trust fund for counseling, mental-health and other services for Virgin Islands residents. The release covers "Leon Black, and all of his attorneys and other agents acting within the scope of their authority," and entities he owns or controls, and excludes "JP Morgan Chase or any other financial institution used by Black or Jeffrey Epstein or any current or former employees" of those institutions, and Epstein and his estate. Black agreed not to claim that his payment resolved any individual victim's claims.[^5][^9][^27]
|
||||
|
||||
The Black settlement was the largest payment by an individual other than the Epstein estate in the Virgin Islands inquiry; JPMorgan's later 75 million dollar settlement with the territory, in September 2023, was larger. It was reported as resolving the territory's potential claims against Black arising from his financial dealings with Epstein. Black continued to manage his personal fortune and his art holdings after leaving Apollo, while the Senate referral and the prospect of an IRS examination of the GRAT structures remained open in 2026.[^2][^26]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Leon Black's $158 Million Sent to Epstein Draws Senate Probe." *Bloomberg,* July 25, 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-25/leon-black-s-158-million-payments-to-epstein-spark-senate-probe ; "Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why." *CNN Business,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/business/leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-senate-investigation
|
||||
[^2]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Unveils Ongoing Investigation into Private Equity Billionaire Leon Black's Tax Planning and Financial Ties with Jeffrey Epstein," July 25, 2023. https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-unveils-ongoing-investigation-into-private-equity-billionaire-leon-blacks-tax-planning-and-financial-ties-with-jeffrey-epstein
|
||||
[^3]: "Sen. Ron Wyden wants to know why Leon Black paid Epstein $170 million for tax planning over 5-year period." *CBS News,* 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sen-ron-wyden-leon-black-paid-epstein-170-million-tax-planning/
|
||||
[^4]: For Black's career, the United Brands background, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Michael Milken, and the 1990 founding of Apollo, see the contemporaneous business press and the Apollo corporate record.
|
||||
[^5]: "Apollo Announces Review of Significant Governance Enhancements as Part of Continued Evolution and Institutionalization of the Firm and Leadership Transition." *Apollo Global Management,* January 25, 2021. https://www.apollo.com/insights-news/pressreleases/2021/01/apollo-announces-review-of-significant-governance-enhancements-as-part-of-continued-evolution-and-institutionalization-of-the-firm-and-leadership-transition-211534651
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Refers Findings on Leon Black's Epstein Ties to House Oversight Committee," June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-refers-findings-on-leon-blacks-epstein-ties-to-house-oversight-committee ; "Epstein's Work for Leon Black Deserves IRS Probe, Wyden Says." *Bloomberg,* July 31, 2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-31/epstein-s-work-for-leon-black-should-face-irs-probe-wyden-says
|
||||
[^7]: "Leon Black quits Apollo months earlier than expected following Jeffrey Epstein investment scandal." *CNBC,* March 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/apollo-ceo-leon-black-leaves-follows-jeffrey-epstein-investment-scandal.html ; "Marc Rowan Assumes Role of CEO of Apollo." *Apollo Global Management / GlobeNewswire,* March 22, 2021.
|
||||
[^8]: "Leon Black's Lawsuit Against Josh Harris, Guzel Ganieva Dismissed by Judge." *Bloomberg,* June 30, 2022. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-30/leon-black-suit-against-josh-harris-guzel-ganieva-thrown-out
|
||||
[^9]: "Woman's lawsuit accuses Leon Black of defamation, violent behavior." *CNBC,* June 2, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/womans-lawsuit-accuses-leon-black-of-defamation-violent-behavior.html ; Ganieva v. Black, New York Appellate Division, First Department (2025).
|
||||
[^10]: "Lawsuit accuses billionaire Leon Black of raping autistic teenager at Jeffrey Epstein's townhouse." *CNBC,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/25/leon-black-accused-of-raping-teenager-at-jeffrey-epstein-townhouse.html ; "Woman drops lawsuit against Leon Black alleging rape at Jeffrey Epstein mansion." *CNBC,* February 20, 2024. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html
|
||||
[^11]: "Billionaire Leon Black paid $62.5m to exit US Virgin Islands investigation over links to Jeffrey Epstein." *AOL / Agence France-Presse,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/billionaire-leon-black-paid-62-002414707.html
|
||||
[^4]: Dechert LLP, Memorandum to the Apollo Conflicts Committee, "Investigation of Epstein/Black Relationship and Any Relationship Between Epstein and Apollo Global Management, Inc.," January 22, 2021, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management, Inc. Form 8-K, January 25, 2021, pp. 1-4, 8-18, 21-22. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm
|
||||
[^5]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026, pp. 4, 9-14, 56-61. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: For Black's career, the United Brands background, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Michael Milken, and the 1990 founding of Apollo, see the contemporaneous business press and the Apollo corporate record.
|
||||
[^7]: Leon D. Black, Letter to Apollo Limited Partners, January 25, 2021, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to Apollo Global Management, Inc. Form 8-K, January 25, 2021. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex992.htm
|
||||
[^8]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Expert Report of Jorge Amador, ECF No. 238-31 (filed July 25, 2023), report p. 74. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.238.31.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, regarding Leon Black, June 4, 2026 (citing EFTA00621341, EFTA00396545, EFTA01915809 and EFTA01376741). https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_house_oversight_on_leon_black-epstein_060426.pdf ; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Refers Findings on Leon Black's Epstein Ties to House Oversight Committee," June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-refers-findings-on-leon-blacks-epstein-ties-to-house-oversight-committee
|
||||
[^10]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, March 11, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/download/wyden-letter-to-doj-treasury-fbi-on-epsteinpdf?download=1 ; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Releases New Information on Financing of Jeffrey Epstein's Operations by Billionaire Leon Black, Seeks Documents from Trump Administration," March 12, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-information-on-financing-of-jeffrey-epsteins-operations-by-billionaire-leon-black-seeks-documents-from-trump-administration
|
||||
[^11]: "Apollo Announces Review of Significant Governance Enhancements as Part of Continued Evolution and Institutionalization of the Firm and Leadership Transition." *Apollo Global Management,* January 25, 2021. https://www.apollo.com/insights-news/pressreleases/2021/01/apollo-announces-review-of-significant-governance-enhancements-as-part-of-continued-evolution-and-institutionalization-of-the-firm-and-leadership-transition-211534651
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01071282, DataSet 9, "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring, As of October 2, 2013." https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01071282.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00982173, DataSet 9, email from Ada Clapp, Black Family Partners, to Jeffrey Epstein, "6.7.13 Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring-updated 1.14.14," January 21, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00982173.pdf
|
||||
[^14]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00583490, DataSet 9, "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring, As of January 14, 2014." https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00583490.pdf
|
||||
[^15]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00616944, DataSet 9, "Apollo / Leon Black / Tax Receivable Agreement (TRA) Payment Workbook / Tax Year 2013," March 26, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00616944.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00702518, DataSet 9, email to Jeffrey Epstein, "S&C: Leon Black Estate Planning," July 24, 2017, forwarding a July 12, 2017 email of Charles T. Dowling, Sullivan & Cromwell. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00702518.pdf
|
||||
[^17]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Refers Findings on Leon Black's Epstein Ties to House Oversight Committee," June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-refers-findings-on-leon-blacks-epstein-ties-to-house-oversight-committee ; "Epstein's Work for Leon Black Deserves IRS Probe, Wyden Says." *Bloomberg,* July 31, 2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-31/epstein-s-work-for-leon-black-should-face-irs-probe-wyden-says
|
||||
[^18]: "Leon Black deposition in Epstein accusers' lawsuit against Bank of America delayed," *Reuters,* March 11, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/leon-black-could-be-deposed-epstein-accusers-lawsuit-against-bank-america-judge-2026-03-11/
|
||||
[^19]: "Leon Black quits Apollo months earlier than expected following Jeffrey Epstein investment scandal." *CNBC,* March 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/apollo-ceo-leon-black-leaves-follows-jeffrey-epstein-investment-scandal.html ; "Marc Rowan Assumes Role of CEO of Apollo." *Apollo Global Management / GlobeNewswire,* March 22, 2021.
|
||||
[^20]: "Leon Black's Lawsuit Against Josh Harris, Guzel Ganieva Dismissed by Judge." *Bloomberg,* June 30, 2022. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-30/leon-black-suit-against-josh-harris-guzel-ganieva-thrown-out
|
||||
[^21]: "Woman's lawsuit accuses Leon Black of defamation, violent behavior." *CNBC,* June 2, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/womans-lawsuit-accuses-leon-black-of-defamation-violent-behavior.html ; Ganieva v. Black, New York Appellate Division, First Department (2025).
|
||||
[^22]: "Lawsuit accuses billionaire Leon Black of raping autistic teenager at Jeffrey Epstein's townhouse." *CNBC,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/25/leon-black-accused-of-raping-teenager-at-jeffrey-epstein-townhouse.html ; "Woman drops lawsuit against Leon Black alleging rape at Jeffrey Epstein mansion." *CNBC,* February 20, 2024. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/woman-drops-claim-of-leon-black-rape-at-jeffrey-epstein-mansion.html
|
||||
[^23]: "Cheri Pierson Files Bombshell Lawsuit Accusing Leon Black of Rape in Jeffrey Epstein Mansion," *The Daily Beast,* November 2022. https://www.thedailybeast.com/cheri-pierson-files-bombshell-lawsuit-accusing-leon-black-of-rape-in-jeffrey-epstein-mansion/ ; "Leon Black Rape Accuser Cheri Pierson Drops Lawsuit Against Billionaire," *The Daily Beast,* February 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/leon-black-rape-accuser-cheri-pierson-drops-lawsuit-against-billionaire/
|
||||
[^24]: Doe v. Black, No. 1:23-cv-06418 (S.D.N.Y.), docket. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67633736/doe-v-black/ ; "Law firm in sexual assault suit against billionaire Leon Black wants to exit case: court records," *AOL,* April 2025. https://www.aol.com/news/law-firm-sexual-assault-suit-222654166.html
|
||||
[^25]: "U.S. Virgin Islands fires attorney general in Jeffrey Epstein cases," *PBS NewsHour / Associated Press,* January 2023. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/u-s-virgin-islands-fires-attorney-general-in-jeffrey-epstein-cases ; "Attorney General Denise George Has Been Terminated," *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* December 31, 2022. https://viconsortium.com/vi-government/virgin-islands-attorneygeneral-denise-george-has-been-terminated-
|
||||
[^26]: "Billionaire Leon Black paid $62.5m to exit US Virgin Islands investigation over links to Jeffrey Epstein." *AOL / Agence France-Presse,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/billionaire-leon-black-paid-62-002414707.html
|
||||
[^27]: Settlement Agreement and Release between the Government of the United States Virgin Islands and Leon Black, executed January 20, 2023, sections I, II.A.1-3, III.2, III.5 (as published by the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance). https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/usvi_black_settlement_agreement_-_executedpdf.pdf
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
86
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Leon Botstein.md
Normal file
86
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Leon Botstein.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- LeonBotstein
|
||||
- BardCollege
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- GratitudeAmerica
|
||||
- HigherEducation
|
||||
- Philanthropy
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Leon Bottstein
|
||||
- President Leon Botstein
|
||||
summary: "Conductor and president of Bard College from 1975 to 2026 who courted Jeffrey Epstein as a donor after his conviction, took 150,000 dollars from Epstein's charity, and retired after a 2026 review."
|
||||
location: "Annandale-on-Hudson, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Bard College]]"
|
||||
role: "president"
|
||||
start: 1975
|
||||
end: 2026-06-30
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[American Symphony Orchestra]]"
|
||||
role: "music director and principal conductor"
|
||||
start: 1992
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[Gratitude America]]"
|
||||
role: "one-year term on the advisory board"
|
||||
start: 2016
|
||||
end: 2016
|
||||
fn: 12
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Leon Botstein is a conductor, music historian and college administrator who was president of [[Bard College]] in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, from 1975 until June 30, 2026, and has been music director of the [[American Symphony Orchestra]] since 1992. From 2011, three years after [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s Florida guilty plea, he pursued Epstein as a donor to Bard, visited his Manhattan townhouse about two dozen times and his Virgin Islands island once, and in 2016 received 150,000 dollars from Epstein's foundation [[Gratitude America]], which he gave to the college. After the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s 2026 Epstein releases, Bard's trustees commissioned a review by [[WilmerHale]], which concluded that nothing he did was illegal and that he had "minimized and was not fully accurate in describing his relationship with Epstein"; his retirement was announced the next day.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Background
|
||||
|
||||
Botstein was born in Switzerland to Polish parents who had escaped Nazi persecution and came to the [[United States]] at the age of two. He graduated from the High School of Music and Art in New York at sixteen, studied history and philosophy at the [[University of Chicago]], studied at Tanglewood in 1967 and went on to graduate school at [[Harvard University]]. At twenty-three he became president of the experimental Franconia College in New Hampshire, which Bard describes as making him "the youngest college president in history," and in 1975 he became president of Bard.[^1][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
At Bard he founded the Bard Music Festival and oversaw the building of the [[Frank Gehry]]-designed Fisher Center; he also founded Bard High School Early College in 2001, and Bard established, with the university of St. Petersburg, "the first liberal arts college for Russian students in Russia," Smolny College, and the Bard Prison Initiative. He was music director of the [[Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra]] from 2003 to 2011 and edits *The Musical Quarterly*.[^1][^3] In 2024 the [[Carnegie Corporation of New York]] named him one of its Great Immigrants.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein as Donor
|
||||
|
||||
According to reporting cited by Representative [[Jamie Raskin]] in 2026, Epstein gave Bard 125,000 dollars in several donations in 2011 and 2012 and donated dozens of laptops to Bard's high school program in 2015, and his foundation's website listed Bard High School Early College among its grant recipients. Botstein had said that Epstein's only gifts to Bard were a 75,000 dollar gift and 66 laptops. *[[The Wall Street Journal]]* reported in April 2023 that he had scheduled dozens of meetings with Epstein, and he described the relationship as "sadism on his part" because Epstein kept "dangling philanthropic support" he would not commit.[^4][^6][^7] Raskin wrote that Botstein "also apparently knew that a 2014 donation to the college by apparent co-conspirator [[Leon Black]] was made at Mr. Epstein's behest"; Black has denied all wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
In December 2012 Botstein's office arranged his travel to Epstein's island in the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]]. On December 18, 2012 his assistant asked Epstein's office how he would reach "Mr. Epstein's house," and was told "it will be via boat," that he would need to leave "Jeffrey's island" about two hours and fifteen minutes before his flight home through San Juan, and that his passport copy had been forwarded to "Leon Black's office."[^8] On July 25, 2016 the president's executive assistant arranged a visit by Epstein to Bard on July 27 by helicopter for a matinee opera performance and an early dinner; Bard's head of security wrote, "We are excited and honored to welcome back Mr. Epstein," and said the landing would be coordinated with Epstein's pilot, [[Larry Visoski]], and the local fire company, and Botstein, copied, replied "Excellent."[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Gratitude America and the 150,000 Dollars
|
||||
|
||||
On December 15, 2014 a correspondent sent Epstein's accountant [[Richard Kahn]] a contact card titled "President Leon Botstein.vcf" under the subject "Leon Botstein/Bard."[^10] In 2016 Gratitude America, Ltd., whose account was at [[Deutsche Bank]] Trust Company Americas, paid Botstein 37,500 dollars a quarter; a check dated August 1, 2016 bore the memo "Leon Botstein, Bard College ... 3rd Quarterly Payment of 4."[^11] Bard said in May 2023 that Epstein had invited Botstein "to serve a one-year term on the Advisory Board as an expert in music," that Botstein received 150,000 dollars and gave all of it to Bard that year as part of a one million dollar gift. Botstein said, "I didn't benefit personally at all," "I have no idea why he concocted this scheme," and "He took pity on me, and he said, 'I'm gonna give you money and you do whatever you want with it.'" He said he had not mentioned the payments earlier because "the contract was signed by someone else" and he did not remember them until he looked into the matter.[^7][^12] Deutsche Bank had been told in January 2016, when Epstein's accountant withdrew a request to open an account for the foundation, of "Mr. Epstein's resignation from Gratitude America."[^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### Admissions and Smolny
|
||||
|
||||
In January 2017 the daughter of [[Woody Allen]] and [[Soon-Yi Previn]] wrote to Botstein that Bard was her first choice, and on January 10 he replied that he would pass her sentiments "on to the admissions committee"; Previn forwarded the exchange to Epstein. On January 12, 2017 Allen's household wrote to Epstein by iMessage: "I can't thank you enough for getting [her] into Bard ... Thank you for coming through for us." Bard denied that Epstein had any role in the admission decision.[^4][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
On March 26, 2018 Epstein wrote to the Bard president's address naming a Russian woman and saying he "would appreciate her going to see an advisor" to help her decide on Smolny. The reply from the president's address that day said she "should get in touch directly with me" and that her inquiry would then be passed to a Bard staff member. Epstein forwarded the exchange to another recipient with the note "he is the president of smolny."[^15] Raskin wrote in June 2026 that Epstein used Botstein's name with a European violin student who later "came to suffer traumatic abuse at the hands of Mr. Epstein," arranging for her to be seated with Botstein at a dinner and obtaining symphony tickets and a backstage meeting through him, and that in June 2019 Epstein again pressed a survivor to attend Smolny.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The WilmerHale Review and Retirement
|
||||
|
||||
The Justice Department's releases under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] named Botstein thousands of times, and in February 2026 Bard's trustees retained WilmerHale to review his communications with Epstein. Its summary to the independent trustees, dated April 30, 2026, reported that his contacts from 2012 to 2019 included 25 visits to the townhouse and a two-day visit to the island, that Epstein twice visited Bard and attended recitals and concerts "accompanied by multiple women who have since been identified as victims of Epstein," and that Botstein "did not try to further understand what Epstein had done or learn what it meant that Epstein was found in 2011 to be a New York State Level 3 Sex Offender." It quoted his rationale: "I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God's work." The summary concluded that nothing Botstein did in the relationship was illegal, and stated that he "minimized and was not fully accurate in describing his relationship with Epstein."[^4][^16][^17]
|
||||
|
||||
On May 1, 2026 the executive committee of Bard's board announced that Botstein had "submitted his retirement, effective June 30, 2026," and that "Funds associated with Jeffrey Epstein will be directed to organizations that support survivors." Botstein wrote to the faculty: "After completing 51 years as the president of Bard, I am announcing that I will be retiring from the presidency at the end of this academic year." He remained on the faculty and on campus, and Jonathan Becker became acting president.[^2][^16][^17] On June 17, 2026 Raskin, ranking Democrat on the [[House Judiciary Committee]], wrote to board chair [[James Cox Chambers]] that the review was "too narrowly tailored," that its summary did not mention Smolny at all, and that Epstein's connections to Botstein and other Bard leaders "helped him maintain and expand his illegal activities"; he asked Bard to make Botstein available for a transcribed interview and to produce records on Epstein, Kahn, [[Darren Indyke]], Black, [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] and Epstein-linked entities including Gratitude America.[^4][^16] Botstein has not been charged with any offense.
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Bard College Music Program, "Leon Botstein," faculty biography. https://music.bard.edu/faculty/leon-botstein/
|
||||
[^2]: Executive Committee, Bard College Board of Trustees, "Message from the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees," May 1, 2026. https://www.bard.edu/news/message-from-the-executive-committee-of-the-board-of-trustees-2026-05-01
|
||||
[^3]: American Symphony Orchestra, "Leon Botstein." https://americansymphony.org/people/leon-botstein/
|
||||
[^4]: Letter from Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary, to James Cox Chambers, Chair, Board of Trustees, Bard College, June 17, 2026, quoting the WilmerHale memorandum to the Bard trustees of April 30, 2026 and citing EFTA02047292, EFTA01208496, EFTA00710494, EFTA02491562 and EFTA00968343. https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2026-06-17-raskin-to-chambers-bard-re-epstein.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: Bard College, "Bard College President Leon Botstein Named among the Carnegie Corporation's 2024 Class of Great Immigrants," June 28, 2024. https://inside.bard.edu/news/leon-botstein-carnegie-corporation-great-immigrants-2024-06-28
|
||||
[^6]: Andrew Lapin, "Noam Chomsky, Ehud Barak, Leon Botstein and a Rothschild are among the names on Jeffrey Epstein's newly uncovered calendar," *Jewish Telegraphic Agency,* May 1, 2023, summarizing Khadeeja Safdar and David Benoit, "Epstein's Private Calendar Reveals Prominent Names, Including CIA Chief, Goldman's Top Lawyer," *The Wall Street Journal,* April 30, 2023. https://www.jta.org/2023/05/01/united-states/noam-chomsky-ehud-barak-leon-botstein-and-a-rothschild-are-among-the-names-on-jeffrey-epsteins-newly-uncovered-calendar
|
||||
[^7]: Scott Jaschik, "Leon Botstein received $150,000 from Jeffrey Epstein," *Inside Higher Ed,* May 18, 2023. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/05/18/leon-botstein-received-150000-jeffrey-epstein
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00399132, DataSet 9, email chain between the office of Leon Botstein and Jeffrey Epstein's office, "Jeffrey Epstein," December 18, 2012. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00399132.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02047292, DataSet 10, email chain "Re: Jeffrey Epstein visit to Bard," July 25, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02047292.pdf
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02087019, DataSet 10, email to Richard Kahn, "Re: Leon Botstein/Bard," December 15, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02087019.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01348714, DataSet 10, check of Gratitude America, Ltd drawn on Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas to Leon Botstein, August 1, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348714.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: Victor Feldman, "Bard's Botstein Received $150,000 from Jeffrey Epstein Charity But Promptly Donated it to the College, School Confirms," *The Daily Catch,* May 18, 2023. https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/bards-botstein-received-150000-from-epstein-charity-but-promptly-donated-it-to-the-college-school-confirms/
|
||||
[^13]: New York State Department of Financial Services, In the Matter of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company of the Americas, Consent Order Under New York Banking Law sections 39 and 44 (executed July 6, 2020), para. 44. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank
|
||||
[^14]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00710494, DataSet 9, email from Soon-Yi Previn to Jeffrey Epstein forwarding a reply from Leon Botstein, January 10, 2017; EFTA01208496, DataSet 9, extracted iMessage log, January 12, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00710494.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01208496.pdf
|
||||
[^15]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02491562, DataSet 11, email from Jeffrey Epstein forwarding a March 26, 2018 exchange with the Bard president's office, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02491562.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: Sam Dingman, "Leon Botstein steps down as president of Bard College, but what does that actually mean?," *WAMC,* July 2, 2026. https://www.wamc.org/news/2026-07-02/leon-botstein-steps-down-as-president-of-bard-college-but-what-does-that-actually-mean ; "Bard president to retire after report examines Epstein ties," *WAMC,* May 1, 2026. https://www.wamc.org/news/2026-05-01/reports-bard-college-president-resigns
|
||||
[^17]: Adam Schrader, "Bard's Leon Botstein resigns after report on Epstein ties," *Urgent Matter,* May 4, 2026. https://www.urgentmatter.press/read-the-report-review-details-leon-botstein-epstein-ties-as-bard-president-resigns/
|
||||
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Lesley Groff.md
Normal file
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Lesley Groff.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- LesleyGroff
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
- Immunity
|
||||
- HouseOversightCommittee
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Lesley Groff
|
||||
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein's New York executive assistant from 2001 to 2019, named and immunized as a potential co-conspirator in his 2007 non-prosecution agreement, never charged, who denies knowing of his crimes."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "executive assistant"
|
||||
start: 2001
|
||||
end: 2019
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: subject_of
|
||||
with: "[[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]]"
|
||||
role: "named potential co-conspirator, immunized"
|
||||
start: 2007-09-24
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Michael Bachner]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2019
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[House Oversight Committee]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "interviewee"
|
||||
start: 2026-06
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Lesley Groff is an American former executive assistant to [[Jeffrey Epstein]], who worked for him in his [[New York City|New York]] office for more than eighteen years, from 2001 until she resigned after his arrest in July 2019. She is one of the four women named in the co-conspirator clause of Epstein's September 2007 [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]] with the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida]], a clause she has called her "scarlet letter." Victims have said she scheduled their appointments with Epstein; she has denied any knowledge of his crimes and has never been charged.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Employment
|
||||
|
||||
Groff managed Epstein's calendar and travel from New York. A 2005 [[Chicago Tribune]] article reported salaries of about 200,000 dollars for Epstein's assistants and quoted Epstein describing them as "an extension of my brain."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Allegations and Denials
|
||||
|
||||
[[Marina Lacerda]], who has said she dropped out of school before the ninth grade and was abused by Epstein as a minor, has said she "had to go through Lesley Groff," who called repeatedly to arrange massages. A victim who was a minor at the time told the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] that she "felt it was pretty obvious Lesley knew what was going on." Groff's attorney [[Michael Bachner]] has said that she "never knowingly booked travel for anyone under the age of 18" and "had no knowledge of the alleged illegal activity whatsoever," and that after the 2019 arrest she "felt betrayed and disgusted."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Groff was a named defendant, with Epstein, [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], and [[Sarah Kellen]], in the federal sex-trafficking suit filed in January 2017 by [[Sarah Ransome]], who alleged that the four told her Epstein would secure her admission to the [[Fashion Institute of Technology]] in exchange for massages. The suit was dismissed with prejudice by stipulation on December 20, 2018.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Immunity and the 2019 Investigation
|
||||
|
||||
The 2007 agreement provided that the [[United States]] would not charge "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to Sarah Kellen, [[Adriana Ross]], Lesley Groff, or [[Nadia Marcinkova]]." In 2024 the [[Second Circuit]] held, in rejecting Maxwell's reliance on the clause, that it bound only the Southern District of Florida.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Four days after Epstein's July 2019 arrest, Bachner informed the government that Groff "would invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against compelled self-incrimination" if called before a grand jury. She spoke with investigators about two years after the 2019 subpoena and told them that scheduling massages was "around 1%" of her duties. She was not charged.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Congressional Interview
|
||||
|
||||
In June 2026 Groff was interviewed by the [[House Oversight Committee]]. She said she wished to "dispel the false notions" that she "knowingly enabled or conspired with him to commit his evil acts," adding: "Nothing could be further from the truth." She called Epstein a "master manipulator and deceiver," said of the 2007 clause, "I am not a conspirator and I never would have agreed to this language," recalled that Epstein had described the accusations against him as "a shakedown" for money, and said of his accusers, "I believe them." She also said: "In hindsight, I wish he had fired me."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 6, 9-12 (2d Cir. Sept. 17, 2024), reported at 118 F.4th 256, quoting the NPA at A-178. https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2024/09/17/united_states_v._maxwell.pdf
|
||||
[^2]: "Former Epstein executive secretary tells Oversight Committee he was a 'master manipulator,'" *ABC News,* June 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/oversight-committee-interview-former-epstein-executive-secretary-lesley/story?id=133685804
|
||||
[^3]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Alleged Accomplices: Where Are Sarah Kellen, Nadia Marcinkova, Adriana Ross and Lesley Groff?," *The Daily Beast.* https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-accomplices-where-are-sarah-kellen-nadia-marcinkova-adriana-ross-and-lesley-groff/
|
||||
[^4]: Jane Doe 43 v. Epstein (Ransome v. Epstein), No. 1:17-cv-00616-JGK (S.D.N.Y.), Agreed Final Order of Dismissal with Prejudice, ECF No. 189 (Dec. 20, 2018). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4581676/jane-doe-43-v-epstein/
|
||||
71
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Maria Farmer.md
Normal file
71
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Maria Farmer.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- MariaFarmer
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- GhislaineMaxwell
|
||||
- LeslieWexner
|
||||
- FBI
|
||||
- NewAlbany
|
||||
- Artist
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Maria Farmer
|
||||
summary: "American artist who reported Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the NYPD and FBI in August 1996 after an assault at Epstein's Ohio house beside Leslie Wexner's estate, and sued the United States in 2025."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Annie Farmer]]"
|
||||
role: "older sister"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "art scout, later receptionist"
|
||||
start: 1996
|
||||
end: 1996
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[Farmer v. United States]]"
|
||||
role: "plaintiff"
|
||||
start: 2025-05-29
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Marsh Law Firm]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2023-05-02
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Maria Farmer is an American painter who worked for [[Jeffrey Epstein]] in 1996 and who, on August 29, 1996, reported Epstein and [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] to the [[New York City Police Department|New York Police Department]] and then to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], alleging that they had sexually assaulted her at Epstein's residence in [[New Albany, Ohio]], on or adjacent to the estate of [[Leslie Wexner]], and had stolen nude images she had made of her two minor sisters. It is the earliest known report of Epstein to law enforcement. The FBI did not act on it. Federal agents interviewed her in 2006, during the Florida investigation that ended in Epstein's 2007 [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]]. In May 2025 she sued the [[United States]] for negligence.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Work for Epstein
|
||||
|
||||
In the mid-1990s Farmer had recently completed a Master of Fine Arts at the [[New York Academy of Art]] when she met Epstein and sold him one of her paintings. He hired her as an "art scout" for his collection, a job that expanded to receptionist and other duties at his New York residence and at an apartment building on East 66th Street where, according to her complaint, Epstein housed young women. Farmer alleges that over several months in 1996 she saw many young women and girls, including children in school uniforms, entering the house; that Maxwell, on errands in Epstein's car, repeatedly had the driver stop so she could "go get girls"; that Epstein showed her a media room of recording devices and monitors at the New York house; and that Epstein and Maxwell kept a "modeling book" of images of apparently underage girls in his safe, which Maxwell told her was used in connection with [[Victoria's Secret]], a Wexner company.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### New Albany
|
||||
|
||||
In the summer of 1996 Epstein invited Farmer to spend the summer as an "artist-in-residence" at his house in New Albany, Ohio, which her complaint describes as "part of or adjacent to Les Wexner's estate." Farmer alleges that in late July or early August 1996 Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her there, and that they took from her catalogued collection nude images of her two minor sisters, which she used in her artwork, and flew them to New York. She alleges that when she tried to leave, she was "physically threatened by a local Sheriff and other persons connected with Wexner and prevented from leaving the New Albany property" for many days, that Epstein telephoned offering to "make it up to her" and asking what she "wanted," and that she was let go only after contacting her family. On her return she found her apartment, to which Epstein and Maxwell held keys, painted black and emptied of most of its furniture. She alleges that Maxwell threatened to burn her artwork and the building she lived in, and told her she and Epstein could destroy her career. Wexner has said that he severed ties with Epstein around 2007, when "we discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family."[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 1996 Report
|
||||
|
||||
NYPD complaint report No. 1996-0067241, dated August 29, 1996, records that Epstein "did call her and stated he was going to burn victim's painting" and that he "has keys to victim's apartment." The precinct told her it could address only the threat and referred her to the FBI. Farmer alleges that she then called at least two FBI offices and reported the assault, her fear that one of her minor sisters had been abused, the stolen photographs, Epstein's recording equipment, and the binder in his safe, and that the FBI hung up on her mid-sentence and did not follow up. That year Epstein had also met her younger sister [[Annie Farmer]], then sixteen, and flown her to his [[New Mexico]] ranch, where Annie later testified that Maxwell and Epstein abused her.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
In 2006, FBI agents working the Palm Beach case arrived unannounced at Farmer's home in [[North Carolina]], acknowledged her 1996 report, and told her they needed her for the Florida investigation, promising they would "get him" this time. FBI field notes of that meeting record her earlier report to the NYPD Sixth Precinct. Farmer repeated her 1996 account. In September 2007 the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida]] had signed the non-prosecution agreement, which immunized Epstein's "potential co-conspirators."[^1][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Farmer v. United States
|
||||
|
||||
Through the [[Marsh Law Firm]], Farmer wrote to the government on May 2, 2023 urging an investigation of the FBI's handling of her report. On July 20, 2023 she and [[Sarah Ransome]] presented a claim under the [[Federal Tort Claims Act]] to the FBI for 600 million dollars on behalf of themselves and "all other Epstein victims trafficked in the Epstein sex trafficking conspiracy after August 29, 1996," the date of her first report.[^6] An FBI response to her [[Freedom of Information Act]] request placed it on a "complex request small processing track" with an "estimated date of completion" of "November, 2027." On May 29, 2025 she sued the United States in the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia]] (No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW) for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The complaint alleges that the FBI violated its own Manual of Investigative Operations and Guidelines in 1996 and 2006; that the Southern District of Florida failed to notify the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s Civil Rights Division of a sex-trafficking investigation; that it gave Epstein "a sweetheart 'deal-of-a-lifetime' non-prosecution agreement" although the U.S. Attorneys' Manual authorized such agreements only for cooperating witnesses; and that it "granted blanket immunity to Epstein and all his known and unknown co-conspirators." It further alleges that Epstein was allowed to plead to soliciting one minor rather than several, was given work release twelve hours a day, and served his sentence in the minimum-security [[Palm Beach County Jail]] rather than the county's Main Detention Center.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
On December 23, 2025 the FBI's FD-71 record of her 1996 complaint was released in the first wave of disclosures under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]].[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Complaint, Farmer v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C. May 29, 2025), paras. 2, 4, 10, 13-15, 20-21, 81-126, 176-186. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doc-1-Complaint-05-29-2025.pdf ; docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70403599/farmer-v-united-states/
|
||||
[^2]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, "Executive Summary of Report: Investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Resolution of Its 2006-2008 Federal Criminal Investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and Its Interactions with Victims during the Investigation," November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20260623200353id_/https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^3]: "Victoria's Secret owner says disgraced financier Epstein stole $46M from him," *CBC,* August 2019. https://amp.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.5240145
|
||||
[^4]: "Ghislaine Maxwell trial accuser Annie Farmer testifies she was violated at age 16," *CBS News,* December 10, 2021. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-accuser-annie-farmer-testifies-violated-age-16/
|
||||
[^5]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 6 (2d Cir. Sept. 17, 2024), reported at 118 F.4th 256, quoting the NPA at A-178. https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2024/09/17/united_states_v._maxwell.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: Maria Farmer and Sarah Ransome, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death (Standard Form 95), submitted to the FTCA Claims Administrator, FBI Headquarters, signed July 20, 2023. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Farmer-and-Ransome-Jeffrey-Epstein-Notice-of-Claim-FBI-07-20-2023.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: "Maria Farmer and Marsh Law Firm's Persistent Advocacy Vindicated as FBI Releases Farmer's 1996 Report on Jeffrey Epstein," *Marsh Law Firm,* December 23, 2025. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/persistent-advocacy-vindicated/
|
||||
97
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Mary Erdoes.md
Normal file
97
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Mary Erdoes.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Business & Finance"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- MaryErdoes
|
||||
- JPMorgan
|
||||
- PrivateBanking
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Banking
|
||||
- WealthManagement
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Mary Callahan Erdoes
|
||||
- Mary C. Erdoes
|
||||
summary: "JPMorgan Chase executive who ran its private bank from 2005 and its asset and wealth management arm from 2009, and who handled the bank's Jeffrey Epstein relationship until his 2013 exit."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
role: "investment solutions and strategy, private banking"
|
||||
end: 2005-03
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[J.P. Morgan Private Bank]]"
|
||||
role: "Chief Executive Officer"
|
||||
start: 2005-03
|
||||
end: 2009-09
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: reported_to
|
||||
with: "[[Jes Staley]]"
|
||||
role: "head of the private bank reporting to the head of asset management"
|
||||
start: 2005-03
|
||||
end: 2009-09
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Asset Management]]"
|
||||
role: "Chief Executive Officer, Asset and Wealth Management"
|
||||
start: 2009-09
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: reported_to
|
||||
with: "[[Jamie Dimon]]"
|
||||
role: "Operating Committee member"
|
||||
start: 2009-09
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Mary Callahan Erdoes is an American banker who has worked at [[JPMorgan Chase]] since before 2005, served as chief executive of its private bank from March 2005 to September 2009, and has been chief executive of its asset management business, later Asset and Wealth Management, since September 2009, as a member of the Operating Committee under [[Jamie Dimon]]. During the private-bank years she reported to [[Jes Staley]], and across both posts she was among the executives who oversaw the bank's relationship with [[Jeffrey Epstein]], a client from 1998 until he was asked to leave in 2013. JPMorgan has stated that, with the exception of Staley, its executives "acted with integrity" in the Epstein matter; Erdoes has not been charged with any offense or disciplined by any regulator.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career at JPMorgan
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan Chase's annual reports record that before 2005 Erdoes "was responsible for investment solutions and strategy for private banking clients worldwide," that she was chief executive of Private Banking from March 2005 to September 2009, and that she became chief executive of Asset Management in September 2009, at age 42.[^1] The [[Upper Tribunal]] in the Staley case described the reporting line in the same period: Staley ran JPMorgan's asset and wealth management business from 2001 to 2009, and "Ms Mary Erdoes, who then ran the Private Bank, reported to Mr Staley."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
On June 24, 2026 the independent members of JPMorgan Chase's Compensation and Management Development Committee approved one-time "Retention and Continuity" equity awards of 30 million dollars each to [[Doug Petno]] and [[Troy Rohrbaugh]] and 20 million dollars each to Erdoes and chief operating officer [[Jennifer Piepszak]], designed, in the bank's words, "to preserve top qualified internal succession candidates" and cliff-vesting after three years.[^3] *American Banker* ranked her first on its 2025 list of the most powerful women in finance.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Relationship, 2006 to 2011
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan admitted in the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank|Virgin Islands litigation]] that Erdoes, [[Catherine Keating]] and [[Mary Casey]] knew in 2006 that Epstein had been arrested for solicitation of prostitution, and that Erdoes "was involved in decision making with respect to maintaining Epstein as a customer." The territory's Second Amended Complaint stated that Erdoes "admitted in her deposition that JP Morgan was aware by 2006 that Epstein was accused of paying cash to have underage girls and young women brought to his home."[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 25, 2006 Staley visited Epstein at his home, and the next day wrote to Erdoes: "I went and saw him last night. I've never seen him so shaken. He also adamantly denies the ages." At an October 2006 Rapid Response Team meeting, "after internal discussion with Jes Staley, Mary Erdoes, Catherine Keating, John Duffy and Mary Casey, it was decided that we will keep Mr. Epstein solely as a banking client and on a 'reactive', client service basis." In October 2007 Erdoes wanted to "move forward based on our earlier decision to continue doing business" with Epstein. His balances grew from about 32 million dollars in October 2006 to about 121.5 million dollars in July 2008.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
In 2006 Erdoes told a wealthy JPMorgan client who asked for help arranging a meeting with Epstein that she would be "calling [Epstein] tomorrow." On December 12, 2008, during the [[Bernard Madoff]] collapse, she wrote to Staley that "glenn and I have been going back and forth all night... We have HUNDREDS of clients with some. The ny/palm beach community will be in shock. Can you call JE to get scoop from down there?"[^5][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan documents describe regular contact between Erdoes and Epstein in 2010 and 2011, including work on a proposed donor-advised fund for the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]. On May 24, 2011 she wrote to Epstein that she had missed his meeting "having been in an all day OC with Jamie. I hope the meeting went well. I'm anxious to hear." On July 10, 2011 Epstein wrote to her, "There are 21 million reasons I'd like to know when you return." In 2011 Staley told Epstein to "stop pushing" Erdoes, and Epstein replied, "On Mary Erdoes, I will ease off, I thought I was following plan." On January 20, 2012 she wished Epstein a happy birthday.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
Two of Epstein's 2011 emails to Erdoes and Staley set out the proposal. On July 27, 2011, copying [[Boris Nikolic]], the chief science and technology adviser to [[Bill Gates]], he wrote that "the mimimum donation would be 100 million," that "a portfolio will be established for each donor.according to their own critieria," with "silos for Medicine, Science , Women issues, Education, etc.," and that "the charitable fees. audit fees, investment mgmt fees, trustee fees, will all be JPM."[^8] On August 27, 2011 he warned them: "Careful, the people at Gates," naming four foundation staff and identifying two as "the senior people," "say they are getting confusing messages from JPM. They say that JPM wants to use the current foundation to do other things. Bill is at his country house. and most likely will not deal with it before wed."[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
The e-comms summary that JPMorgan's compliance staff compiled in the fall of 2019 as part of the internal review called Project Jeep carried the heading: "Beginning in 2011 Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes have regular communication with Jeffrey Epstein relating to certain strategic initiatives and business proposals. There are occasional personal e-mails between Erdoes and Epstein interspersed within this time period." The [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]] told the court in June 2023 that Project Jeep "was only first disclosed in a document produced the night before Mary Erdoes's deposition on March 15, 2023." JPMorgan's counsel responded that the summary was a post-2019 compilation by employees with no contemporaneous knowledge of the relationship and that almost all of the underlying emails had been produced months earlier.[^10][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
In July 2011, after Epstein accepted a 21 million dollar settlement of his claims against [[Bear Stearns]], general counsel [[Stephen Cutler]] wrote to Erdoes, "I would like to put it and HIM behind us. Not a person we should do business with, period," and the private bank's general counsel told her that Cutler had asked "when we are offboarding JE."[^5] Cutler later testified that Staley and Erdoes made the decision to keep Epstein as a client.[^12] In a September 2012 email to Erdoes, [[David Brigstocke]], chief financial officer of Asset and Wealth Management, described another client's house as reminding him "of JE's house, except it was more tasteful, and fewer nymphettes"; Erdoes replied, "Wow."[^5][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2013 Exit and the Black Referrals
|
||||
|
||||
A February 9, 2013 due-diligence report recorded that "Both Mary Erdoes and John Duffy are aware of the relationship." On July 19, 2013 [[John Duffy]], chief executive of the U.S. private bank, sent Erdoes talking points for Epstein's exit: "The repetitive nature of your cash transactions is a problem for us... Remediation is required and we need to ask you, in an orderly manner, to find another bank for your needs." Erdoes replied, "I think that is fine."[^5][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
On August 14, 2013 Duffy wrote to Erdoes that Epstein "maintains he will become Leon's primary advisor and will be calling the shots," and that he had "told [Epstein] that we would work with him as long as it was through the client accounts, JE Entities would not be acceptable. That's ok right?" Erdoes answered, "Y." Bankers under her division continued to meet Epstein about [[Leon Black]]'s business after the exit, including a May 2015 email from [[Justin Nelson]] to Epstein about "a line of credit for Leon at JPM."[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Congressional Scrutiny
|
||||
|
||||
Senator [[Ron Wyden]] wrote to Dimon on September 24, 2025 citing reporting that Erdoes had been told in 2011 by the head of compliance that Epstein should be exited, that she visited Epstein's townhouse in 2011 to present a 9 million dollar settlement payment, and that she confronted him in 2013 about "the repetitive nature of his cash transactions"; he asked whether JPMorgan had ever investigated Erdoes internally.[^13] JPMorgan's October 10, 2025 reply did not answer the questions and stated that "with the exception of former JPMC executive Jes Staley, the Firm's executives (current and former) are respected professionals who acted with integrity."[^14] Wyden's August 4, 2026 report named Erdoes among thirteen bankers whose conduct it said merited investigation by prosecutors and regulators.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2009, "Executive officers of the registrant" (Mary Callahan Erdoes, age 42: "Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management since September 2009. From March 2005 to September 2009, she was Chief Executive Officer of Private Banking. Prior to 2005, she was responsible for investment solutions and strategy for private banking clients worldwide."). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000095012310016029/e82150e10vk.htm
|
||||
[^2]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
|
||||
[^3]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 8-K, Item 5.02, filed June 2026 (awards approved June 24, 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000001961726000241/jpm-20260624.htm
|
||||
[^4]: "The Most Powerful Women in Finance, No. 1: Mary Callahan Erdoes, JPMorganChase," *American Banker,* October 1, 2025. https://www.americanbanker.com/news/2025-the-most-powerful-women-in-finance-no-1-mary-callahan-erdoes-jpmorganchase
|
||||
[^5]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts, ECF No. 221 (filed July 24, 2023), paras. 33, 53-54, 99, 168, 190, 259-264, 392, 395, 417. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.221.0.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Second Amended Complaint (filed April 12, 2023), as quoted in U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026, p. 32 n.110. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026, pp. 4-5, 24, 27, 32-35, 39-42, 60-61 (quoting JPM-SDNYLIT-00133931, JPM-SDNYLIT-00907707, JPM-SDNYLIT-00100555, JPM-SDNYLIT-00755203, JPM-SDNYLIT-00036258 and JPM-SDNYLIT-00101010, and EFTA00679926). https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01861564, DataSet 10, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes, cc Boris Nikolic, July 27, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01861564.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00918200, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes, August 27, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00918200.pdf
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, ECF No. 191, June 7, 2023 (filed June 20, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808625, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter of John J. Butts, WilmerHale, opposing the motion to reopen depositions, ECF No. 187, June 9, 2023 (filed June 15, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: "JPMorgan kept Epstein as client for years after warnings, deposition shows," *The Washington Post,* May 26, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/26/epstein-jpmorgan-client-sex-offender-warnings/
|
||||
[^13]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., September 24, 2025, pp. 2-4. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_from_senator_wyden_to_jpmorgan_chase_epstein_accounts_09-24-25pdf.pdf
|
||||
[^14]: Letter from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, October 10, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/101025jpmcresponsetowyden.pdf
|
||||
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Maurene Comey.md
Normal file
68
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Maurene Comey.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- GhislaineMaxwell
|
||||
- SDNY
|
||||
- Prosecutor
|
||||
- Firing
|
||||
- JamesComey
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Maurene R. Comey
|
||||
- Maurene Ryan Comey
|
||||
summary: "Maurene Comey is the former federal prosecutor in Manhattan who worked the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases and was fired without stated cause in July 2025, nine days after the Justice Department's Epstein memorandum."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
|
||||
start: 2015-11
|
||||
end: 2025-07-16
|
||||
role: "assistant U.S. attorney"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: prosecuted
|
||||
with: "[[Ghislaine Maxwell]]"
|
||||
start: 2020-07-02
|
||||
end: 2021-12-29
|
||||
role: "trial prosecutor"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[James Comey]]"
|
||||
role: "daughter"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Lucas Issacharoff]]"
|
||||
role: "wife"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Maurene Comey is an American lawyer who served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York|U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]] from November 2015 until July 16, 2025. She was one of the three prosecutors assigned to the 2019 case against [[Jeffrey Epstein]] and prosecuted [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], who was convicted in December 2021, as well as the gynecologist [[Robert Hadden]], former Senator [[Bob Menendez]], and [[Sean Combs]]. The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] fired her by email "pursuant to Article II of the [[United States]] Constitution" nine days after its July 7, 2025 memorandum declaring that no Epstein "client list" existed and that no further disclosure was warranted. She is the daughter of the former [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] Director [[James Comey]]. She sued in September 2025, alleging she was fired because of her father or her perceived politics.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Comey joined the office in November 2015, rose to lead several units, and later asked to return to trial work. On July 8, 2019, U.S. Attorney [[Geoffrey Berman]] announced that she, [[Alex Rossmiller]], and [[Alison Moe]] were the prosecutors on the Epstein case, which the office had assigned to its Public Corruption Unit; she appears on the docket of United States v. Epstein as counsel for the government. After Epstein's death in August 2019 Comey was a lead prosecutor in the case against Maxwell, who was arrested on July 2, 2020; Maxwell was convicted on December 29, 2021 and sentenced to 20 years. Comey's last trial was the 2025 prosecution of Combs, in which she questioned key witnesses including Combs's former girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym "Jane"; Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking and convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.[^1][^2][^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Firing
|
||||
|
||||
In May 2025 her father posted an image on Instagram that some supporters of President [[Donald Trump]] read as a threat against him; James Comey denied any such intent. The activist [[Laura Loomer]] then called for Maurene Comey and her husband, [[Lucas Issacharoff]], also a Justice Department lawyer, to be "FIRED from the DOJ immediately." Issacharoff resigned that month.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 7, 2025, the Justice Department and FBI issued a memorandum stating that their review "revealed no incriminating 'client list'," found "no credible evidence" that Epstein blackmailed prominent people, and concluded "that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." On July 15 the U.S. Attorney's Office asked Comey to take the lead on a major public corruption case, three months after she received an "Outstanding" performance review. Just before 5 p.m. on July 16 she received an email with an attachment removing her "[p]ursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States." According to her lawsuit, the interim U.S. Attorney, [[Jay Clayton]], told her: "All I can say is it came from Washington. I can't tell you anything else." A person familiar with the matter told CNN that being a Comey was untenable in the administration because her father was "constantly going after the administration." Loomer said afterward that the firing followed "my pressure campaign on [Attorney General Pam Bondi]." Later that month Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]] interviewed Maxwell over two days under limited immunity, and on August 1 she was moved to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.[^2][^3][^4][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In a farewell message to colleagues Comey wrote: "If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought." On September 15, 2025 she sued the Justice Department, the Executive Office of the President, and Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]], among others, in federal court in Manhattan, seeking reinstatement and back pay; the complaint alleged that "Defendants fired Ms. Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both." The Justice Department declined to comment.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Maxwell Case File, July 2025
|
||||
|
||||
On July 22, 2025, six days after Comey's dismissal and two days before Blanche began his interview of Maxwell, an email chain in which one participant's signature reads "FBI NY Violent Crime Threat" assembled a case history of the Maxwell prosecution. It recorded that the FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force had opened the Epstein case on December 6, 2018 at the request of the Southern District, that Maxwell "was first mentioned in the case file on 04/23/2019," and that "SDNY proffered Maxwell with her Defense counsel prior to indictment." The requester asked, "Can you down draft the proffer 302s," noting that "SDNY kept notes," and asked why the perjury counts were never tried; the answer given was that "the perjury charges were dropped to prevent the victims from testifying in another trial." On the status of Maxwell's appeal the respondent wrote, "I dont have details of appeal process prior to this from Comey," and then set out Comey's account: "Maxwell has until April 10, 2025 to file a Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court. If she files a writ (which seems likely), it will remain pending until the Supreme Court either grants or denies certiorari," after which she would have "the option of seeking habeas review under 28 USC 2255 within one year."[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Maurene Comey, prosecutor in Epstein and Combs cases and daughter of former FBI director, sues after being fired." *CNN,* September 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/maurene-comey-justice-department-lawsuit (joined November 2015; unit chief; Article II email; Clayton quote; Combs trial; Hadden; public corruption assignment).
|
||||
[^2]: "Maurene Comey, federal prosecutor in Epstein case, fired from US attorney's office." *CNN,* July 16, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/politics/maurene-comey-fired-sdny (lead prosecutor on Epstein and Maxwell; daughter of James Comey; person familiar quote).
|
||||
[^3]: Atkins, Chloe. "Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sues Trump administration over her firing." *NBC News,* September 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/former-federal-prosecutor-maurene-comey-sues-trump-admin-firing-rcna231406 ; Breuninger, Kevin. "Trump DOJ sued by Epstein prosecutor Maurene Comey over 'illegal' firing." *CNBC,* September 15, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/15/trump-comey-epstein-fired.html (Instagram post; Loomer; Issacharoff resignation; "Outstanding" review; farewell letter; defendants; relief; Loomer's later statement).
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Memorandum on review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline=
|
||||
[^5]: United States v. Epstein, No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), docket, attorneys of record. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15887848/united-states-v-epstein/ ; "Jeffrey Epstein Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sex Trafficking Of Minors." *U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York,* July 8, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/jeffrey-epstein-charged-manhattan-federal-court-sex-trafficking-minors
|
||||
[^6]: "Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison." *U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York,* June 28, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
|
||||
[^7]: "Justice Department releases transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell's interview." *CNN,* August 22, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-doj-documents-08-22-25 ; "Ghislaine Maxwell moved to federal prison camp in Texas." *CNN,* August 1, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/politics/ghislaine-maxwell-federal-prison-texas
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00161422, DataSet 9, internal email chain, "Re: Ghislaine Maxwell," July 22, 2025, EFTA00161422 to EFTA00161424. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00161422.pdf
|
||||
62
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Michael Baden.md
Normal file
62
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Michael Baden.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Scientists & Researchers"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- ForensicPathology
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- DeathInCustody
|
||||
- JFKAssassination
|
||||
- HSCA
|
||||
- Autopsy
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Michael M. Baden
|
||||
- Dr. Michael Baden
|
||||
summary: "Michael Baden is the former New York City chief medical examiner who observed Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy for his brother and said the three neck fractures pointed toward homicidal strangulation rather than suicide."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: contractor_to
|
||||
with: "[[Mark Epstein]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-08
|
||||
role: "forensic pathologist retained to observe the autopsy"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[House Select Committee on Assassinations]]"
|
||||
start: 1977
|
||||
end: 1979
|
||||
role: "chairman, forensic pathology panel"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York]]"
|
||||
role: "chief medical examiner, dismissed by Mayor Edward Koch"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Michael Baden is an American forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner of [[New York City]] who, retained by [[Mark Epstein]], observed the August 11, 2019 autopsy of his brother [[Jeffrey Epstein]] and later said that the three fractures found in Epstein's neck were "extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation." The New York City [[Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York|Office of Chief Medical Examiner]], which ruled the death a suicide by hanging, said it stood "firmly" behind its finding. Baden earlier chaired the forensic pathology panel of the [[House Select Committee on Assassinations]], which reviewed the medical evidence in the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]].[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Baden served briefly as New York City's chief medical examiner before Mayor [[Ed Koch|Edward Koch]] dismissed him about a year later. From 1977 to 1979 he chaired the Select Committee's panel of forensic pathologists, which re-examined the Kennedy autopsy materials and supported the single-bullet conclusion of the [[Warren Commission]] while criticizing the conduct of the original autopsy at [[Bethesda Naval Hospital]]. He later testified or consulted in high-profile cases including the 1995 murder trial of [[O. J. Simpson]], and by 2020 estimated that he had performed more than 20,000 autopsies over a 45-year career.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Autopsy
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein was found hanged in his cell in the Special Housing Unit of the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]] at about 6:30 a.m. on August 10, 2019. Dr. [[Kristin Roman]], the city medical examiner who performed the autopsy the next day with Baden present, initially listed the manner of death as "pending." Days later Chief Medical Examiner [[Barbara Sampson]] announced that she had reviewed additional evidence and ruled the death a suicide by hanging; she did not disclose the additional evidence, and sources told [[60 Minutes]] that one element was Epstein's apparent attempt on July 23. Toxicology found no medications or illegal drugs.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Autopsy photographs showed fractures of the left and right thyroid cartilage and of the left hyoid bone. "I have never seen three fractures like this in a suicidal hanging," Baden said on 60 Minutes in January 2020. "Going over a thousand jail hangings, suicides in the New York City state prisons over the past 40 to 50 years, no one had three fractures." He cited petechial hemorrhages on Epstein's face, mouth, and eyes as often indicating strangulation, and noted contusions on both wrists, an abrasion on the left forearm, and deep hemorrhage in the left shoulder muscle. He said that no photograph existed of the body as it was found in the cell: "if this was called a suicide without all that information, it was a premature judgment." The medical examiner's office photographed at least two nooses made from orange bedsheet strips on the cell floor, and the one collected as evidence had both ends folded and hemmed rather than cut; [[Michael Thomas]], the officer who found Epstein, told investigators he ripped the cloth from the bunk.[^1][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Sampson answered Baden's October 2019 [[Fox News]] appearance by telling the [[The New York Times|New York Times]] that "in general, fractures of the hyoid bone and the cartilage can be seen in suicides and homicides," and told the [[Associated Press]], "You can't draw a conclusion from one finding. Everything about the case has to be considered." Of the other pathologists consulted by 60 Minutes, one agreed that the three fractures were very uncommon and another said such neck trauma was associated with both hanging and strangulation, especially in older men; Epstein was 66.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Official Findings
|
||||
|
||||
The [[Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General|Justice Department's Inspector General]], in its June 2023 report on Epstein's custody, relied on the account of the medical examiner who performed the autopsy: that Epstein's injuries were consistent with suicide by hanging and that there were no defensive wounds, no marks on his hands, no broken fingernails or debris beneath them, no knuckle contusions, and no bruising other than an arm abrasion "likely due to convulsing from hanging." The report does not mention Baden or the fractures. A July 7, 2025 memorandum from the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] cited "the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings" of the medical examiner as consistent with suicide; the Inspector General dates the autopsy to August 11. In March 2026 the [[Miami Herald]] reported that Baden continued to maintain that the injuries were more consistent with strangulation.[^2][^4][^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy: A closer look." *CBS News, 60 Minutes,* January 5, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-a-closer-look-60-minutes-2020-01-05/ (Baden retained by Epstein's brother and present at the autopsy; fractures, petechiae, other injuries; Roman's "pending" classification and Sampson's ruling; noose photographs; Sampson and AP quotes; Koch dismissal; Simpson trial; 20,000 autopsies).
|
||||
[^2]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Death Looks Like Murder Not Suicide, Forensic Expert Tells '60 Minutes'." *CBS New York,* January 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/jeffrey-epstein-murder-60-minutes/ ; "Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicide, Dr. Michael Baden reveals." *FOX 32 Chicago,* October 30, 2019. https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/jeffrey-epsteins-autopsy-more-consistent-with-homicidal-strangulation-than-suicide-dr-michael-baden-reveals
|
||||
[^3]: *Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations of the U.S. House of Representatives.* Washington: Government Printing Office, 1979, and Appendix Volume VII (forensic pathology panel, Michael M. Baden, chairman). https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/select-committee-report
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Report 23-085, June 2023, pp. iii to iv and 2. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf (autopsy August 11, 2019; toxicology; medical examiner's account to the OIG).
|
||||
[^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. *Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New York.* Report 23-085, June 2023. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf (p. 1 and pp. 70 to 71, Thomas's account of ripping the cloth from the bunk).
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Memorandum on review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline=
|
||||
[^7]: Brown, Julie K. "Tova Noel, the prison guard who worked night of Epstein's death, was born in Antigua and lived a number of years on STX." *Miami Herald* via *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 27, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/ap/tova-noel-the-prison-guard-who-worked-night-of-epstein-s-death-was-born-in/article_e0fd90de-fa08-4667-9bff-838a8e591755.html
|
||||
64
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Noam Chomsky.md
Normal file
64
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Noam Chomsky.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Scientists & Researchers"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- NoamChomsky
|
||||
- Linguistics
|
||||
- MIT
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Academia
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Noam Chomsky
|
||||
- Avram Noam Chomsky
|
||||
summary: "Noam Chomsky is the American linguist who met Jeffrey Epstein from 2015, had 270,000 dollars moved through Epstein's office, and received a 20,000 dollar check from him for designing a linguistics prize."
|
||||
born: 1928-12-07
|
||||
location: "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (born)"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Valéria Chomsky]]"
|
||||
role: "husband"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Carol Chomsky]]"
|
||||
role: "husband"
|
||||
end: 2008-12
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928, in [[Philadelphia]]) is an American linguist and political writer, long a professor at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].[^1] He and his wife, Valéria Chomsky, were introduced to [[Jeffrey Epstein]] at one of Chomsky's professional events in 2015, and the *[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]*'s 2023 reporting on Epstein's calendars recorded their meetings in 2015 and 2016.[^1][^2] Epstein moved 270,000 dollars for Chomsky through his office and paid him 20,000 dollars for designing a linguistics prize.[^2][^3] Chomsky suffered a stroke in June 2023 and has since been unable to speak publicly; his wife issued the family's account in February 2026.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Meetings
|
||||
|
||||
According to Valéria Chomsky, Epstein "presented himself as a philanthropist of science and a financial expert" and "began to encircle Noam, sending gifts and creating opportunities for interesting discussions." The couple lunched once at Epstein's ranch in [[New Mexico]], the [[Zorro Ranch]], in connection with a professional event; dined at his Manhattan townhouse; stayed a few times in an apartment he offered them in New York; and visited his [[Paris]] apartment once on a work trip. She wrote: "We never went to his island or knew about anything that happened there," and "At no time did we see children or underage individuals present."[^2] Epstein proposed meetings between Chomsky and other figures Chomsky was interested in, and in that setting Chomsky wrote a letter of recommendation; the statement does not say for whom.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein told Chomsky that he was being unfairly persecuted over his 2008 conviction. Valéria Chomsky wrote that Epstein "created a manipulative narrative about his case, which Noam, in good faith, believed in," with the aim of "having someone like Noam repairing Epstein's reputation by association," and that the couple did not learn the details of the conviction until the [[Miami Herald]]'s November 2018 reporting.[^2] Her statement answered released emails in which Chomsky advised Epstein on his press coverage.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Cambridge Correspondence
|
||||
|
||||
On October 28, 2015, Epstein wrote jointly to Chomsky, the Harvard mathematical biologist [[Martin Nowak]], and the computer scientist [[Danny Hillis]]: "would sat the 14th work? cambridge."[^4] Nowak directed Harvard's [[Program for Evolutionary Dynamics]], founded in 2003 with a 6.5 million dollar Epstein gift, where Epstein kept an office and keycard access until 2018.[^5] On December 23, 2015, Epstein wrote to Chomsky and Nowak together: "animals dream . the mouse is not really there when the cat is chasing it in its dream. if dreams represent a language with no memory or grammar, they could be the precursor to language."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 270,000 Dollars
|
||||
|
||||
The *Journal* reported in May 2023 that Epstein "moved $270,000 for Noam Chomsky and paid $150,000 to [[Leon Botstein]]," the president of [[Bard College]], and that "the two academics have confirmed" the payments.[^3] Chomsky told the *Journal* that the money related to the estate of his first wife, [[Carol Chomsky]], who died in December 2008: "My late wife died 15 years ago after a long illness. We paid no attention to financial issues." He added: "We asked Epstein for advice. The simplest way seemed to be to transfer funds from one account in my name to another, by way of his office."[^7] Asked about meeting Epstein, he said: "First response is that it is none of your business. Or anyone's. Second is that I knew him and we met occasionally."[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
Valéria Chomsky's 2026 account described the same transfer differently. She wrote that "these were entirely Noam's own funds," that Chomsky had "identified inconsistencies in his retirement resources that threatened his economic independence," and that Epstein "offered technical assistance to resolve this specific situation," "recovering the funds for Noam, in a display of help and very likely as part of a machination to gain greater access to Noam." She added: "To the best of my knowledge, Epstein never had access to our bank or investment accounts," and "Noam and I never had any investments with Epstein or his office."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 20,000 Dollar Check
|
||||
|
||||
Separately, Epstein asked Chomsky to devise "a linguistic challenge that Epstein wished to establish as a regular prize." Chomsky did the work and "Epstein sent a check for US$20,000 as payment," with Epstein's office arranging with Valéria Chomsky for the check to be sent to the couple's home.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2026 Statement
|
||||
|
||||
Valéria Chomsky published her statement on February 9, 2026, writing that Chomsky, then 97, was under constant medical care and "completely unable to speak or engage in public discourse." "We were careless in not thoroughly researching his background," she wrote. "This was a grave mistake, and for that lapse in judgment, I apologize on behalf of both of us." She said Chomsky's 2023 answers to the press "failed to adequately acknowledge the gravity of Epstein's crimes," because he "took it as obvious that he condemned such crimes," and closed: "we express our unrestricted solidarity with the victims."[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: *The Daily Beast,* May 2023, on Epstein's calendar meetings with Noam Chomsky and William Burns. https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-calendar-reveals-meetings-with-noam-chomsky-and-former-cia-chief-william-burns/
|
||||
[^2]: Chomsky, Valéria. "Ensnared and Manipulated: Official Statement by Valéria Chomsky Regarding Jeffrey Epstein." *CounterPunch,* February 9, 2026. https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/09/ensnared-and-manipulated-official-statement-by-valeria-chomsky-regarding-jeffrey-epstein/
|
||||
[^3]: Hamilton, Katherine. "Jeffrey Epstein Moved Money For Noam Chomsky, Paid Bard President Botstein $150,000, Report Says." *Forbes,* May 17, 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/05/17/jeffrey-epstein-moved-money-for-noam-chomsky-paid-bard-president-botstein-150000-report-says/
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00842252, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Noam Chomsky, Martin Nowak and Danny Hillis, October 28, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00842252.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard University Office of the General Counsel, May 2020. https://ogc.harvard.edu/report-concerning-Epstein
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00838191, DataSet 9, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Noam Chomsky and Martin Nowak, December 23, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00838191.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: *Boing Boing,* May 18, 2023, quoting the *Wall Street Journal.* https://boingboing.net/2023/05/18/jeffrey-epstein-moved-270000-for-noam-chomsky.html
|
||||
102
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Pam Bondi.md
Normal file
102
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Pam Bondi.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- PamBondi
|
||||
- AttorneyGeneral
|
||||
- DepartmentOfJustice
|
||||
- EpsteinFiles
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- BallardPartners
|
||||
- Qatar
|
||||
- FARA
|
||||
- TrumpFoundation
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Pamela Bondi
|
||||
- Pamela Jo Bondi
|
||||
- Pamela J. Bondi
|
||||
- Attorney General Pam Bondi
|
||||
summary: "Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019, registered agent of Qatar at Ballard Partners, and U.S. Attorney General from February 2025 until her removal in April 2026 during the Epstein files dispute."
|
||||
born: 1965
|
||||
location: "Tampa, Florida"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Ballard Partners]]"
|
||||
start: 2019
|
||||
end: 2024
|
||||
role: "partner and lobbyist"
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Qatar]]"
|
||||
start: 2019-07-23
|
||||
end: 2020-12-31
|
||||
role: "registered foreign agent for the Embassy of the State of Qatar"
|
||||
fn: 7
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2025-02-04
|
||||
end: 2026-04-02
|
||||
role: "Attorney General of the United States"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Department of Justice]]"
|
||||
start: 2025-02-04
|
||||
end: 2026-04-02
|
||||
role: "Attorney General"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Pamela Jo Bondi (born 1965) is an American lawyer who was a prosecutor in [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]] for nearly two decades, attorney general of [[Florida]] from 2011 to 2019, a partner and registered foreign agent at the lobbying firm [[Ballard Partners]], and [[Attorney General]] of the [[United States]] from February 4, 2025, until [[Donald Trump]] removed her on April 2, 2026. Her tenure at the [[Department of Justice]] was dominated by the handling of the [[Epstein Files]].[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Florida and the Trump Foundation Check
|
||||
|
||||
Bondi worked as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County before winning election as Florida attorney general in 2010; she was re-elected in 2014.[^2] On August 25, 2013, New York Attorney General [[Eric Schneiderman]] sued [[Trump University]] for fraud, and Bondi's office said it was reviewing complaints from Florida students. On September 18, 2013, a political committee supporting her re-election, And Justice for All, received a 25,000 dollar check from the [[Donald J. Trump Foundation]], a charity barred by law from political giving. Her office did not join the suit or open its own case. The foundation's tax return reported the payment as a grant to an unrelated Kansas charity with a similar name. After [[The Washington Post]] reported the gift in 2016, Trump paid the [[Internal Revenue Service]] a 2,500 dollar penalty and reimbursed the foundation. Trump said: "I never spoke to her, first of all, she's a fine person beyond reproach." [[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]] filed complaints with Florida's ethics commission and asked the Justice Department to open a bribery investigation of Trump and Bondi; no charges were brought.[^4][^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Ballard Partners and Qatar
|
||||
|
||||
After leaving office in January 2019, Bondi joined Ballard Partners, the firm of [[Brian Ballard]]. On July 23, 2019, she filed a short-form registration under the [[Foreign Agents Registration Act]] as a partner of the firm, naming as her foreign principal the "Embassy of the State of Qatar." She described her services as work "to advise, council, and assist in matters related to combating human trafficking," and answered yes to the question whether they included political activity: "Will provide support regarding Qatari relations with U.S. government officials, U.S. business entities, and non-governmental audiences."[^7] Under an amendment to its contract, the firm received 115,000 dollars a month from Qatar, with Bondi named as key personnel; at her confirmation hearing she said that "that was the amount my firm received."[^8][^9] Ballard's registration, No. 6415, also listed as foreign principals the Republic of [[Turkey]], the Turkish state bank [[Halkbank]], the embassy of [[Azerbaijan]], the government of the [[Dominican Republic]], the Republic of [[Kosovo]] and the foreign minister of [[Zimbabwe]]; a short-form statement for [[Susie Wiles]], later White House chief of staff, was filed under it on January 22, 2019.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In November 2019 Bondi took leave to join the [[White House]] as a special adviser for Trump's first impeachment and served on his defense team at the Senate trial. She filed a second short-form registration under Ballard's registration on March 26, 2020, and [[Sludge]] reported that she resumed lobbying for Qatar that year. FARA records show her two registrations terminated on December 31, 2020, and February 6, 2021.[^7][^8] Senate Judiciary Democrats stated that she lobbied for more than 30 clients at the firm, among them [[Amazon]], [[Uber]] and the private-prison contractor [[GEO Group]], whose largest customer is [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]], and that she had not listed the Ballard partnership as a conflict of interest.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Attorney General
|
||||
|
||||
Trump nominated Bondi after [[Matt Gaetz]] withdrew in November 2024. The Senate confirmed her on February 4, 2025, by 54 to 46, with [[John Fetterman]] the only Democrat voting in favor.[^2] In May 2025 she issued a legal memorandum concluding that Trump could accept a Boeing 747 valued at about 400 million dollars from the government of Qatar, on the ground that ownership would pass to his presidential library foundation before the end of his term.[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Files
|
||||
|
||||
On February 21, 2025, asked on [[Fox News]] whether the department would release a list of Epstein's clients, Bondi said: "It's sitting on my desk right now to review." On February 27 she announced the "first phase" of declassified Epstein files, most of which had been public before, and ordered [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] Director [[Kash Patel]] to deliver thousands of undisclosed pages by the next morning. She told Fox News that evening that a "whistleblower" had told her the [[Southern District of New York]] was "sitting on thousands of pages of documents."[^11][^12] According to information given to Senator [[Dick Durbin]]'s office, about 1,000 FBI records personnel then reviewed some 100,000 Epstein records on 24-hour shifts in March 2025 and were "instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned." On July 7, 2025, the department and the FBI issued an unsigned memorandum finding "no incriminating 'client list'" and ruling out further disclosure. Durbin's letter of July 18 asked Bondi who had drafted the memorandum, why it was unsigned, who ordered the flagging and which ethics officials she had consulted on her "potential conflict of interest"; the department did not publicly answer.[^11][^13] On July 16, 2025, the department fired [[Maurene Comey]], a prosecutor on the Epstein and [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] cases; her lawsuit names Bondi as a defendant.[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 14, 2025, at Trump's public request, Bondi assigned [[Jay Clayton]], United States Attorney in Manhattan, to investigate Epstein's dealings with [[Bill Clinton]], [[Larry Summers]], [[Reid Hoffman]] and [[JPMorgan Chase]]. Five days later Trump signed the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]], which permits the withholding of records that would jeopardize "an active federal investigation."[^15] On January 30, 2026, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]] signed a letter to Congress stating that the department had completed its production and had withheld or redacted "approximately 200,000 pages" on grounds of privilege, and on February 14 they sent the Judiciary Committees a list of about 300 names appearing in the files.[^16][^17]
|
||||
|
||||
At a [[House Committee on the Judiciary|House Judiciary Committee]] hearing on February 11, 2026, Representative [[Thomas Massie]] asked whether she could identify who had redacted [[Leslie Wexner]]'s name as a co-conspirator in an FBI document. Bondi testified that the name had been restored within 40 minutes; Massie replied, "Within 40 minutes of me catching you red-handed." Bondi said of him: "This guy has 'Trump derangement syndrome,'" and "You're a failed politician."[^18] On March 4, 2026, the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]] voted 24 to 19, with five Republicans joining the Democrats, to subpoena her; the subpoena, issued March 17, set a deposition for April 14.[^19]
|
||||
|
||||
### Removal
|
||||
|
||||
On April 2, 2026, Trump announced on Truth Social that Bondi, "a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend," would be "transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector," and named Blanche acting attorney general. [[CNN]] and [[CBS News]] reported that Trump had been dissatisfied with how aggressively she pursued his priorities, including prosecutions of his perceived political enemies, and with her handling of the Epstein files; Blanche said he had never heard Trump connect the decision to the files. Bondi wrote that she would move "to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump." The Oversight Committee's ranking Democrat, [[Robert Garcia]], said she "remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath." [[Gloria Allred]], who represents Epstein victims, called the departure "long overdue."[^3][^20] Representative [[Ro Khanna]] later said that he and Massie had "basically forced Donald Trump to fire his own attorney general."[^21]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files," February 27, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-releases-first-phase-declassified-epstein-files
|
||||
[^2]: U.S. Senate, Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, Vote No. 33, on the nomination of Pamela Bondi (PN11-2), February 4, 2025. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00033.htm ; "Senate votes to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general," NPR, February 4, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/nx-s1-5287011/pam-bondi-attorney-general-confirmation
|
||||
[^3]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general," CNN, April 2, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/02/politics/pam-bondi-role-trump
|
||||
[^4]: David A. Fahrenthold, "Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general," The Washington Post, September 1, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/
|
||||
[^5]: "Donald Trump and Pam Bondi: Candidate Dismisses Questions Around Donation Tied to Florida Attorney General," NBC News, September 2016. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-pam-bondi-candidate-dismisses-questions-around-donation-tied-n643211
|
||||
[^6]: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, "The Trump Foundation-Pam Bondi scandal." https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/the-trump-foundation-pam-bondi-scandal/
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, FARA Registration Unit, Short Form Registration Statement of Pamela Bondi, Registration No. 6415 (Ballard Partners), received July 23, 2019, items 1 to 15; FARA eFile records for Registration No. 6415, short-form registrants (Bondi, filed July 23, 2019, terminated December 31, 2020; filed March 26, 2020, terminated February 6, 2021; Wiles, filed January 22, 2019) and foreign principals. https://efile.fara.gov/api/v1/ShortFormRegistrants/json/Terminated/6415 ; https://efile.fara.gov/api/v1/ForeignPrincipals/json/Terminated/6415
|
||||
[^8]: David Moore and Donald Shaw, "Former Qatar Lobbyist Pam Bondi Approves Jet Deal," Sludge, May 12, 2025. https://readsludge.com/2025/05/12/former-qatar-lobbyist-pam-bondi-approves-jet-deal/
|
||||
[^9]: "Pam Bondi's Lobbying For Qatar Explained," Newsweek, January 2025 (quoting Bondi's January 15, 2025 confirmation testimony). https://www.newsweek.com/pam-bondi-qatar-lobbying-attorney-general-1990130
|
||||
[^10]: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Democratic Staff, "Pam Bondi's Extensive Lobbying For Wealthy Special Interests And Foreign Government Poses Serious Conflict Of Interest," January 15, 2025. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/dem/releases/pam-bondis-extensive-lobbying-for-wealthy-special-interests-and-foreign-government-poses-serious-conflict-of-interest
|
||||
[^11]: Senator Richard J. Durbin, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, July 18, 2025 (citing Fox News, February 21 and 27, 2025). https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/2025-07-18-rjd-letter-to-ag-bondi-re-epstein?download=1
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release No. 25-201, February 27, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-releases-first-phase-declassified-epstein-files
|
||||
[^13]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, unsigned memorandum, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline
|
||||
[^14]: Comey v. United States Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-07625 (S.D.N.Y., filed September 15, 2025). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
|
||||
[^15]: "Bondi taps acting U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to probe Democrats' ties to Epstein," The Washington Times, November 14, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/14/bondi-taps-acting-us-attorney-jay-clayton-probe-democrats-ties/ ; Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, § 2(c)(1)(C), 139 Stat. 656. https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ38/PLAW-119publ38.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: Pamela J. Bondi and Todd Blanche, letter to Congress, January 30, 2026, p. 4. https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf
|
||||
[^17]: "Justice Department lists hundreds of prominent people named in Epstein files in letter to Congress," CNN, February 15, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/15/politics/doj-epstein-files-prominent-people
|
||||
[^18]: Erin Kelly, "Bondi, Massie spar over Epstein files redactions," Spectrum News 1, February 11, 2026. https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/02/11/bondi-massie-epstein-files-
|
||||
[^19]: Dareh Gregorian, Kyle Stewart, Owen Hayes and Michael Kosnar, "House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Pam Bondi for testimony on Epstein files," NBC News, March 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pam-bondi-subpoenaed-testify-epstein-files-house-oversight-committee-rcna261779 ; Office of Representative Nancy Mace, statement, March 17, 2026. https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-mace-issues-statement-after-oversight-committee-issues-subpoena-ag
|
||||
[^20]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general, installs Todd Blanche as acting AG," CBS News, April 2, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pam-bondi-attorney-general/
|
||||
[^21]: A Martínez, "Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on the future of the Epstein inquiry with Bondi's ousting," NPR, April 3, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5771625/rep-ro-khanna-d-calif-on-the-future-of-the-epstein-inquiry-with-bondis-ousting
|
||||
|
|
@ -12,11 +12,32 @@ alias:
|
|||
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
|
||||
- Duke of York
|
||||
- Prince Andrew, Duke of York
|
||||
summary: "Prince Andrew is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II who befriended Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was photographed with Virginia Giuffre in 2001, settled her civil sexual-abuse suit in February 2022 without admitting liability, and was stripped of the Prince title, HRH style, and Duke of York dukedom in late 2025."
|
||||
summary: "Second son of Elizabeth II, friend of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who settled Virginia Giuffre's 2021 sexual-abuse suit in February 2022 without admitting liability and lost his royal titles in 2025."
|
||||
born: 1960-02-19
|
||||
location: "London, United Kingdom"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-22
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[Giuffre v. Prince Andrew]]"
|
||||
role: "defendant"
|
||||
start: 2021-08-09
|
||||
end: 2022-03-08
|
||||
fn: 16
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Thames Valley Police]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office; released under investigation"
|
||||
start: 2026-02-19
|
||||
fn: 23
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Elizabeth II]]"
|
||||
role: "son"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: relative_of
|
||||
with: "[[Charles III]]"
|
||||
role: "brother"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (born February 19, 1960) is the second son of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip|Prince Philip]]. He served in the Royal Navy, including during the 1982 Falklands War, and held the title Duke of York from his 1986 marriage to [[Sarah Ferguson|Sarah Ferguson]]. His association with [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein]] and [[Ghislaine Maxwell|Ghislaine Maxwell]] became the subject of sustained press coverage, a 2019 [[BBC|BBC]] interview, a 2021 civil lawsuit brought by [[Virginia Giuffre|Virginia Giuffre]], and a 2022 settlement. In late 2025 King [[Charles III|Charles III]] initiated the removal of Andrew's royal style and titles, after which he is known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre's allegations.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
|
@ -27,49 +48,88 @@ Andrew developed a friendship with Epstein and Maxwell during the 1990s and 2000
|
|||
|
||||
After Epstein's 2008 Florida conviction, Andrew remained in contact with him. In December 2010 Andrew stayed several days at Epstein's Upper East Side townhouse, and a photograph from that visit showing the two men walking together in New York's Central Park drew criticism when it was published in 2011. Andrew said in 2019 that he had gone to New York to end the friendship in person, an account later disputed by reporting and released emails indicating he had been a guest at a dinner gathering at the townhouse during the stay.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Andrew served as a United Kingdom trade envoy, a Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, from 2001 until 2011, when he relinquished the role amid press attention to his associations, including the Central Park photograph and his ties to figures such as the Libyan and Tunisian governments. The relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, and the questions it raised, became the central thread of the controversy that followed.[^1]
|
||||
Andrew served as a [[United Kingdom]] trade envoy, a Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, from 2001 until 2011, when he relinquished the role amid press attention to his associations, including the Central Park photograph and his ties to figures such as the Libyan and Tunisian governments. The relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, and the questions it raised, became the central thread of the controversy that followed.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### The December 2010 Dinner
|
||||
|
||||
The dinner at the townhouse was organized by the publicist [[Peggy Siegal]]. Writing to the ABC News anchor [[George Stephanopoulos]] on December 1, 2010, she said: "I am putting together a very last minute casual dinner for Prince Andrew, who is in New York on an unofficial private visit. Please come and bring [your wife]. The list for far...and we are keeping this private and small... Prince Andrew, [[Woody Allen]] and [[Soon-Yi Previn|Soon-Yi]], [[Katie Couric]]....Jeffrey Epstein, where Andrew is staying. Jeffrey's house is one the largest single dwellings in New York...it's beautiful." Stephanopoulos accepted ("We'd love to Peggy...thanks...right around the corner from our house!"), and Siegal replied that the dinner would begin at 8 p.m., "So come on time and you will have private time with Andrew because he is staying at the house." On December 2 Stephanopoulos wrote that he could still come but his wife, [[Ali Wentworth]], could not; Siegal answered, "OK...we will take a chair away." The chain was preserved in Epstein's email account.[^3] Epstein had been released from his Florida sentence seventeen months earlier.
|
||||
|
||||
### JPMorgan's Project Jeep Review
|
||||
|
||||
After Epstein's July 2019 arrest, [[JPMorgan Chase|JPMorgan]]'s compliance staff reviewed his correspondence with the bank's executives in an internal project code-named "Project Jeep." Its October 2019 summary, quoted by the [[United States Virgin Islands]] in its 2023 suit against the bank, stated: "Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the [Duke] of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British Government. He also appears to have a close relationship with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem who is a senior [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] official involved in ownership of the Dubai Ports."[^4] [[Peter Mandelson]] had been business secretary from 2008 to 2010, while Andrew was trade envoy; [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem]] then headed the Dubai ports operator [[DP World]].[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 6, 2015 a correspondent whose name is redacted wrote to Epstein's personal email address: "What hidden cameras in guest room walls?" The message contained only a link to a *[[Daily Mirror|Mirror]]* article whose address read "prince-andrew-been-secretly-filmed."[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Mutual Legal Assistance Request
|
||||
|
||||
On June 8, 2020, after *The Hill* reported that prosecutors in New York had asked to question Andrew, an agent in the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s New York field office forwarded the story to a supervisor with the question: "what's the latest with the Epstein case? Anything new on this MLAT request for Prince Andrew?" Another agent in the chain wrote that "SDNY planned on speaking with the USA a week or so ago," referring to the [[Southern District of New York]] and the [[United States]] Attorney.[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2001 Photograph
|
||||
|
||||
A photograph dated to March 2001 shows Andrew with his arm around the waist of Giuffre, then 17, with Maxwell standing behind them in a doorway. According to the account associated with the image and with Giuffre's later filings, the photograph was taken at Maxwell's home in the Belgravia district of London. The Mail on Sunday published a cropped version of the photograph in 2011 and the full image circulated in 2019.[^3]
|
||||
A photograph dated to March 2001 shows Andrew with his arm around the waist of Giuffre, then 17, with Maxwell standing behind them in a doorway. According to the account associated with the image and with Giuffre's later filings, the photograph was taken at Maxwell's home in the Belgravia district of London. The Mail on Sunday published a cropped version of the photograph in 2011 and the full image circulated in 2019.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre said she had been flown to London by Epstein, had gone to the [[Tramp (nightclub)|Tramp]] nightclub with Andrew and others on the evening of March 10, 2001, and was then directed to have sex with Andrew at Maxwell's Belgravia house, an account Andrew has denied. Andrew questioned the photograph in public statements, saying in 2019 he had "no recollection" of the image being taken and could not confirm whether it had been doctored, while noting he was not in the habit of wearing the clothes shown. Maxwell, in her own statements, has at points cast doubt on the surrounding account. The *Mirror* reported that Giuffre's lawyers held the original photograph, and questions about the absence of the negative recurred in commentary.[^3]
|
||||
Giuffre said she had been flown to London by Epstein, had gone to the [[Tramp (nightclub)|Tramp]] nightclub with Andrew and others on the evening of March 10, 2001, and was then directed to have sex with Andrew at Maxwell's Belgravia house, an account Andrew has denied. Andrew questioned the photograph in public statements, saying in 2019 he had "no recollection" of the image being taken and could not confirm whether it had been doctored, while noting he was not in the habit of wearing the clothes shown. Maxwell, in her own statements, has at points cast doubt on the surrounding account. The *Mirror* reported that Giuffre's lawyers held the original photograph, and questions about the absence of the negative recurred in commentary.[^9] In her posthumous memoir [[Nobody's Girl]], Giuffre wrote that Epstein himself took the photograph.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
Andrew also addressed the photograph in the 2019 interview by saying the clothing and the setting did not match his recollection and by raising what he described as inconsistencies, while Maitlis pressed him on why he could not simply confirm or deny that he had been at the locations Giuffre described. He maintained that he had no memory of ever meeting Giuffre.[^4]
|
||||
Andrew also addressed the photograph in the 2019 interview by saying the clothing and the setting did not match his recollection and by raising what he described as inconsistencies, while Maitlis pressed him on why he could not simply confirm or deny that he had been at the locations Giuffre described. He maintained that he had no memory of ever meeting Giuffre.[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Sjoberg Deposition and Other Testimony
|
||||
|
||||
[[Johanna Sjoberg]], who worked for Epstein as a masseuse, testified in a 2016 deposition in [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] that in 2001, when she was 21, she was at Epstein's Manhattan home with Andrew and Giuffre when Maxwell took her to fetch a caricature puppet of Andrew from the satirical television series [[Spitting Image]]. She testified that she sat on Andrew's lap while Giuffre sat beside him with the puppet on her lap, that the group was photographed with the puppet's hand placed on Giuffre's breast, and that Andrew then put his hand on Sjoberg's breast. Asked about the puppet in her own deposition, Maxwell said: "Not a puppet. I don't know how you would describe it. A caricature of Prince Andrew," and "I recollect the puppet but I don't recollect anything around the puppet." Buckingham Palace had earlier called Sjoberg's allegations "categorically untrue." After the deposition was released in the January 2024 unsealing, the [[Metropolitan Police]] said: "No investigation has been launched."[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
[[Adriana Ross]], a former Epstein employee named in the 2007 [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]] as a potential co-conspirator, repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when questioned in 2010 about Andrew's alleged involvement.[^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 BBC Newsnight Interview
|
||||
|
||||
On November 16, 2019, Andrew recorded an interview at Buckingham Palace with [[Emily Maitlis|Emily Maitlis]] for the BBC program [[Newsnight|Newsnight]], broadcast on November 16 and running about 58 minutes, addressing his relationship with Epstein and Giuffre's allegations. Andrew said he could not have been with Giuffre on the night of March 10, 2001, that she described because he had been at home and had taken his daughter [[Princess Beatrice|Princess Beatrice]] to a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking for a children's party, an outing he said he remembered because going to a Pizza Express in Woking was "an unusual thing for me to do."[^4]
|
||||
On November 16, 2019, Andrew recorded an interview at Buckingham Palace with [[Emily Maitlis|Emily Maitlis]] for the BBC program [[Newsnight|Newsnight]], broadcast on November 16 and running about 58 minutes, addressing his relationship with Epstein and Giuffre's allegations. Andrew said he could not have been with Giuffre on the night of March 10, 2001, that she described because he had been at home and had taken his daughter [[Princess Beatrice|Princess Beatrice]] to a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking for a children's party, an outing he said he remembered because going to a Pizza Express in Woking was "an unusual thing for me to do."[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
Andrew also said he had "a peculiar medical condition" that meant he did not sweat at the time, which he attributed to an adrenaline overdose dating to the Falklands War, in response to Giuffre's description of him perspiring at the Tramp nightclub. He described his stay at Epstein's home after the 2008 conviction as a decision he made because it was "convenient," a characterization widely criticized, and said he did not regret the friendship overall because of the contacts it had brought, before later expressing regret in subsequent statements. He said he had "no recollection" of meeting Giuffre.[^4]
|
||||
Andrew also said he had "a peculiar medical condition" that meant he did not sweat at the time, which he attributed to an adrenaline overdose dating to the Falklands War, in response to Giuffre's description of him perspiring at the Tramp nightclub. He described his stay at Epstein's home after the 2008 conviction as a decision he made because it was "convenient," a characterization widely criticized, and said he did not regret the friendship overall because of the contacts it had brought, before later expressing regret in subsequent statements. He said he had "no recollection" of meeting Giuffre.[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
The interview was widely characterized as damaging to Andrew. Within days, on November 20, 2019, he announced he was stepping back from public royal duties "for the foreseeable future," saying his association with Epstein had become "a major disruption to my family's work." He said he continued to "unequivocally regret" the association, denied Giuffre's allegations, and said he was willing to assist any appropriate law enforcement agency if required. A Netflix dramatization, *Scoop*, and other accounts later reconstructed the negotiation and conduct of the interview.[^4][^1]
|
||||
The interview was widely characterized as damaging to Andrew. Within days, on November 20, 2019, he announced he was stepping back from public royal duties "for the foreseeable future," saying his association with Epstein had become "a major disruption to my family's work." He said he continued to "unequivocally regret" the association, denied Giuffre's allegations, and said he was willing to assist any appropriate law enforcement agency if required. A Netflix dramatization, *Scoop*, and other accounts later reconstructed the negotiation and conduct of the interview.[^1][^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2021 Lawsuit and 2022 Settlement
|
||||
|
||||
On August 9, 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]], alleging he had sexually abused her on three occasions when she was 17, including at Maxwell's London home, at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, and on Little St. James. The suit was brought under New York's Child Victims Act, which had temporarily revived expired civil claims. Andrew strenuously denied the allegations and sought dismissal.[^5][^2]
|
||||
On August 9, 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew, captioned against "Prince Andrew, Duke of York, a/k/a Andrew Albert Christian Edward, in his personal capacity," in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]], [[Giuffre v. Prince Andrew]] (No. 1:21-cv-06702), alleging he had sexually abused her on three occasions when she was 17, including at Maxwell's London home, at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, and on Little St. James. The suit was brought under New York's Child Victims Act, which had temporarily revived expired civil claims. Andrew strenuously denied the allegations and sought dismissal.[^2][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
Andrew's lawyers argued that a 2009 settlement Giuffre had signed with Epstein, under which Epstein paid her 500,000 dollars and she released a category of potential defendants, also barred her claim against Andrew. After the 2009 agreement was unsealed on January 3, 2022, Judge [[Lewis Kaplan|Lewis Kaplan]] ruled on January 12, 2022, that the release language was ambiguous and did not clearly cover Andrew, and he declined to dismiss the case, allowing it to proceed toward discovery. The 2009 document did not name Andrew or otherwise identify the second parties it released.[^10]
|
||||
Andrew's lawyers argued that a 2009 settlement Giuffre had signed with Epstein, under which Epstein paid her 500,000 dollars and she released a category of potential defendants, also barred her claim against Andrew. Andrew's lawyers placed the 2009 agreement before the court as Exhibit A to an October 29, 2021 request for judicial notice. The agreement, which resolved Giuffre's Florida suit as Jane Doe No. 102, released Epstein's agents and employees and "any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant," and recited that it was made "pursuant to and in fulfillment of" Epstein's obligations under his 2007 non-prosecution agreement with the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida]].[^15] On December 16, 2021, Judge [[Lewis Kaplan|Lewis Kaplan]] took judicial notice of the agreement but declined to notice Andrew's other proposed exhibits (ECF No. 57), and on December 31, 2021 he denied Andrew's request to depose Giuffre and take "limited jurisdictional discovery" before ruling on the motion (ECF No. 61). After the 2009 agreement was unsealed on January 3, 2022, Kaplan signed an opinion on January 11, 2022, filed January 12 (ECF No. 64), holding that the release language was ambiguous and did not clearly cover Andrew, and denying the motion to dismiss "in all respects." He added that "nothing in this opinion or previously in these proceedings properly may be construed as indicating a view with respect to the truth of the charges or countercharges or as to the intention of the parties in entering into the 2009 Agreement." The 2009 document did not name Andrew.[^16][^17]
|
||||
|
||||
The day after Kaplan's ruling, on January 13, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced with the Queen's "approval and agreement" that Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages, including his role as Colonel of the [[Grenadier Guards|Grenadier Guards]], were being returned to the Queen and that Andrew would no longer use the style His Royal Highness in any official capacity, defending the case thereafter as a private citizen.[^9] On February 15, 2022, the parties filed notice of a settlement before Kaplan. The filing stated that Andrew intended to make "a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," that "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character," and that he "accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks." The settlement contained no admission of liability, and the filing stated that the sum was not being disclosed. Press reporting estimated the value in the range of 12 million pounds, with other reporting citing figures around 7.5 million pounds; the actual amount was not made public, and the suit was dismissed in March 2022.[^2][^5]
|
||||
The day after Kaplan's ruling, on January 13, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced with the Queen's "approval and agreement" that Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages, including his role as Colonel of the [[Grenadier Guards|Grenadier Guards]], were being returned to the Queen and that Andrew would no longer use the style His Royal Highness in any official capacity, defending the case thereafter as a private citizen.[^18] On February 15, 2022, the parties filed notice of a settlement before Kaplan. The filing stated that Andrew intended to make "a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," that "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character," and that he "accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks." The settlement contained no admission of liability, and the filing stated that the sum was not being disclosed. Press reporting estimated the value in the range of 12 million pounds, with other reporting citing figures around 7.5 million pounds; the actual amount was not made public. The stipulation of dismissal, filed and so-ordered on March 8, 2022 (ECF No. 83), recites "the parties' settlement agreement dated February 12, 2022," three days before the public notice.[^2][^14][^16] After Giuffre's death in April 2025, the Western Australian proceedings over her estate described its assets as including what remained of the settlement, reported at 12 million pounds.[^19]
|
||||
|
||||
### Removal of Titles
|
||||
|
||||
On October 17, 2025, Andrew announced he would no longer use his title of Duke of York or the other honors conferred on him, while continuing to deny the allegations against him. The announcement came amid renewed attention following Giuffre's death and the imminent publication of her posthumous memoir [[Nobody's Girl|Nobody's Girl]], and after reporting on emails and on the terms of his occupation of Royal Lodge.[^6]
|
||||
On October 17, 2025, Andrew announced he would no longer use his title of Duke of York or the other honors conferred on him, while continuing to deny the allegations against him. The announcement came amid renewed attention following Giuffre's death and the imminent publication of her posthumous memoir Nobody's Girl, and after reporting on emails and on the terms of his occupation of Royal Lodge.[^20]
|
||||
|
||||
On October 30, 2025, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had that day "initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew." A Warrant under the King's Royal Sign Manual dated October 30, 2025, directed the Secretary of State to cause the Duke of York to be removed from the Roll of the Peerage with immediate effect. Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated November 3, 2025, declared that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor would no longer be entitled to hold the style "Royal Highness" or the titular dignity of "Prince." The actions were effected through the royal prerogative and published in the London Gazette by the Crown Office, rather than through Parliament.[^21][^22]
|
||||
|
||||
The House of Commons Library noted that removal from the Roll of the Peerage and the withdrawal of the style and dignity by Letters Patent are distinct from abolishing the Dukedom of York itself, which is a hereditary peerage that can be removed only by an Act of Parliament. Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and [[Princess Eugenie|Princess Eugenie]], retained their princess styles, conferred under a separate 1917 Letters Patent. The Palace announced Andrew would leave [[Royal Lodge|Royal Lodge]], his 30-room residence in Windsor Great Park held under a long lease, and relocate to privately funded accommodation on the [[Sandringham|Sandringham]] estate in Norfolk. He continued to deny the allegations throughout.[^21][^22]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2026 Arrest
|
||||
|
||||
After the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s January 2026 release of [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]], [[Thames Valley Police]] said it was examining allegations that Andrew had sent confidential trade reports to Epstein during his time as the United Kingdom's trade envoy. On February 19, 2026, his sixty-sixth birthday, the force arrested "a man in his sixties from Norfolk" on "suspicion of misconduct in public office" and searched addresses in [[Berkshire]] and [[Norfolk]]. Assistant Chief Constable [[Oliver Wright]] said: "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office." Andrew was released that evening and remained under investigation. King Charles III, confirming that the arrested man was his brother, said: "Let me state clearly: the law must take its course." Andrew did not respond to requests for comment; he has previously denied any wrongdoing relating to Epstein.[^23] Four days later the Metropolitan Police arrested Peter Mandelson on suspicion of the same offense, over messages suggesting he had passed government information to Epstein while business secretary in 2009 and 2010.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
On October 30, 2025, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had that day "initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew." A Warrant under the King's Royal Sign Manual dated October 30, 2025, directed the Secretary of State to cause the Duke of York to be removed from the Roll of the Peerage with immediate effect. Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated November 3, 2025, declared that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor would no longer be entitled to hold the style "Royal Highness" or the titular dignity of "Prince." The actions were effected through the royal prerogative and published in the London Gazette by the Crown Office, rather than through Parliament.[^7][^8]
|
||||
|
||||
The House of Commons Library noted that removal from the Roll of the Peerage and the withdrawal of the style and dignity by Letters Patent are distinct from abolishing the Dukedom of York itself, which is a hereditary peerage that can be removed only by an Act of Parliament. Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and [[Princess Eugenie|Princess Eugenie]], retained their princess styles, conferred under a separate 1917 Letters Patent. The Palace announced Andrew would leave [[Royal Lodge|Royal Lodge]], his 30-room residence in Windsor Great Park held under a long lease, and relocate to privately funded accommodation on the [[Sandringham|Sandringham]] estate in Norfolk. He continued to deny the allegations throughout.[^8][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "How Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein unraveled," reporting compiled by *AOL* and *BBC,* 2019-2025. https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/av/uk-68741324
|
||||
[^2]: "Prince Andrew settles with Virginia Giuffre in sexual abuse lawsuit," *WUSF / NPR,* February 15, 2022. https://www.wusf.org/2022-02-15/prince-andrew-settles-with-virginia-giuffre-in-sexual-abuse-lawsuit
|
||||
[^3]: "Photograph of Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell," reporting on the March 2001 image, *The Mirror US,* 2025. https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/uncropped-prince-andrew-photo-mystery-1575570
|
||||
[^4]: "Inside Prince Andrew's explosive Newsnight interview," *Hello,* recounting the November 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/864943/princes-andrew-newsnight-most-notable-moments/
|
||||
[^5]: "Lawyers say settlement reached in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Prince Andrew," *PBS NewsHour,* February 15, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawyers-say-settlement-reached-in-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit-against-prince-andrew
|
||||
[^6]: "Prince Andrew to give up Duke of York title and honors amid Jeffrey Epstein developments," *NBC News,* October 17, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/prince-andrew-give-duke-york-title-honors-jeffrey-epstein-developments-rcna238242
|
||||
[^7]: "King Charles formally removes Andrew's prince title and HRH style after Epstein scandal," *AOL,* November 2025. https://www.aol.com/articles/king-charles-formally-removes-andrew-150223876.html
|
||||
[^8]: House of Commons Library, "The removal of titles and honours," CBP-10370, 2025. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10370/
|
||||
[^9]: "Prince Andrew is stripped of his royal patronages and military titles," *NPR,* January 13, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/13/1072779687/prince-andrew-royal-privileges-queen
|
||||
[^10]: "Prince Andrew loses bid to dismiss lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre," *CNBC,* January 12, 2022 (Kaplan ruling on the 2009 release). https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/12/judge-rejects-prince-andrews-bid-to-dismiss-epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit.html
|
||||
[^3]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02411832, DataSet 11, email chain between Peggy Siegal and George Stephanopoulos, "Thursday small dinner for Prince Andrew," December 1-3, 2010. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02411832.pdf
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), letter motion to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, June 7, 2023, p. 3. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: "British police arrest former ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson in probe into Epstein ties." *Associated Press,* via *PBS NewsHour,* February 23, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/british-police-arrest-former-ambassador-to-the-u-s-peter-mandelson-in-probe-into-epstein-ties
|
||||
[^6]: "Dubai-based DP World replaces chief named in Epstein files." *Al Jazeera,* February 13, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/13/logistics-giant-dp-world-replaces-chief-named-in-epstein-files
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00699038, DataSet 9, email to jeevacation@gmail.com, sender redacted, January 6, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00699038.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00149598, DataSet 9, internal FBI New York email chain, "Fwd: FW: Prince Andrew," June 8, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00149598.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: "Photograph of Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell," reporting on the March 2001 image, *The Mirror US,* 2025. https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/uncropped-prince-andrew-photo-mystery-1575570
|
||||
[^10]: Adriana Gallardo and Leila Fadel, report on Virginia Roberts Giuffre's memoir *Nobody's Girl*, *NPR,* October 20, 2025 (updated October 23, 2025). https://www.npr.org/2025/10/20/nx-s1-5514834/epstein-accuser-virginia-roberts-giuffre-nobodys-girl-memoir
|
||||
[^11]: "Inside Prince Andrew's explosive Newsnight interview," *Hello,* recounting the November 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/864943/princes-andrew-newsnight-most-notable-moments/
|
||||
[^12]: "Details on Prince Andrew allegations emerge from new Jeffrey Epstein documents, but no U.K. police investigation," *CBS News,* January 5, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince-andrew-allegations-jeffrey-epstein-documents-no-uk-police-investigation/
|
||||
[^13]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Alleged Accomplices: Where Are Sarah Kellen, Nadia Marcinkova, Adriana Ross and Lesley Groff?," *The Daily Beast.* https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-accomplices-where-are-sarah-kellen-nadia-marcinkova-adriana-ross-and-lesley-groff/
|
||||
[^14]: "Lawyers say settlement reached in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Prince Andrew," *PBS NewsHour,* February 15, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawyers-say-settlement-reached-in-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit-against-prince-andrew
|
||||
[^15]: Settlement Agreement and General Release, Jane Doe No. 102 v. Jeffrey Epstein, No. 09-80656-CIV-Marra/Johnson (S.D. Fla.), filed as Exhibit A, ECF No. 32-1, in Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, No. 1:21-cv-06702 (S.D.N.Y.), and the subject of Prince Andrew's Request for Judicial Notice, ECF No. 35 (Oct. 29, 2021). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.32.1.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, No. 1:21-cv-06702-LAK (S.D.N.Y.), Order, ECF No. 57 (Dec. 16, 2021); Order, ECF No. 61 (Dec. 31, 2021); Opinion re Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 64 (signed Jan. 11, 2022, filed Jan. 12, 2022); Stipulation and Order of Dismissal, ECF No. 83 (March 8, 2022). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/
|
||||
[^17]: "Prince Andrew loses bid to dismiss lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre," *CNBC,* January 12, 2022 (Kaplan ruling on the 2009 release). https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/12/judge-rejects-prince-andrews-bid-to-dismiss-epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit.html
|
||||
[^18]: "Prince Andrew is stripped of his royal patronages and military titles," *NPR,* January 13, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/13/1072779687/prince-andrew-royal-privileges-queen
|
||||
[^19]: "Legal battle begins over Virginia Giuffre's multi-million-dollar estate," *ABC News (Australia),* November 28, 2025. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-28/virginia-giuffre-epstein-survivor-legal-battle-over-estate/106075194
|
||||
[^20]: "Prince Andrew to give up Duke of York title and honors amid Jeffrey Epstein developments," *NBC News,* October 17, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/prince-andrew-give-duke-york-title-honors-jeffrey-epstein-developments-rcna238242
|
||||
[^21]: "King Charles formally removes Andrew's prince title and HRH style after Epstein scandal," *AOL,* November 2025. https://www.aol.com/articles/king-charles-formally-removes-andrew-150223876.html
|
||||
[^22]: House of Commons Library, "The removal of titles and honours," CBP-10370, 2025. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10370/
|
||||
[^23]: Frayer, Lauren, and Leila Fadel. "U.K.'s ex-Prince Andrew is released after his arrest over Epstein revelations." *NPR,* February 19, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719098/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-misconduct-in-public-office
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
74
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Ric Bradshaw.md
Normal file
74
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Ric Bradshaw.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- RicBradshaw
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- PalmBeach
|
||||
- Sheriff
|
||||
- WorkRelease
|
||||
- NonProsecutionAgreement
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Ric L. Bradshaw
|
||||
- Sheriff Ric Bradshaw
|
||||
- Sheriff Bradshaw
|
||||
summary: "Ric Bradshaw is the Palm Beach County sheriff since January 2005 whose office granted Jeffrey Epstein work release in 2008 and logged paid deputy details for Epstein's Florida Science Foundation."
|
||||
start: 2005-01-04
|
||||
location: "West Palm Beach, Florida"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office]]"
|
||||
role: "Sheriff"
|
||||
start: 2005-01-04
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[West Palm Beach Police Department]]"
|
||||
role: "chief of police"
|
||||
start: 1996
|
||||
end: 2004
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[West Palm Beach Police Department]]"
|
||||
role: "road patrol officer through assistant chief"
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[United States Marine Corps]]"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Ric L. Bradshaw is an American law enforcement officer who has been Sheriff of [[Palm Beach County, Florida]], since January 4, 2005, after serving as chief of the [[West Palm Beach Police Department]]. [[Jeffrey Epstein]] served his 2008 to 2009 state sentence in the custody of Bradshaw's [[Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office]], which admitted him to its work-release program and assigned off-duty deputies, paid through Epstein's [[Florida Science Foundation]], to "Provide security for Jeffrey Epstein." In 2019 Bradshaw ordered an internal affairs inquiry into the arrangement, and a state review found that Epstein had "received differential treatment" but that no crime had been committed.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career
|
||||
|
||||
Bradshaw graduated from Lake Worth High School, served in the [[United States Marine Corps]], and took a bachelor's degree in human resources management from [[Palm Beach Atlantic University]] and a master's degree from [[Lynn University]]. He joined the West Palm Beach Police Department as a road patrol officer and rose through detective sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major and assistant chief; in 1996 he was appointed chief of police. He was elected sheriff in 2004 and sworn in on January 4, 2005, and was reelected in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024. His official biography lists him as a member of the executive board of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s [[Joint Terrorism Task Force]] and chairman of the Florida Sheriffs Emergency Task Force for Region 7.[^1][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein's Work Release
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein pleaded guilty in state court on June 30, 2008 under the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]] and was sentenced to 18 months in county custody. Federal prosecutors had tracked the sheriff's work-release rules for months: their investigation log records "Research re State Work Release" beginning in November 2007, a November 26, 2007 request for the sheriff's "Post Orders for the Work Release Program," a July 2008 email between Assistant U.S. Attorney [[Ann Marie Villafana|A. Marie Villafaña]] and "Col. M. Gauger" of the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office "re Epstein work release with attachment," and a July 7, 2008 discussion of a "meeting with Sheriffs Office about work release program." According to Villafaña's summary of a conversation with the defense lawyer [[Jack Goldberger]] at the time of the plea, Epstein was to serve his sentence in confinement "24-hours-a-day."[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The sheriff's office nonetheless approved Epstein for work release, and from October 2008 he spent up to 12 hours a day at the Florida Science Foundation, an entity he had incorporated, housed at the West Palm Beach office of one of his attorneys; the foundation paid the sheriff's office 128,136 dollars during his incarceration. On December 3, 2008 Villafaña wrote to her supervisors that "since Day 1, Goldberger and Krisher [sic] . . . have been scheming to get Epstein out on work release," and that "Epstein has hired off-duty Sheriff's deputies to provide him with 'protection.' It appears that he is paying between $3000 and $4100 per week for this service, despite the work release rules barring anyone from the Sheriff's Office (and the Sheriff's Office itself) from having 'any business transactions with inmates.'" On December 11, 2008 she wrote to the sheriff's Corrections Division that Epstein was not eligible for work release and that his application contained inaccuracies: the telephone number given for the Florida Science Foundation was that of Goldberger's law firm, and the foundation officer listed as his supervisor had told the [[Internal Revenue Service]] that Epstein worked one hour a week for no pay while telling the sheriff's office that he worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. "The Sheriff's Office neither acknowledged nor responded to Villafaña's letter." In March 2009 First Assistant U.S. Attorney [[Jeffrey Sloman]] assured the defense lawyer [[Alan Dershowitz]] that his office "will not interfere with how the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office administers the sentence imposed by the Court."[^2][^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
The sheriff's Extra Duty Permits System, under a header reading "PALM BEACH COUNTY Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff," carried the detail as Permit No. 7804, "Florida Science Foundation," with posts titled "FL Science Foundation - Plain Clothed Position" and "Unmarked only - Plain Clothed Position" running from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Deputies' overtime reports for July 2009 record the work as "Provide security for Jeffrey Epstein," keeping "the log of visitors," and escorting him from the office to his residence at [[358 El Brillo Way]] around midday and back two and a half hours later; one deputy wrote that at the house he "backed into the drive way and provided security to prevent unwelcome guest from entering his property" and "did not go into the residence." The sheriff's media relations office faxed the July 2009 reports on July 21, 2009, the day before Epstein's release to home confinement, and the pages were later produced to federal prosecutors in New York.[^8][^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### The 2019 Review
|
||||
|
||||
After Epstein's July 2019 arrest in New York, Bradshaw's office announced on July 19, 2019 an internal affairs investigation to "determine if any actions taken by deputies assigned to monitor Epstein during his work release violated any agency rules and regulations,"[^10] stating: "All aspects of the matter will be fully investigated to ensure total accountability and transparency." Bradshaw said the question of whether Epstein's wealth and lawyers had won him favorable treatment would be taken "very seriously." In August 2019, after a letter from Bradshaw, Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] ordered the [[Florida Department of Law Enforcement]] to investigate the state's handling of the case. Its May 2021 reports found that Epstein had "received differential treatment" in the sheriff's custody, that the off-duty deputies had been hired mainly for his protection rather than to monitor him, and that there was no evidence of bribery or of any crime by sheriff's or prosecutors' staff.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Michael Gauger, the sheriff's chief deputy during Epstein's incarceration and second in command of the office, acknowledged meeting Epstein for lunch and going to his mansion for dinner; emails released in 2026 dated the dinner to September 2009, after Epstein's release to home confinement. Gauger said Epstein was "so smooth." Gauger, by then retired, ran against Bradshaw in 2024 and lost by 416,564 votes to 301,364. In June 2026 the [[Miami Herald]] reported that Epstein's former assistant [[Sarah Kellen]] had told congressional investigators that Epstein "arranged to have cash and, like, Disneyland tickets, taken to one of the officers in the jail"; a sheriff's office spokeswoman responded that "The Epstein investigation did not reveal these allegations," citing the state finding of no "inappropriate or criminal activity on the part of any PBSO member," and said, "The investigation is complete."[^11][^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, "Sheriff Ric Bradshaw," official biography. https://www.pbso.org/sheriff-ric-bradshaw
|
||||
[^2]: "Jeffrey Epstein paid Palm Beach Sheriff's Office $128,000 during incarceration for prostitution charges," *WPTV,* 2019. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/new-jeffrey-epstein-paid-palm-beach-sheriffs-office-128-000-during-incarceration-for-prostitution ; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, Executive Summary, November 2020, p. iii. https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
|
||||
[^3]: Curt Anderson, "Florida sheriff investigates Epstein's time spent outside of jail," *Associated Press* via *PBS NewsHour,* July 19, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/florida-sheriff-investigates-epsteins-time-spent-outside-of-jail
|
||||
[^4]: "Florida authorities find no evidence of criminal activity in state's handling of Jeffrey Epstein case," *NBC News,* May 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-authorities-no-evidence-criminal-activity-state-s-handling-jeffrey-n1266888
|
||||
[^5]: Florida Sheriffs Association, "Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw," staff biography. https://flsheriffs.org/staff/sheriff-ric-l-bradshaw/
|
||||
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00224943, DataSet 9, "Epstein Investigation Timeline," Exhibit A-1 (privileged chronology of the 2006 to 2011 federal investigation), pp. 23, 37 to 39. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00224943.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284, Prior DOJ Disclosures, Office of Professional Responsibility report on the Southern District of Florida's resolution of the Epstein investigation, November 2020, pp. 116 to 117. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Prior%20DOJ%20Disclosures/Memos.%20&%20Correspondence/EFTA02847284.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01308629, DataSet 10, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Extra Duty Permits System overtime report forms, Permit No. 7804, "Florida Science Foundation," July 1 to 14, 2009, faxed by PBSO Media Relations July 21, 2009 (Bates SDNY_GM_00329509 ff.). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01308629.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02847284 (see note 7), p. 117, on Epstein's release to home confinement on July 22, 2009.
|
||||
[^10]: "Palm Beach Sheriff Orders Investigation Into Agency's Handling Of Jeffrey Epstein Work Release," *CBS Miami,* July 19, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/palm-beach-sheriff-orders-investigation-jeffrey-epstein-work-release
|
||||
[^11]: "Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw wins sixth term," *WPTV,* November 2024. https://www.wptv.com/news/political/elections-local/palm-beach-county-sheriff-ric-bradshaw-hoping-to-win-sixth-term
|
||||
[^12]: Julie K. Brown, "Ex-aide says Epstein paid Palm Beach deputy to get special treatment in jail," *Miami Herald* via *Jefferson City News-Tribune,* June 16, 2026. https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/jun/16/ex-aide-says-epstein-paid-palm-beach-deputy-to/
|
||||
131
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Stephen Cutler.md
Normal file
131
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Stephen Cutler.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Business & Finance"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- StephenCutler
|
||||
- JPMorgan
|
||||
- SecuritiesAndExchangeCommission
|
||||
- RevolvingDoor
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Enron
|
||||
- Banking
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Stephen M. Cutler
|
||||
- Steve Cutler
|
||||
- Steven Cutler
|
||||
summary: "American lawyer who ran SEC enforcement, including the 2003 Enron case against JPMorgan Chase, then became JPMorgan's general counsel from 2007 to 2015 while the bank kept Jeffrey Epstein as a client."
|
||||
location: "Washington, D.C."
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering]]"
|
||||
role: "partner"
|
||||
end: 1999-01
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Securities and Exchange Commission]]"
|
||||
role: "Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement"
|
||||
start: 1999-01
|
||||
end: 2001-10
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Securities and Exchange Commission]]"
|
||||
role: "Director, Division of Enforcement"
|
||||
start: 2001-10
|
||||
end: 2005-05
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
start: 2003-07-28
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[WilmerHale]]"
|
||||
role: "partner and co-chair, Securities Department"
|
||||
start: 2005-10
|
||||
end: 2007-02
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
role: "Executive Vice President and General Counsel"
|
||||
start: 2007-02
|
||||
end: 2015-12-31
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
- type: reported_to
|
||||
with: "[[Jamie Dimon]]"
|
||||
role: "general counsel reporting to the chief executive"
|
||||
start: 2007-02
|
||||
end: 2015-12-31
|
||||
fn: 6
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[JPMorgan Chase]]"
|
||||
role: "Vice Chairman"
|
||||
start: 2016-01-01
|
||||
fn: 9
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Simpson Thacher & Bartlett]]"
|
||||
role: "partner"
|
||||
end: 2025
|
||||
fn: 10
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Stephen M. Cutler is an American securities lawyer who served as Director of the Division of Enforcement at the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] from October 2001 to May 2005, a period in which the division brought the Enron-related enforcement action that [[JPMorgan Chase]] settled for 135 million dollars in July 2003. After a year and a half at the law firm [[WilmerHale]], he became JPMorgan Chase's Executive Vice President and General Counsel in February 2007, reporting to chief executive [[Jamie Dimon]], and held the post through 2015 before becoming a vice chairman of the bank. His tenure as general counsel covered the years in which JPMorgan's compliance staff sought to exit [[Jeffrey Epstein]] as a client and the bank retained him until 2013.[^1][^2][^3][^4][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Wilmer, Cutler and the SEC
|
||||
|
||||
Cutler graduated summa cum laude from [[Yale University]] and received his law degree from [[Yale Law School]], where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He clerked for Judge [[Dorothy Nelson]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]], was a visiting fellow at the [[Center for Law in the Public Interest]] in [[Los Angeles]], and spent eleven years at the Washington firm of [[Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering]], where he was a partner. The firm's name refers to its founder [[Lloyd Cutler]]; no family relationship to Stephen Cutler is recorded.[^1][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
He joined the SEC in January 1999 as Deputy Director of Enforcement under [[Richard Walker]]. By September 19, 2001 he was acting director, and in that capacity issued the Commission's statement on trading around the [[September 11 attacks]]: "We have received reports that those associated with the terrorist activities of last week may have sought to exploit our securities markets to profit from those activities. We are vigorously pursuing all credible leads but, at this time, we have drawn no conclusions." The Commission named him Director of the Division of Enforcement on October 25, 2001.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Enron Bank Cases
|
||||
|
||||
On July 28, 2003 the SEC announced that JPMorgan Chase had agreed to pay 135 million dollars in disgorgement, penalty and interest to settle allegations that it helped [[Enron]] mislead investors by characterizing what were essentially loan proceeds as cash from operating activities, and that [[Citigroup]] would pay 120 million dollars over its roles at Enron and [[Dynegy]]. JPMorgan Chase consented, without admitting or denying the allegations, to a final judgment in federal court in Texas permanently enjoining it from violating the antifraud provisions. The actions were coordinated with the [[Manhattan District Attorney|New York County District Attorney's Office]], which reached parallel settlements with both banks the same day.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
When Cutler announced on April 14, 2005 that he would leave the Commission within a month to return to the private sector, Chairman [[William Donaldson]] credited him with overseeing investigations of Enron, [[WorldCom]], [[Adelphia]], [[Qwest]], [[Tyco International|Tyco]] and [[HealthSouth]], which led to actions against [[Kenneth Lay]], [[Jeffrey Skilling]], [[Andrew Fastow]], [[Scott Sullivan]], [[John Rigas]], [[Joseph Nacchio]], [[Dennis Kozlowski]] and [[Richard Scrushy]], and with more than six billion dollars in penalties and disgorgement. The Commission's release stated that Cutler "led the Commission's groundbreaking efforts against banks, insurance companies and other financial intermediaries for their roles in a number of public company financial reporting failures, including the Commission's cases against Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and CIBC in connection with Enron's collapse."[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase
|
||||
|
||||
Cutler joined WilmerHale, the successor to his former firm, in October 2005 as a partner and co-chair of its Securities Department. On December 12, 2006 JPMorgan Chase announced that he would become Executive Vice President, General Counsel and head of the firm's legal and compliance activities worldwide, effective February 2007, reporting to Dimon and sitting on the Operating Committee. He succeeded [[Joan Guggenheimer]], who had died earlier that year. Dimon's announcement described him as "a strong leader, noted for his integrity, distinguished service in the public and private sectors, and outstanding reputation in the legal and regulatory communities."[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Dimon confirmed in a May 26, 2023 deposition that in 2011 Cutler reported directly to him, reported at least indirectly to the board of directors, and regularly attended board meetings. Dimon said he did not know whether Cutler ever reported to the board about Epstein.[^7] In an April 7, 2023 interview with CNN, asked whether JPMorgan had ignored warnings about Epstein, Dimon said the bank had "some of the best lawyers in the world, compliance, out of the [[Department of Justice|DOJ]], out of SEC important divisions who review all of these things and make decisions at the time based on what they know."[^8]
|
||||
|
||||
On January 1, 2016 [[Stacey Friedman]] succeeded Cutler as general counsel and he became a vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase.[^9] He later became a partner at [[Simpson Thacher & Bartlett]], from which he retired in 2025, according to a Senate Finance Committee report.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein Retention Decisions
|
||||
|
||||
JPMorgan's policy classified felons as high-risk clients requiring additional approval. A 2009 internal due-diligence report, produced in the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank|Virgin Islands litigation]] and quoted by the Senate Finance Committee, recorded that after Epstein's 2008 conviction "Jes Staley conferred with Stephen Cutler and the decision was made to keep Mr. Epstein as a PB client," on a "banking and custody only" basis with brokerage execution withdrawn.[^10] In August 2010 [[Alan Greenberg|Alan "Ace" Greenberg]], the former [[Bear Stearns]] chairman then at JPMorgan, went to Cutler for an exception to the felon policy so he could continue doing business with Epstein, according to the Virgin Islands' statement of material facts.[^11] A 2010 email from compliance official Maryanne Williamson stated that Epstein had been "approved to stay after his criminal conviction by [Steve] Cutler."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
Emails that JPMorgan produced at the end of discovery in May 2023 showed involvement by former Bear Stearns staff in the Epstein relationship in the fall of 2008 and the summer of 2010, including one stating that Greenberg had gone to Cutler "for an exception to the felony policy," and a 2008 email stating: "My understanding is that JPM requires top of the house ok for clients who are convicted felons. (ie PCS Legal to Asset Mgt Legal to Cutler to Jaime Daimnon [sic])." The Virgin Islands read "top of the house" as Jamie Dimon; JPMorgan's counsel answered that a follow-up sent eight minutes later "makes clear the reference to 'top of the house' referred to Mr. Cutler." In the same June 9, 2023 letter the bank stated that after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea "people from legacy Bear Stearns, including Mr. Greenberg, in connection with post-acquisition transition of accounts, may have attempted to speak with Stephen Cutler, then JPMC's General Counsel, about application of JPMC's corporate policy requiring approval of its General Counsel (or Chief Risk Officer) to retain a brokerage account for a client with a felony conviction. That decision ... was made by Mr. Cutler," and that it had been the subject of a search of Cutler's custodial files and of his deposition. A May 2009 due-diligence report produced to the territory in 2020 recorded that "Bear Stearns will hold the brokerage relationship with Mr. Epstein." The bank's filing listed Cutler's deposition testimony on Bear Stearns at transcript pages 212 to 258.[^12][^13]
|
||||
|
||||
In December 2010 and January 2011 the bank's anti-money-laundering director, [[William Langford]], asked the private bank to re-evaluate its sponsorship of Epstein and to "request re-approval from Steve Cutler if we wanted to retain," in light of human-trafficking allegations; the relationship banker [[Paul Morris]] replied, "I thought we decided this was not necessary." Cutler testified that Langford's concerns were "heightened, if you will, by the human trafficking initiative that we're doing, given that he was convicted of these crimes." Cutler also testified that at some point before 2011 the bank would have seen Epstein's federal [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]], and in March 2011 the investment bank's general counsel reported to Cutler a conversation with Epstein's lawyer [[Jay Lefkowitz]], who "represented Epstein in state plea/fed NPA process" and believed "any pre-plea conduct is subsumed within plea/NPA."[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
On July 19, 2011 JPMorgan proposed to settle Epstein's claims against Bear Stearns, which JPMorgan had acquired in 2008, for 21 million dollars. Cutler responded the next day: "This is not an honorable person in any way. He should not be a client." On July 21, 2011 he wrote to [[Mary Erdoes]], "I would like to put it and HIM behind us. Not a person we should do business with, period." When the settlement was approved, the private bank's general counsel [[Nina Shenker]] told Erdoes that Cutler "asked when we are offboarding JE. I reminded him that we have the other matter outstanding." An August 4, 2011 Rapid Response meeting concluded that [[John Duffy]] would "reach out to Jes Staley and advise that we exit while things are a bit settled."[^11] Epstein remained a client until 2013.[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
Cutler later testified that [[Jes Staley]] and Erdoes made the decision to retain Epstein.[^14] The [[Upper Tribunal]], deciding Staley's challenge to his UK ban in June 2025, recorded internal JPMorgan evidence that "the view of Mr Stephen Cutler, the General Counsel of JPM, was that Mr Epstein would have been exited as a client of JPM had not Mr Staley vouched for him"; Staley testified that Cutler had full latitude to exit Epstein and that he would not have stood in his way, and the tribunal found it more likely than not that Staley's advocacy caused the retention.[^15] Dimon testified that "the ultimate decider would have been the general counsel of the company. That was true then; it's true today. And that person cannot be overridden by a businessperson."[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Wyden Inquiry
|
||||
|
||||
In a September 24, 2025 letter to Dimon, Senator [[Ron Wyden]] cited reporting that Cutler had reviewed Epstein-related documents "for Jamie" and had held two meetings with Epstein at JPMorgan headquarters in the fall of 2011, and asked the bank to confirm the meetings and produce Cutler's communications about Epstein with Dimon, Erdoes, Staley and the banker [[Justin Nelson]].[^16] JPMorgan replied on October 10, 2025 that, "with the exception of former JPMC executive Jes Staley, the Firm's executives (current and former) are respected professionals who acted with integrity and would never have allowed Epstein to remain a client if they knew of his ongoing crimes," and declined to discuss suspicious-activity filings, citing [[Bank Secrecy Act]] confidentiality.[^17] Wyden's August 4, 2026 report listed Cutler among thirteen bankers whose conduct it said merited investigation by prosecutors and regulators, and recommended that the [[House Oversight Committee]] subpoena his Epstein-related email.[^10] Cutler has not been charged with any offense or subjected to regulatory discipline in connection with Epstein.
|
||||
|
||||
A separate lawyer named [[Aaron Cutler]], a partner at [[Hogan Lovells]], represented [[Leon Black]] before the Senate Finance Committee in 2026; no relationship between the two is recorded.[^18]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Stephen M. Cutler Named SEC Enforcement Director," Press Release 2001-120, October 25, 2001. https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2001-120.txt
|
||||
[^2]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Statement of Acting Director of Enforcement Stephen M. Cutler, Press Release 2001-96, September 19, 2001. https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2001-96.txt
|
||||
[^3]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "SEC Settles Enforcement Proceedings against J.P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup," Press Release 2003-87, July 28, 2003. https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2003-87.htm
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Enforcement Director Stephen M. Cutler to Leave SEC," Press Release 2005-56, April 14, 2005. https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-56.htm
|
||||
[^5]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2006, "Executive officers of the registrant" (Stephen M. Cutler, age 45: "General Counsel since February 2007... partner and co-chair of the Securities Department at the law firm of WilmerHale since October 2005... Director of the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since October 2001"). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000019617/000095012307003015/y30834e10vk.htm ; WilmerHale, "WilmerHale Partner Stephen M. Cutler Named Executive Vice President, General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase," December 12, 2006. https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/news/wilmerhale-partner-stephen-m-cutler-named-executive-vice-president-general-counsel-of-jpmorgan-chase-december-12-2006
|
||||
[^6]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., "Stephen M. Cutler to become General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase," press release, December 12, 2006. https://jpmorganchaseco.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/stephen-m-cutler-become-general-counsel-jpmorgan-chase ; "J.P. Morgan Hires SEC's Former Top Cop," *The Washington Post,* December 12, 2006. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201383.html
|
||||
[^7]: Deposition of James Dimon, May 26, 2023, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), transcript pp. 52-53, 179-180. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rQOuhi8KqiM0/v0
|
||||
[^8]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts, ECF No. 221, paras. 418-419 (quoting Dimon's April 7, 2023 CNN interview). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.221.0.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2015, "Executive officers of the registrant" (Stephen M. Cutler, age 54: "Vice Chairman since January 1, 2016, prior to which he had been General Counsel"; Stacey Friedman: "General Counsel since January 1, 2016"). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000001961716000902/corp10k2015.htm
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Ron Wyden, "Looking the Other Way: How Wall Street Banks Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking," August 4, 2026, pp. 4-5, 16 n.42, 23, 29-31, 60-61 (quoting JPM-SDNYLIT-00036575, JPM-SDNYLIT-00036258 and JPM-SDNYLIT-00157090). https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_wall_street_epstein_report.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts, ECF No. 221 (filed July 24, 2023), paras. 123-124, 149, 157-158, 391-395, 402. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.221.0.pdf
|
||||
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, ECF No. 191, June 7, 2023 (filed June 20, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf
|
||||
[^13]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808625, Court Records (Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904), letter of John J. Butts, WilmerHale, opposing the motion to reopen depositions, ECF No. 187, June 9, 2023 (filed June 15, 2023). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf
|
||||
[^14]: "JPMorgan kept Epstein as client for years after warnings, deposition shows," *The Washington Post,* May 26, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/26/epstein-jpmorgan-client-sex-offender-warnings/
|
||||
[^15]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
|
||||
[^16]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., September 24, 2025, questions 12-13. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_from_senator_wyden_to_jpmorgan_chase_epstein_accounts_09-24-25pdf.pdf
|
||||
[^17]: Letter from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, October 10, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/101025jpmcresponsetowyden.pdf
|
||||
[^18]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, regarding Leon Black, June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_house_oversight_on_leon_black-epstein_060426.pdf
|
||||
60
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Stephen Deckoff.md
Normal file
60
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Stephen Deckoff.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Business & Finance"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- Finance
|
||||
- HedgeFund
|
||||
- VirginIslands
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- Property
|
||||
- EconomicDevelopmentCommission
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Stephen H. Deckoff
|
||||
- Steve Deckoff
|
||||
summary: "Stephen Deckoff is the founder of Black Diamond Capital Management and a U.S. Virgin Islands resident since 2011 who bought Jeffrey Epstein's Little St. James and Great St. James from the estate in 2023."
|
||||
location: "St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Black Diamond Capital Management]]"
|
||||
role: "founder and managing principal"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[SD Investments]]"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Little St. James]]"
|
||||
start: 2023-05
|
||||
role: "through SD Investments"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: owned
|
||||
with: "[[Great St. James]]"
|
||||
start: 2023-05
|
||||
role: "through SD Investments"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Stephen Deckoff is an American investor, founder and managing principal of the credit and distressed-investment firm [[Black Diamond Capital Management]], and a resident of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] since 2011. In May 2023 his firm SD Investments bought [[Little St. James]] and [[Great St. James]], the two islands off [[St. Thomas]] owned by [[Jeffrey Epstein]], from Epstein's estate for 60 million dollars, less than half the 125 million dollar asking price set in March 2022, announcing a 25-room luxury resort to open in 2025. As of February 2026 no resort had been built and the only construction permit he had sought was for a warehouse. Companies affiliated with Black Diamond have held tax benefits from the territory's [[Economic Development Commission]] since 2012, and a 2014 email in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] shows Epstein's accountant [[Richard Kahn]] asking Epstein's pilot to look into the firm; Deckoff's name does not appear in the files, and it is unclear whether the two men had any association.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Black Diamond
|
||||
|
||||
Deckoff founded Black Diamond Capital Management, and in the SD Investments announcement described his career as "crafting and executing plans to turn distressed situations into successful enterprises, across numerous companies and industries." Black Diamond has related companies including Black Diamond Advisors and Black Diamond Holdings, both of which have received Economic Development Commission tax-incentive benefits since 2012, the same program under which Epstein's [[Southern Trust Company]] received its certificate. SD Investments said Deckoff had supported the territory's economic development after the back-to-back hurricanes of 2017 closed several of its resorts.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Epstein's Staff and Black Diamond, 2014
|
||||
|
||||
On May 16, 2014, Kahn asked Epstein's pilot [[Larry Visoski]] to "poke around tonight about Black Diamond Trading," having heard that the company was trying to buy the St. Thomas Jet Center. "They appear to be an nyc hedge fund" with "an office in stt as an EDC company as well," Kahn wrote. "who are principals? type of plane? tail? anything else relevant." Visoski replied, "Here you go Rich ask and ye shall receive," supplied the tail number of the Black Diamond Learjet, said the aircraft would be arriving on St. Thomas soon, and asked, "can you ask if you want me to introduce myself?" Kahn forwarded the information to Epstein with links to Black Diamond Capital Management's website, told him that "Larry has obtained some good info on them," and asked whether Visoski should "meet the aircraft and poke around." Visoski was listed as sole manager of Plan D LLC, the Virgin Islands company that owned Epstein's Gulfstream, until a July 2019 filing named Epstein as its principal.[^2][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Islands
|
||||
|
||||
The Epstein estate listed the two islands in March 2022 at 125 million dollars. Under the estate's November 2022 settlement with the Virgin Islands government, half the proceeds of the Little St. James sale went to the territory, about 11 million dollars, and the estate was required to sell both islands to independent third parties and wind down its business in the territory. SD Investments announced the purchase on May 3, 2023. "I've been proud to call the U.S. Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am tremendously pleased to be able to bring the area a world-class destination befitting its natural grace and beauty," Deckoff said.[^1][^3][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
Deckoff applied in December 2025 for a Coastal Zone Management major permit to replace a metal-framed warehouse on Little St. James with an 8,800 square foot semicircular concrete warehouse over a cistern. The territory's Coastal Zone Management director, Marlon Hibbert, said in February 2026 that the application remained incomplete because no environmental assessment had been submitted. Attempts to reach Deckoff for comment were unsuccessful.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "SD Investments Announces Acquisition of Great St. James and Little St. James Islands in the United States Virgin Islands." *PR Newswire,* May 3, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sd-investments-announces-acquisition-of-great-st-james-and-little-st-james-islands-in-the-united-states-virgin-islands-301815032.html
|
||||
[^2]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Still no resort plans for Epstein's islands purchased by Deckoff." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 6, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/still-no-resort-plans-for-epsteins-islands-purchased-by-deckoff/article_84d776de-8427-4080-a1b5-6cf81418e23d.html (warehouse permit; Hibbert statement; Black Diamond Advisors and Holdings EDC benefits since 2012; May 16, 2014 Kahn and Visoski emails; Deckoff not named in the files).
|
||||
[^3]: "Billionaire Stephen Deckoff buys Jeffrey Epstein's private islands." *CNBC,* May 3, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/jeffrey-epstein-private-islands-bought-by-billionaire.html ; "Financier buys Jeffrey Epstein's private islands, with plans to create a resort." *NPR,* May 4, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/04/1173956903/jeffrey-epstein-island-sold-st-james
|
||||
[^4]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint, paragraphs 33 to 34, filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022), ECF pp. 8 to 9. https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
|
||||
[^5]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate Of Jeffrey Epstein And Co-Defendants For Over $105 Million." *U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/ ; Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html (11 million dollars from the Little St. James sale).
|
||||
|
|
@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ tags:
|
|||
- 2016
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Stephen K. Bannon
|
||||
summary: "Steve Bannon is an American media executive and political strategist who served as executive chairman of Breitbart News, vice president of Cambridge Analytica, chief executive of the 2016 Trump campaign from August 2016, and White House Chief Strategist from January to August 2017, funded throughout by the Mercer family alongside the Thiel-aligned political infrastructure."
|
||||
summary: "Steve Bannon is the Breitbart chairman, Cambridge Analytica vice president and 2016 Trump campaign chief who in August 2018 discussed with Jeffrey Epstein by text how to meet away from surveillance."
|
||||
born: 1953-11-27
|
||||
location: "Norfolk, Virginia (born)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[[Steve Bannon|Steve Bannon]] (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive and political strategist who served as executive chairman of [[Breitbart News|Breitbart News]] from 2012 (after founder [[Andrew Breitbart|Andrew Breitbart]]'s death) through 2016 and again 2017-2018, as vice president and secretary of [[Cambridge Analytica|Cambridge Analytica]] from June 2014 to August 2016, as chief executive of the [[Donald Trump|Trump]] 2016 presidential campaign from August 17, 2016, and as White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the President from January 20 to August 18, 2017. The [[Mercer family|Mercer family]] funded Breitbart, bankrolled Cambridge Analytica, and was instrumental in installing Bannon as Trump campaign CEO.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
|
@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ updated: 2026-06-18
|
|||
|
||||
Bannon took over Breitbart News after Andrew Breitbart's death in 2012. [[Robert Mercer|Robert Mercer]] and his daughter [[Rebekah Mercer|Rebekah Mercer]] were the primary funders of Breitbart during Bannon's tenure, providing the financial base for the outlet's expansion as the media backbone of the [[alt-right|alt-right]] and the emerging Trump coalition. Bannon's Breitbart published the coverage that amplified the [[Gamergate|Gamergate]] campaign's targets and framed the consumer-revolt narrative. The Breitbart-Gamergate pipeline was the channel through which the [[4chan|4chan]] / [[8chan|8chan]] imageboard culture entered mainstream conservative media.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
Mercer's entry was an investment of about 10 million dollars made in June 2011, before Andrew Breitbart's death, in exchange for a stake in the company; Bannon assumed the executive chairmanship of the firm and of the family's broader political vehicles when Breitbart died in March 2012.[^6] The same year, Bannon co-founded the [[Government Accountability Institute|Government Accountability Institute]] with [[Peter Schweizer|Peter Schweizer]], a Tallahassee-based opposition-research nonprofit that the Mercer Family Foundation funded with more than half its 2013-2015 budget; the Institute produced Schweizer's 2015 book *Clinton Cash*, whose findings were placed with the *New York Times* and *Washington Post* and used to drive negative coverage of [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] ahead of the 2016 race.[^6] The 2017 Paradise Papers later showed Mercer routing political money through offshore accounts to build a war chest reported at roughly 60 million dollars for conservative causes including Breitbart and the Institute.[^6]
|
||||
Mercer's entry was an investment of about 10 million dollars made in June 2011, before Andrew Breitbart's death, in exchange for a stake in the company; Bannon assumed the executive chairmanship of the firm and of the family's broader political vehicles when Breitbart died in March 2012.[^5] The same year, Bannon co-founded the [[Government Accountability Institute|Government Accountability Institute]] with [[Peter Schweizer|Peter Schweizer]], a Tallahassee-based opposition-research nonprofit that the Mercer Family Foundation funded with more than half its 2013-2015 budget; the Institute produced Schweizer's 2015 book *Clinton Cash*, whose findings were placed with the *[[New York Times]]* and *[[Washington Post]]* and used to drive negative coverage of [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] ahead of the 2016 race.[^5] The 2017 Paradise Papers later showed Mercer routing political money through offshore accounts to build a war chest reported at roughly 60 million dollars for conservative causes including Breitbart and the Institute.[^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### Cambridge Analytica and the Facebook Data Harvesting
|
||||
|
||||
Bannon served as vice president and secretary of Cambridge Analytica from June 2014 to August 2016. The [[Guardian|Guardian]] reporting (March 2018), based on the whistleblower [[Christopher Wylie|Christopher Wylie]] disclosures, documented that Bannon oversaw the firm's Facebook data-harvesting project that acquired data on up to 87 million Facebook users through the [[Aleksandr Kogan|Aleksandr Kogan]] academic-researcher channel. The data was used for psychographic profiling of voters in the 2016 Trump campaign. Mercer provided approximately 15 million dollars in Cambridge Analytica funding. [[Jane Mayer|Jane Mayer]]'s *[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]* reporting documented Bannon's involvement in Cambridge Analytica's [[Brexit|Brexit]]-related activities before he formally joined the Trump campaign.[^2][^5]
|
||||
Bannon served as vice president and secretary of Cambridge Analytica from June 2014 to August 2016. The [[Guardian|Guardian]] reporting (March 2018), based on the whistleblower [[Christopher Wylie|Christopher Wylie]] disclosures, documented that Bannon oversaw the firm's Facebook data-harvesting project that acquired data on up to 87 million Facebook users through the [[Aleksandr Kogan|Aleksandr Kogan]] academic-researcher channel. The data was used for psychographic profiling of voters in the 2016 Trump campaign. Mercer provided approximately 15 million dollars in Cambridge Analytica funding. [[Jane Mayer|Jane Mayer]]'s *[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]* reporting documented Bannon's involvement in Cambridge Analytica's [[Brexit|Brexit]]-related activities before he formally joined the Trump campaign.[^2][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The firm was created in 2013 as a U.S.-facing spin-off of the British military-contracting firm SCL Group, after its chief executive [[Alexander Nix|Alexander Nix]] met the Mercers aboard the family's yacht with Bannon present; Mercer agreed to the roughly 15 million dollar stake, Bannon was given the company name (a nod to the Cambridge academics Nix was recruiting) and a board seat as vice president.[^7] Testifying to the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] on May 16, 2018, Wylie said Bannon had engaged SCL, "a foreign military contractor," to build "an arsenal of informational weapons" he could deploy on the American population because he "saw cultural warfare as the means to create enduring change in American politics," and that the firm tested 2014 slogans later used in the Trump campaign and discussed voter-suppression messaging aimed at Black voters.[^7] The harvested data originated in a personality-quiz app built by Kogan, whose firm Global Science Research passed the resulting profiles to Cambridge Analytica in breach of Facebook's platform terms, the disclosure that drove Facebook's stock down and produced a 5 billion dollar U.S. Federal Trade Commission settlement in 2019.[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -36,7 +36,17 @@ The firm was created in 2013 as a U.S.-facing spin-off of the British military-c
|
|||
|
||||
Bannon joined the Trump campaign as chief executive on August 17, 2016, replacing [[Paul Manafort|Paul Manafort]] at the top of the organizational chart, alongside [[Kellyanne Conway|Kellyanne Conway]] as campaign manager. Rebekah Mercer was reportedly instrumental in installing Bannon. After the election, Bannon received the newly created role of White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor, and a seat on the [[National Security Council|National Security Council]]'s Principals Committee (later removed). Trump fired Bannon on August 18, 2017, after the [[Charlottesville|Charlottesville]] "Unite the Right" violence and the documented tensions within the [[White House]] staff.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
The Mercers had moved their support from [[Ted Cruz|Ted Cruz]] to Trump after the primaries, repurposing their pro-Cruz super PAC Keep the Promise I (seeded with an 11 million dollar Robert Mercer contribution) into the anti-Clinton vehicle Make America Number 1, informally "Defeat Crooked Hillary," run by Rebekah Mercer, so that Bannon's August 2016 elevation brought the campaign both his Breitbart apparatus and the Mercer money in one move, a transition Joshua Green's *Devil's Bargain* (Penguin Press, 2017) reconstructed from interviews as the culmination of Bannon's years-long project to destroy Clinton.[^8] In the White House, Bannon was placed on the NSC Principals Committee by the January 28, 2017 reorganization in part, per a White House official, to monitor first national security adviser [[Michael Flynn|Michael Flynn]]; after Flynn's resignation and the arrival of [[H.R. McMaster|H.R. McMaster]], McMaster's restructuring removed Bannon from the committee on April 5, 2017 and restored the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as regular attendees.[^9] Bannon's August 18, 2017 firing came two days after an August 16 interview with Robert Kuttner of *The American Prospect*, which Bannon's associates said he had not understood to be on the record, in which he declared "there's no military solution" to North Korea and disparaged White House and State Department colleagues, compounding the post-Charlottesville friction.[^3]
|
||||
The Mercers had moved their support from [[Ted Cruz|Ted Cruz]] to Trump after the primaries, repurposing their pro-Cruz super PAC Keep the Promise I (seeded with an 11 million dollar Robert Mercer contribution) into the anti-Clinton vehicle Make America Number 1, informally "Defeat Crooked Hillary," run by Rebekah Mercer, so that Bannon's August 2016 elevation brought the campaign both his Breitbart apparatus and the Mercer money in one move, a transition Joshua Green's *Devil's Bargain* (Penguin Press, 2017) reconstructed from interviews as the culmination of Bannon's years-long project to destroy Clinton.[^8] In the White House, Bannon was placed on the NSC Principals Committee by the January 28, 2017 reorganization in part, per a White House official, to monitor first national security adviser [[Michael Flynn|Michael Flynn]]; after Flynn's resignation and the arrival of [[H.R. McMaster|H.R. McMaster]], McMaster's restructuring removed Bannon from the committee on April 5, 2017 and restored the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as regular attendees.[^9] Bannon's August 18, 2017 firing came two days after an August 16 interview with Robert Kuttner of *The American Prospect*, which Bannon's associates said he had not understood to be on the record, in which he declared "there's no military solution" to [[North Korea]] and disparaged White House and [[State Department]] colleagues, compounding the post-Charlottesville friction.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Jeffrey Epstein
|
||||
|
||||
On August 23, 2018, a year after leaving the White House, Bannon exchanged iMessages with [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. Epstein wrote: "Btw Im in New York tonite thru sat , if you want to visit under the cover of darkness or breakfast tomorrow if you like." Bannon replied by asking whether Epstein had "access that's not the front door," because "they have 24/7 surveillance on u." Epstein wrote that the watchers were "separate from the process server that left yesterday or the early morning doorman next door. Any idea of who?" Bannon answered: "Don't know but real folks costing lot of coin." Epstein proposed meeting at 301 East 66th Street ("I don't like he regency as it is totally wired"; "There is also a rear entrance on 67 , if you prefer"; "Super secure"), and gave the apartment number.[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
That afternoon Epstein sent Bannon a passage in which [[Errol Morris]] called his documentary about Bannon, *[[American Dharma]]*, "a kind of horror movie," adding "Luv it"; Bannon replied "Luv luv luv it." In the evening Bannon wrote that he was "Here with [[The Wall Street Journal|WSJ]] guys screening film," his *Trump@War*, and offered Epstein a link. Epstein wrote, "Your girlfriend Ruemmler is coming over," a reference to the former [[White House Counsel]] [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], and "I wont share it unless you think ok"; Bannon answered, "Let her watch." Epstein then proposed: "Also think about a private screening of dharma for the power players," "New York and or Europe. Non of my fingerprints." Bannon offered instead: "come as my guest when it opens the New York Film Festival @ Alice Tulley Hall on 29 Sept."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
At 9:00 pm Epstein wrote, "Pecker immunity one more drop," a reference to [[David Pecker]] of [[American Media]], who had received immunity in the [[Michael Cohen]] campaign-finance case. Bannon replied, "Huge event huge," and after Epstein's "Kids" and "Next," wrote, "More women payoffs coming." Epstein told him, "You are dark not evil. So I think even you will be surprised." At 10:04 pm Epstein wrote: "your girlfriend is outraged. . I suggested to her he pardon everyone, say this is not good for the country, and then fake the heart attack," and then: "she said it is a failure to disclose charge. and his changing stories lead to knowledge of wrongdoing. only transmitting." Bannon replied, "Lmao."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein sat for a videotaped interview with Bannon. A November 1, 2021 defense expert disclosure in [[United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell]] stated that "In a videotaped interview with Steve Bannon, Epstein differentiated between different kinds of power," among them "[[Bill Clinton]]'s political power, wrestlers' and weight lifters' physical power, and Gerry Edelman's intellectual power," and "acknowledged that he gravitated to people of power."[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -44,8 +54,10 @@ The Mercers had moved their support from [[Ted Cruz|Ted Cruz]] to Trump after th
|
|||
[^2]: "Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach." *The Guardian,* March 17, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election
|
||||
[^3]: For the 2016 campaign CEO role and the White House Chief Strategist tenure, see the contemporaneous press coverage.
|
||||
[^4]: For the Breitbart-Gamergate pipeline, see the Gamergate page.
|
||||
[^5]: Mayer, Jane. "New Evidence Emerges of Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytica's Role in Brexit." *The New Yorker.*
|
||||
[^6]: "The Mercers and Stephen Bannon: How a populist power base was funded and built." *Washington Post.* https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/mercer-bannon/ . For the June 2011 10 million dollar Breitbart investment, the Government Accountability Institute funding, and the *Clinton Cash* placement, see also "Steve Bannon used Robert Mercer's offshore millions to accuse Clinton of corruption." *ThinkProgress,* November 8, 2017.
|
||||
[^5]: "The Mercers and Stephen Bannon: How a populist power base was funded and built." *Washington Post.* https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/mercer-bannon/ . For the June 2011 10 million dollar Breitbart investment, the Government Accountability Institute funding, and the *Clinton Cash* placement, see also "Steve Bannon used Robert Mercer's offshore millions to accuse Clinton of corruption." *ThinkProgress,* November 8, 2017.
|
||||
[^6]: Mayer, Jane. "New Evidence Emerges of Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytica's Role in Brexit." *The New Yorker.*
|
||||
[^7]: "Christopher Wylie: Bannon wanted 'weapons' to fight a 'culture war' at Cambridge Analytica," testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, May 16, 2018. *CBS News.* https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/senate-cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-live-stream-updates-today-2018-05-16 ; and "How Steve Bannon used Cambridge Analytica to further his alt-right vision for America." *CNN,* March 30, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/30/politics/bannon-cambridge-analytica
|
||||
[^8]: Green, Joshua. *Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency.* Penguin Press, 2017. For the Make America Number 1 / Keep the Promise I super PAC and the Mercer contribution, see "Make America Number 1." *Ballotpedia.* https://ballotpedia.org/Make_America_Number_1
|
||||
[^9]: "Stephen Bannon removed from National Security Council." *Washington Post,* April 5, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/04/05/steven-bannon-no-longer-a-member-of-national-security-council/ ; Kuttner, Robert. "Steve Bannon, Unrepentant." *The American Prospect,* August 16, 2017. https://prospect.org/2017/08/16/steve-bannon-unrepentant/
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01615267, DataSet 10, iMessage log between Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon, August 23, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615267.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00016268, DataSet 8, letter from Haddon, Morgan and Foreman (counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell) to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, expert disclosure in United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (AJN), November 1, 2021. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%208/EFTA00016268.pdf
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
86
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Todd Blanche.md
Normal file
86
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Todd Blanche.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- ToddBlanche
|
||||
- AttorneyGeneral
|
||||
- DeputyAttorneyGeneral
|
||||
- DepartmentOfJustice
|
||||
- EpsteinFiles
|
||||
- GhislaineMaxwell
|
||||
- DonaldTrump
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
|
||||
summary: "Former Southern District of New York prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump who, as Deputy Attorney General, interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell and ran the Epstein files release before becoming Attorney General in 2026."
|
||||
location: "New York, New York"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft]]"
|
||||
start: 2017
|
||||
end: 2023
|
||||
role: "partner"
|
||||
fn: 2
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
|
||||
start: 2023-04
|
||||
end: 2024
|
||||
role: "criminal defense counsel in the Manhattan, federal election and classified documents cases"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2025-03-06
|
||||
end: 2026-04-02
|
||||
role: "Deputy Attorney General"
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Department of Justice]]"
|
||||
start: 2026-04-02
|
||||
role: "acting Attorney General, confirmed August 8, 2026"
|
||||
fn: 14
|
||||
- type: investigated
|
||||
with: "[[Ghislaine Maxwell]]"
|
||||
start: 2025-07-24
|
||||
end: 2025-07-25
|
||||
role: "proffer interview under limited immunity"
|
||||
fn: 5
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Todd Blanche is an American lawyer who served as a federal prosecutor in the [[Southern District of New York]], represented [[Donald Trump]] in three of the criminal cases brought against him in 2023 and 2024, and became Deputy Attorney General in March 2025, acting [[Attorney General]] on April 2, 2026, and the 88th Attorney General on August 10, 2026.[^1] As the department's second official he personally interviewed [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] in July 2025 and directed the publication of the [[Epstein Files]].
|
||||
|
||||
### Prosecutor and Defense Lawyer
|
||||
|
||||
Blanche spent nearly fifteen years at the [[Department of Justice]], first as a contractor and as a paralegal in the Criminal Division and the United States Attorney's office in Manhattan, then as an Assistant United States Attorney and supervisor there.[^1] In 2017 he became a partner at [[Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft]], where he represented Trump's former campaign chairman [[Paul Manafort]], the [[Rudy Giuliani]] associate [[Igor Fruman]] and the Trump adviser [[Boris Epshteyn]]. He won dismissal of the mortgage fraud indictment brought against Manafort by the [[Manhattan District Attorney]]'s office, the office that later prosecuted Trump, on double jeopardy grounds. In April 2023 he left the firm, writing to colleagues: "I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up." He represented Trump in the Manhattan hush money trial, in which Trump was convicted, and in the federal election and classified documents prosecutions brought by [[Jack Smith]].[^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Trump named him for Deputy Attorney General after the 2024 election. The Senate confirmed him on March 5, 2025, by 52 to 46; the nomination listed him as "of Florida."[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Maxwell Interview
|
||||
|
||||
On July 24 and 25, 2025, two weeks after the department's unsigned memorandum declaring that no "client list" existed and a week after [[The Wall Street Journal]] reported a birthday letter bearing Trump's signature in the album Maxwell compiled for Epstein, Blanche met Maxwell at the federal correctional institution in [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] to question her about Epstein's associates, under a grant of limited immunity.[^4][^5] Senators [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] and [[Dick Durbin]] wrote to him that it "is highly unusual, if not unprecedented" for the Deputy Attorney General rather than a line prosecutor to conduct such an interview.[^5] About a week later, on August 1, the [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] moved Maxwell to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]] in Texas. Whitehouse wrote to the bureau's director, [[William K. Marshall III]], that bureau policy requires sex offenders to be held "at a minimum, at low-security facilities," that "Ms. Maxwell was transferred without explanation and in possible violation of standard Bureau policy," and that the statutory placement factors "do not include whether the person can provide the President with political favors."[^5] The department released a 337-page transcript of the interview on August 22, 2025; in it Maxwell spoke of Trump and other men associated with Epstein largely in exculpatory terms.[^6] When the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]] deposed her in February 2026, she invoked the Fifth Amendment to every question, and her lawyer said she would testify if Trump granted her clemency.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Files
|
||||
|
||||
Blanche's office issued the department's announcement of January 30, 2026, that it had published "over 3 million additional pages," bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million, and he signed, with Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]], the accompanying letter to Congress stating that about 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted on grounds of privilege.[^8] After Representative [[Thomas Massie]] reported on February 9, 2026, that an [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] document naming co-conspirators had a "well known retired CEO" redacted, Blanche identified the man as [[Leslie Wexner]] and wrote: "We have just unredacted Les Wexner's name from this document, but his name already appears in the files thousands of times. DOJ is hiding nothing." He told Massie to "stop grandstanding."[^9][^10] Wexner's representative said a prosecutor had told his lawyers in 2019 that he was "neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect."[^11] On February 14 Blanche signed the report to the Judiciary Committees listing about 300 officials and "politically exposed persons" named in the files.[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
### Attorney General
|
||||
|
||||
Trump named Blanche acting Attorney General when he removed Bondi on April 2, 2026. Blanche said on Fox News that he had never heard Trump say the decision had anything to do with the Epstein files.[^13] The Senate confirmed him in an overnight vote on August 8, 2026, by 50 to 49, after cloture was invoked by the same margin. All Democrats and the Republicans [[Susan Collins]] and [[Lisa Murkowski]] voted against him; [[Mitch McConnell]] was absent, and [[Bill Cassidy]]'s support secured the majority. The two cited concerns ranging from the Epstein files to a proposed "anti-weaponization" fund; Collins said that "the Department of Justice has become increasingly political"; Murkowski said she was not convinced he would "check the worst impulses of this administration."[^14] He was sworn in on August 10, 2026.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, "Attorney General Todd Blanche," staff profile, updated August 14, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general
|
||||
[^2]: "A look at Todd Blanche, the ex-Trump lawyer who's the president's pick for acting attorney general," Associated Press, April 2026. https://wgntv.com/politics-3/ap-politics/ap-a-look-at-todd-blanche-the-ex-trump-lawyer-whos-the-presidents-pick-for-acting-attorney-general/ ; "What to know about Todd Blanche, Trump's pick for acting attorney general," PBS News, April 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-to-know-about-todd-blanche-trumps-pick-for-acting-attorney-general
|
||||
[^3]: U.S. Senate, Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, Vote No. 105, on the nomination of Todd Blanche, of Florida, to be Deputy Attorney General (PN12-5), March 5, 2025. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00105.htm
|
||||
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, unsigned memorandum, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline ; Senator Richard J. Durbin, letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, July 18, 2025 (citing The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025). https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/2025-07-18-rjd-letter-to-ag-bondi-re-epstein?download=1
|
||||
[^5]: Office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, "Whitehouse Demands Documents on Transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to Minimum-Security Bureau of Prisons Facility," August 11, 2025, reproducing Whitehouse's letter to Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III of August 7, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-demands-documents-on-transfer-of-ghislaine-maxwell-to-minimum-security-bureau-of-prisons-facility ; letter PDF: https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-07-Letter-to-BOP-Maxwell-Transfer.pdf
|
||||
[^6]: "Justice Department releases transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell's interview," CNN, August 22, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-doj-documents-08-22-25 ; "Ghislaine Maxwell moved to federal prison camp in Texas," CNN, August 1, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/politics/ghislaine-maxwell-federal-prison-texas
|
||||
[^7]: "Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth, with lawyer saying she'll testify in Epstein probe if Trump grants her clemency," CBS News, February 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-house-oversight-committee-deposition-fifth-amendment/
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release No. 26-84 (component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General), January 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-publishes-35-million-responsive-pages-compliance-epstein-files ; Pamela J. Bondi and Todd Blanche, letter to Congress, January 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: Todd Blanche, post on X, February 2026. https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2021043176350355731
|
||||
[^10]: "Thomas Massie and Todd Blanche trade barbs over redactions in Epstein files," Washington Examiner, February 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4452272/thomas-massie-todd-blanche-redactions-epstein-files-les-wexner/
|
||||
[^11]: Dareh Gregorian, "Justice Department releases names of 3 people the FBI once called Jeffrey Epstein 'co-conspirators,'" NBC News, February 10, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-names-3-people-fbi-once-called-jeffrey-epstein-co-conspirators-rcna258335
|
||||
[^12]: "No more Epstein files will be released, DOJ tells Congress," UPI, February 15, 2026. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/02/15/epstein-files-released-list-names-bondi-blanche/4881771190174/
|
||||
[^13]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general, installs Todd Blanche as acting AG," CBS News, April 2, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pam-bondi-attorney-general/
|
||||
[^14]: U.S. Senate, Roll Call Votes 119th Congress, 2nd Session, Nos. 229 (cloture) and 230 (confirmation), Todd Blanche to be Attorney General (PN1078), August 8, 2026. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00230.htm ; "Senate votes to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general," NPR, August 8, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/08/08/g-s1-137631/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-attorney-general
|
||||
|
|
@ -11,29 +11,60 @@ tags:
|
|||
alias:
|
||||
- Virginia Roberts
|
||||
- Virginia Roberts Giuffre
|
||||
summary: "Virginia Giuffre is a sex-trafficking survivor and advocate who said Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her at Mar-a-Lago around 2000 when she was a teenager and that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to others including Prince Andrew, who litigated against Maxwell and Andrew, and who died by suicide in Western Australia on April 25, 2025."
|
||||
summary: "Sex-trafficking survivor recruited at Mar-a-Lago around 2000, whose 2009 Epstein settlement was tied to the federal non-prosecution agreement and who litigated against Maxwell and Prince Andrew before her 2025 death in Western Australia."
|
||||
born: 1983-08-09
|
||||
died: 2025-04-25
|
||||
location: "Neergabby, Western Australia (died)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-20
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[Jane Doe No. 102 v. Epstein]]"
|
||||
role: "plaintiff"
|
||||
start: 2009-05-04
|
||||
end: 2009-11
|
||||
fn: 6
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Podhurst Orseck]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2009
|
||||
end: 2009
|
||||
fn: 6
|
||||
- type: represented
|
||||
with: "[[Boies Schiller Flexner]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
start: 2015
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
- type: participant_in
|
||||
with: "[[Giuffre v. Prince Andrew]]"
|
||||
role: "plaintiff"
|
||||
start: 2021-08-09
|
||||
end: 2022-03-08
|
||||
fn: 11
|
||||
- type: spouse_of
|
||||
with: "[[Robert Giuffre]]"
|
||||
role: "wife"
|
||||
fn: 18
|
||||
- type: founded
|
||||
with: "[[Speak Out, Act, Reclaim]]"
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Virginia Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts on August 9, 1983, was an American-born sex-trafficking survivor and advocate who became one of the most prominent accusers of [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein]] and [[Ghislaine Maxwell|Ghislaine Maxwell]]. She said that Maxwell recruited her around 2000, when she was a teenager working at [[Mar-a-Lago|Mar-a-Lago]], and that Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Epstein and to others, an account she set out in court filings, interviews, and a posthumous memoir. She later settled with Epstein, sued Maxwell for defamation, and sued [[Prince Andrew|Prince Andrew]]. She died by suicide at her property in [[Western Australia|Western Australia]] on April 25, 2025, at age 41. Her allegations are documented as her testimony; the individuals she named have denied wrongdoing where they responded.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
### Early Life
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre was born Virginia Roberts on August 9, 1983, in Sacramento, California, to Sky and Lynn Roberts, and the family moved to Palm Beach County, Florida, when she was young, where her father later worked in a maintenance role at Mar-a-Lago. She described in interviews and in her memoir a childhood marked by sexual abuse beginning around age seven, repeated running away, periods living with relatives in California and in foster care, and time at a facility for troubled youth. She said that in the late 1990s, as a young teenager, she had been drawn into an earlier trafficking situation before returning to her family.[^1][^8]
|
||||
Giuffre was born Virginia Roberts on August 9, 1983, in Sacramento, California, to Sky and Lynn Roberts, and the family moved to Palm Beach County, Florida, when she was young, where her father later worked in a maintenance role at Mar-a-Lago. She described in interviews and in her memoir a childhood marked by sexual abuse beginning around age seven, repeated running away, periods living with relatives in California and in foster care, and time at a facility for troubled youth. She said that in the late 1990s, as a young teenager, she had been drawn into an earlier trafficking situation before returning to her family.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
In the summer of 2000 Giuffre took a job as a locker-room attendant at the Mar-a-Lago spa, an arrangement she said was facilitated through her father's employment there. She was 16 or 17 at the time of her recruitment, and accounts vary on the precise age and date; her filings generally placed her recruitment around 2000.[^1][^8]
|
||||
In the summer of 2000 Giuffre took a job as a locker-room attendant at the Mar-a-Lago spa, an arrangement she said was facilitated through her father's employment there. She was 16 or 17 at the time of her recruitment, and accounts vary on the precise age and date; her filings generally placed her recruitment around 2000.[^1][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Recruitment and Trafficking Allegations
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre said that Ghislaine Maxwell approached her while she was working at the Mar-a-Lago spa, reading a book on massage therapy, and recruited her ostensibly to train as a masseuse for Epstein, taking her that evening to Epstein's nearby Palm Beach house. She said she was then drawn into sexual abuse by Epstein and trafficked to other men over a period of years, traveling among Epstein's residences in New York, Palm Beach, [[New Mexico|New Mexico]], and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and abroad. She described Maxwell as central to Epstein's operation and said she was presented to Epstein's associates as available for sexual purposes.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
Among the men Giuffre said Epstein directed her to was Prince Andrew, whom she said she was made to have sex with on three occasions beginning in London in March 2001 when she was 17, around the time she was photographed with him at Maxwell's Belgravia home. Andrew has denied the allegations and settled her civil suit without admitting liability. Giuffre also named other men in her filings and interviews, including the financier [[Jean-Luc Brunel|Jean-Luc Brunel]] and the attorney [[Alan Dershowitz|Alan Dershowitz]]; those named denied her accounts. Her allegations against individuals other than Epstein and Maxwell were not adjudicated as criminal findings.[^2][^1]
|
||||
Among the men Giuffre said Epstein directed her to was Prince Andrew, whom she said she was made to have sex with on three occasions beginning in London in March 2001 when she was 17, around the time she was photographed with him at Maxwell's Belgravia home. Andrew has denied the allegations and settled her civil suit without admitting liability. Giuffre also named other men in her filings and interviews, including the financier [[Jean-Luc Brunel|Jean-Luc Brunel]] and the attorney [[Alan Dershowitz|Alan Dershowitz]]; those named denied her accounts. Her allegations against individuals other than Epstein and Maxwell were not adjudicated as criminal findings.[^1][^2]
|
||||
|
||||
The body of allegations rests on Giuffre's sworn testimony, depositions, and statements rather than on criminal convictions of the men she named. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on federal sex-trafficking charges arising from the broader Epstein scheme, though that prosecution did not turn on Giuffre as a charged victim. Epstein was indicted federally in July 2019 and died in custody the following month before trial, his death ruled a suicide.[^2][^3]
|
||||
The body of allegations rests on Giuffre's sworn testimony, depositions, and statements rather than on criminal convictions of the men she named. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on federal sex-trafficking charges arising from the broader Epstein scheme, though that prosecution did not turn on Giuffre as a charged victim. Epstein was indicted federally in July 2019 and died in custody the following month before trial, his death ruled a suicide.[^2][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Australia and Advocacy
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -41,39 +72,68 @@ Giuffre said she left Epstein's circle around 2002 after he sent her abroad, inc
|
|||
|
||||
She became a public advocate for survivors of trafficking and sexual abuse, founding a nonprofit she initially called Victims Refuse Silence, later reorganized under the name Speak Out, Act, Reclaim, abbreviated SOAR. Her name and account featured in much of the reporting that drove renewed scrutiny of Epstein from the mid-2010s onward, including the work that culminated in his 2019 federal arrest.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
Through her advocacy and litigation Giuffre pressed for the public release of records in the Epstein matter and lent her name to campaigns supporting trafficking survivors. She cooperated with journalists and investigators over more than a decade, sitting for depositions and providing the photograph and other materials that entered the court record, and her sworn statements became part of the documentary record in multiple cases.[^1][^3]
|
||||
Through her advocacy and litigation Giuffre pressed for the public release of records in the Epstein matter and lent her name to campaigns supporting trafficking survivors. She cooperated with journalists and investigators over more than a decade, sitting for depositions and providing the photograph and other materials that entered the court record, and her sworn statements became part of the documentary record in multiple cases.[^1][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Litigation
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre, then using the name Virginia Roberts, sued Epstein in 2009 in Florida, alleging abuse; that matter was resolved by a confidential settlement reported at 500,000 dollars and dismissed late that year. The settlement, unsealed on January 3, 2022, released Epstein and a category of unnamed "second parties" and "potential defendants," and its release language later became a contested issue in the suit against Prince Andrew, where Judge [[Lewis Kaplan|Lewis Kaplan]] held in January 2022 that the language was too ambiguous to clearly bar the claim against Andrew.[^4][^5]
|
||||
Giuffre, then using the name Virginia Roberts, sued Epstein in 2009 in Florida as Jane Doe No. 102, alleging abuse; that matter was resolved by a confidential settlement of 500,000 dollars, which she signed in November 2009. The settlement, unsealed on January 3, 2022, released Epstein and his agents, attorneys, and employees (the "Second Parties") together with "any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant," and its release language later became a contested issue in the suit against Prince Andrew, where Judge [[Lewis Kaplan|Lewis Kaplan]] held in January 2022 that the language was too ambiguous to clearly bar the claim against Andrew.[^5][^6][^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In September 2015 Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] after Maxwell, through a representative, publicly called her allegations lies. The case, [[Giuffre v. Maxwell|Giuffre v. Maxwell]], No. 15-cv-07433, produced a large body of depositions and exhibits, including testimony from [[Johanna Sjoberg|Johanna Sjoberg]] and others, and it settled in 2017 on undisclosed terms. Tranches of documents from that case were unsealed beginning in 2019, with a major release of formerly sealed exhibits in January 2024; reporting on the January 2024 unsealing noted it largely concerned already-known figures and contained no new criminal accusation against previously unnamed people.[^3]
|
||||
### The 2009 Settlement
|
||||
|
||||
On August 9, 2021, Giuffre sued Prince Andrew in the same court under New York's Child Victims Act, alleging he sexually abused her on three occasions when she was 17. After Kaplan denied Andrew's motion to dismiss in January 2022, the suit settled in February 2022, the joint filing stating that Andrew would make "a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights" and acknowledging her as "an established victim of abuse," with no admission of liability and the sum undisclosed.[^5]
|
||||
The Florida suit, Jane Doe No. 102 v. Jeffrey Epstein, No. 09-80656-CIV-Marra/Johnson, was filed in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida|Southern District of Florida]] on May 4, 2009 and assigned to Judge [[Kenneth Marra|Kenneth A. Marra]], who also presided over the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] petition in [[Doe v. United States]] and over the 2010 obstruction prosecution of Epstein's former house manager [[Alfredo Rodriguez]]. Giuffre was represented by Robert C. Josefsberg and Katherine W. Ezell of [[Podhurst Orseck]] in Miami; Epstein by Robert D. Critton Jr. of Burman, Critton, Luttier & Coleman and [[Jack Goldberger|Jack Alan Goldberger]] of Atterbury, Goldberger & Weiss, both of West Palm Beach.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
In the Settlement Agreement and General Release, Epstein paid 500,000 dollars to "Virginia Roberts." Roberts released the Second Parties "and any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant ('Other Potential Defendants')" from all claims "from the beginning of the world to the day of this release." The parties stipulated that the agreement "is pursuant to and is in fulfillment of Jeffrey Epstein's obligations to Virginia Roberts" under "the Non-Prosecution Agreement, its Addendum, and its Affirmation," tying the civil payment to the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|federal non-prosecution agreement]] of 2007 with the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida]]. Epstein agreed "to continue to abide by Judge Marra's July 31, 2009 No Contact Order." The amount was to be "kept strictly confidential," with exceptions for immediate family, whose identities were given on an "Eyes Only" basis to a Special Master, Sidney Stubbs, for legal and tax purposes, and for "a validly issued subpoena from a governmental or regulatory agency," on five days' notice to the other side. Epstein's side agreed not to release Roberts' "identity, name, or physical depiction" without her written waiver.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The agreement entered the public record as Exhibit A to a request for judicial notice filed by Prince Andrew's lawyers in October 2021 in support of his motion to dismiss her suit against him.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
In September 2015 Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] after Maxwell, through a representative, publicly called her allegations lies. The case, [[Giuffre v. Maxwell|Giuffre v. Maxwell]], No. 15-cv-07433, produced a large body of depositions and exhibits, including testimony from [[Johanna Sjoberg|Johanna Sjoberg]] and others, and it settled in 2017 on undisclosed terms. Tranches of documents from that case were unsealed beginning in 2019, with a major release of formerly sealed exhibits in January 2024; reporting on the January 2024 unsealing noted it largely concerned already-known figures and contained no new criminal accusation against previously unnamed people.[^4]
|
||||
|
||||
The defamation case was filed on September 21, 2015 before Judge [[Robert W. Sweet]]. Giuffre was represented by [[Sigrid McCawley|Sigrid S. McCawley]] and other lawyers of [[Boies Schiller Flexner]], Maxwell by [[Laura Menninger|Laura A. Menninger]] and Jeffrey S. Pagliuca of [[Haddon, Morgan and Foreman]]. The parties settled on May 24, 2017, but the sealed record produced under Sweet's March 2016 protective order kept the docket open for a further nine years. The [[Miami Herald]] and its reporter [[Julie K. Brown]] intervened in April 2018, and in Brown v. Maxwell (July 3, 2019) the [[Second Circuit]] ordered the summary judgment record unsealed. On July 23, 2025, three months after Giuffre's death, the Second Circuit, on appeals brought by her and by the Herald, vacated the district court's December 2019 and January 2020 unsealing orders "in their entirety" and remanded for "individualized review" of the remaining sealed material. On August 11, 2026, Judge [[Loretta Preska]] modified the protective order to let the government disclose, under the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]], documents it had obtained from Boies Schiller Flexner in 2019 through a grand jury subpoena. On September 3, 2026 the case was recaptioned with Ian Torrington Blatchford, interim administrator of her estate, as plaintiff.[^8][^9][^10]
|
||||
|
||||
On August 9, 2021, Giuffre sued Prince Andrew in the same court under New York's Child Victims Act, alleging he sexually abused her on three occasions when she was 17. After Kaplan denied Andrew's motion to dismiss in January 2022, the suit settled in February 2022, the joint filing stating that Andrew would make "a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights" and acknowledging her as "an established victim of abuse," with no admission of liability and the sum undisclosed.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
In [[Giuffre v. Prince Andrew]], No. 1:21-cv-06702, Kaplan denied Andrew's December 2021 request to depose Giuffre and take "limited jurisdictional discovery" before the motion to dismiss was decided (ECF No. 61, December 31, 2021), and admitted the 2009 settlement for purposes of the motion while declining judicial notice of Andrew's other proposed exhibits (ECF No. 57, December 16, 2021). His opinion denying dismissal, signed January 11, 2022 and filed the next day (ECF No. 64), stated that "nothing in this opinion or previously in these proceedings properly may be construed as indicating a view with respect to the truth of the charges or countercharges or as to the intention of the parties in entering into the 2009 Agreement." The settlement agreement with Andrew is dated February 12, 2022, three days before the parties' public notice, and the case was dismissed by stipulation on March 8, 2022 (ECF No. 83).[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
### Dershowitz Allegations
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre alleged in a 2014 court filing and subsequently that Epstein had trafficked her to the attorney Alan Dershowitz, who had been part of Epstein's legal defense team in Florida. Dershowitz denied the allegations from the outset, calling them fabricated and describing Giuffre at points as a liar, and the two sides litigated competing defamation claims. Giuffre sued Dershowitz for defamation in April 2019; Dershowitz countersued in November 2019.[^9]
|
||||
Giuffre alleged in a 2014 court filing and subsequently that Epstein had trafficked her to the attorney Alan Dershowitz, who had been part of Epstein's legal defense team in Florida. Dershowitz denied the allegations from the outset, calling them fabricated and describing Giuffre at points as a liar, and the two sides litigated competing defamation claims. Giuffre sued Dershowitz for defamation in April 2019; Dershowitz countersued in November 2019.[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
In November 2022 the parties, together with the attorney [[David Boies|David Boies]], reached a global settlement resolving the litigation. In her settlement statement Giuffre wrote: "I have long believed that I was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Alan Dershowitz. However, I was very young at the time, it was a very stressful and traumatic environment, and Mr. Dershowitz has from the beginning consistently denied these allegations." She added that she "may have made a mistake" in identifying him. The agreement resolved all pending litigation without any payment from Dershowitz to Giuffre, and Dershowitz characterized the outcome as a vindication of his denials.[^9][^10]
|
||||
In November 2022 the parties, together with the attorney [[David Boies|David Boies]], reached a global settlement resolving the litigation. In her settlement statement Giuffre wrote: "I have long believed that I was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Alan Dershowitz. However, I was very young at the time, it was a very stressful and traumatic environment, and Mr. Dershowitz has from the beginning consistently denied these allegations." She added that she "may have made a mistake" in identifying him. The agreement resolved all pending litigation without any payment from Dershowitz to Giuffre, and Dershowitz characterized the outcome as a vindication of his denials.[^12][^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### Death and Memoir
|
||||
|
||||
In late March 2025 Giuffre posted that she had been hospitalized in Western Australia after the vehicle she was in was struck by a school bus, writing in one social-media post that she had gone into renal failure and had been given "four days to live." Western Australia Police said no injuries were reported at the scene, and the bus driver and other parties disputed the severity she described; a source said she was not in a life-threatening condition. She left the hospital roughly a week later. Reporting on these contradictions circulated in early April 2025.[^6]
|
||||
In late March 2025 Giuffre posted that she had been hospitalized in Western Australia after the vehicle she was in was struck by a school bus, writing in one social-media post that she had gone into renal failure and had been given "four days to live." Western Australia Police said no injuries were reported at the scene, and the bus driver and other parties disputed the severity she described; a source said she was not in a life-threatening condition. She left the hospital roughly a week later. Reporting on these contradictions circulated in early April 2025.[^14]
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her property in Neergabby, Western Australia, at age 41. Her family said in a statement that she "lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking" and that "the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia." Western Australia Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious. Her death came roughly a month after the bus incident and about six months before the scheduled publication of her memoir.[^2][^14]
|
||||
|
||||
Her memoir [[Nobody's Girl|Nobody's Girl]], co-written with the author [[Amy Wallace|Amy Wallace]], was published posthumously by Alfred A. Knopf on October 21, 2025, following her stated wish that it appear regardless of her circumstances. The book recounts her account of recruitment at Mar-a-Lago, the years of trafficking, and the litigation that followed, and it repeats her allegations against Epstein, Maxwell, Andrew, and others. Its publication coincided with the renewed pressure on Andrew that preceded the removal of his titles, and it reached the top of bestseller lists in the weeks after release.[^15] The book reproduces the March 2001 photograph of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre and Maxwell behind them, and identifies Epstein as the person who took it.[^16] On May 11, 2026 it was named Overall Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.[^17]
|
||||
|
||||
### Estate
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre died without a valid will. In June 2025 two of her sons applied to the Supreme Court of Western Australia to be appointed administrators of the estate, which includes property in Western Australia, what remained of the settlement with Andrew (reported at 12 million pounds), and revenue from her memoir. Their application was opposed by her former carer, Cheryl Myers, and her former Perth lawyer, Karrie Louden, who sought appointment themselves; her estranged husband Robert Giuffre had agreed to the sons' writ, and the court registrar noted that he should be joined as a party.[^18]
|
||||
|
||||
In late November 2025 the court appointed a Western Australian lawyer, Ian Torrington Blatchford, as interim administrator, at 400 Australian dollars an hour. The court's orders listed existing legal proceedings the administrator would conduct, among them the 2015 case against Maxwell and "an arbitration" involving Alan Dershowitz, three years after the 2022 settlement of their litigation. They also included a defamation suit for 10 million dollars filed in the Southern District of New York in October 2021 by [[Rina Oh]], who alleged that Giuffre had portrayed her "as an accomplice to Epstein rather than a victim"; an appeals court had ruled that Oh's claim survived Giuffre's death.[^18][^19]
|
||||
|
||||
Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her property in Neergabby, Western Australia, at age 41. Her family said in a statement that she "lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking" and that "the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia." Western Australia Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious. Her death came roughly a month after the bus incident and about six months before the scheduled publication of her memoir.[^2][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
Her memoir [[Nobody's Girl|Nobody's Girl]], co-written with the author [[Amy Wallace|Amy Wallace]], was published posthumously by Alfred A. Knopf on October 21, 2025, following her stated wish that it appear regardless of her circumstances. The book recounts her account of recruitment at Mar-a-Lago, the years of trafficking, and the litigation that followed, and it repeats her allegations against Epstein, Maxwell, Andrew, and others. Its publication coincided with the renewed pressure on Andrew that preceded the removal of his titles, and it reached the top of bestseller lists in the weeks after release.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Virginia Giuffre," *Encyclopaedia Britannica,* 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-Giuffre
|
||||
[^2]: "Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent abuse survivors, dies by suicide," *NBC News,* April 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-giuffre-one-jeffrey-epsteins-prominent-abuse-survivors-dies-s-rcna203027
|
||||
[^3]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), and unsealed exhibits, January 2024. https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Giuffre%20v.%20Maxwell,%20No.%20115-cv-07433%20(S.D.N.Y.%202015)/
|
||||
[^4]: "Billionaire's Alleged Sex Slave Settles Libel Case," *Courthouse News Service,* and reporting on the 2009 Epstein settlement. https://www.courthousenews.com/billionaires-alleged-sex-slave-settles-libel-case/
|
||||
[^5]: "Lawyers say settlement reached in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Prince Andrew," *PBS NewsHour,* February 15, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawyers-say-settlement-reached-in-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit-against-prince-andrew
|
||||
[^6]: "Virginia Giuffre, prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies by suicide," *Yahoo News,* April 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/news/virginia-giuffre-prominent-jeffrey-epstein-015432265.html
|
||||
[^7]: "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice," Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House, October 21, 2025. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/712958/nobodys-girl-by-virginia-roberts-giuffre/
|
||||
[^8]: "Virginia Giuffre," *Encyclopaedia Britannica,* 2025 (early life and recruitment). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-Giuffre
|
||||
[^9]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake,'" *CNN,* November 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped
|
||||
[^10]: "Epstein victim drops her lawsuit against lawyer Alan Dershowitz," *NBC News,* November 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/epstein-victim-drops-lawsuit-lawyer-alan-dershowitz-rcna56250
|
||||
[^3]: "Virginia Giuffre," *Encyclopaedia Britannica,* 2025 (early life and recruitment). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-Giuffre
|
||||
[^4]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), and unsealed exhibits, January 2024. https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Giuffre%20v.%20Maxwell,%20No.%20115-cv-07433%20(S.D.N.Y.%202015)/
|
||||
[^5]: "Billionaire's Alleged Sex Slave Settles Libel Case," *Courthouse News Service,* and reporting on the 2009 Epstein settlement. https://www.courthousenews.com/billionaires-alleged-sex-slave-settles-libel-case/
|
||||
[^6]: Settlement Agreement and General Release, Jane Doe No. 102 v. Jeffrey Epstein, No. 09-80656-CIV-Marra/Johnson (S.D. Fla.), filed as Exhibit A, ECF No. 32-1, in Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, No. 1:21-cv-06702 (S.D.N.Y.), and the subject of Prince Andrew's Request for Judicial Notice, ECF No. 35 (Oct. 29, 2021); complaint at ECF No. 35-2. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713/gov.uscourts.nysd.564713.32.1.pdf
|
||||
[^7]: "Lawyers say settlement reached in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Prince Andrew," *PBS NewsHour,* February 15, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawyers-say-settlement-reached-in-virginia-giuffres-lawsuit-against-prince-andrew
|
||||
[^8]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 1:15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), Complaint, ECF No. 1 (Sept. 21, 2015); Protective Order, ECF No. 62 (March 2016); Order, ECF No. 1367 (Aug. 11, 2026); Order amending caption, ECF No. 1370 (Sept. 3, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/ian-torrington-blatchford-as-interim-administrator-of-virginia-giuffres/
|
||||
[^9]: Brown v. Maxwell; Dershowitz v. Giuffre, 929 F.3d 41 (2d Cir. 2019). https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/4636340/brown-v-maxwell-dershowitz-v-giuffre/
|
||||
[^10]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, 146 F.4th 165 (2d Cir. 2025) (per curiam), Nos. 24-182-cv(L), 24-203-cv(con) (July 23, 2025). https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-2nd-circuit/117500106.html
|
||||
[^11]: Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, No. 1:21-cv-06702-LAK (S.D.N.Y.), Order, ECF No. 57 (Dec. 16, 2021); Order, ECF No. 61 (Dec. 31, 2021); Opinion, ECF No. 64 (signed Jan. 11, 2022, filed Jan. 12, 2022); Stipulation and Order of Dismissal, ECF No. 83 (March 8, 2022). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60119368/giuffre-v-prince-andrew/
|
||||
[^12]: "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake,'" *CNN,* November 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/us/alan-dershowitz-virginia-giuffre-allegations-dropped
|
||||
[^13]: "Epstein victim drops her lawsuit against lawyer Alan Dershowitz," *NBC News,* November 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/epstein-victim-drops-lawsuit-lawyer-alan-dershowitz-rcna56250
|
||||
[^14]: "Virginia Giuffre, prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies by suicide," *Yahoo News,* April 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/news/virginia-giuffre-prominent-jeffrey-epstein-015432265.html
|
||||
[^15]: "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice," Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House, October 21, 2025. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/712958/nobodys-girl-by-virginia-roberts-giuffre/
|
||||
[^16]: Adriana Gallardo and Leila Fadel, report on Virginia Roberts Giuffre's memoir *Nobody's Girl*, *NPR,* October 20, 2025 (updated October 23, 2025). https://www.npr.org/2025/10/20/nx-s1-5514834/epstein-accuser-virginia-roberts-giuffre-nobodys-girl-memoir
|
||||
[^17]: Sam Spratford, "British Book Awards Honor Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Sarah Wynn-Williams," *Publishers Weekly,* May 12, 2026. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/100385-british-books-awards-honor-giuffre-wynn-williams.html
|
||||
[^18]: "Legal battle begins over Virginia Giuffre's multi-million-dollar estate," *ABC News (Australia),* November 28, 2025. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-28/virginia-giuffre-epstein-survivor-legal-battle-over-estate/106075194
|
||||
[^19]: "Court Rules Virginia Giuffre Died Without a Will, Appoints Administrator," *Newsweek,* November 26, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/court-rules-virginia-giuffre-died-without-will-11110482
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
76
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Vitaly Churkin.md
Normal file
76
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Vitaly Churkin.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
category: "Intelligence & Government"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- Person
|
||||
- VitalyChurkin
|
||||
- Russia
|
||||
- UnitedNations
|
||||
- Diplomat
|
||||
- JeffreyEpstein
|
||||
- EhudBarak
|
||||
alias:
|
||||
- Vitaly Churkin
|
||||
- Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin
|
||||
- Vitaly Chrukin
|
||||
summary: "Vitaly Churkin (1952-2017) was Russia's ambassador to the United Nations from 2006 until his death, and exchanged messages and meals with Jeffrey Epstein from 2015 to January 2017."
|
||||
born: 1952-02-21
|
||||
died: 2017-02-20
|
||||
location: "Moscow, Soviet Union (born); New York, New York (died)"
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia]]"
|
||||
role: "Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations"
|
||||
start: 2006-04
|
||||
end: 2017-02
|
||||
fn: 1
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia]]"
|
||||
role: "Deputy Foreign Minister"
|
||||
start: 1992
|
||||
end: 1994
|
||||
fn: 4
|
||||
created: 2026-09-25
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin (February 21, 1952, [[Moscow]] to February 20, 2017, [[New York City|New York]]) was a Soviet and Russian diplomat who served as Russia's Permanent Representative to the [[United Nations]] from April 2006 until his death. Between November 2015 and January 2017 he exchanged text messages with [[Jeffrey Epstein]], met him repeatedly in New York, and was invited to meals with [[Ehud Barak]], [[Larry Summers]], [[Tom Barrack]], and [[Tom Pritzker]]. Epstein arranged help for Churkin's son, and his office continued to schedule meetings with the son after Churkin's death. Churkin collapsed at the [[Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations|Russian mission]] in New York in February 2017 and died in hospital; at the request of the [[United States Department of State|State Department]], the New York City medical examiner did not release the cause of death.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### Diplomatic Career
|
||||
|
||||
Churkin was born in Moscow into the family of an aviation design engineer.[^1] As a boy he appeared in at least three films, two of them about [[Vladimir Lenin]]; he graduated from the [[Moscow State Institute of International Relations]] in 1974, joined the Foreign Ministry the same year as an assistant in its translation department, and later took a doctorate in history at the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] Diplomatic Academy.[^4][^5] He served at the Soviet embassy in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], in the international department of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] Central Committee, and in the Foreign Minister's secretariat.[^4] He directed the Information Department of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia|Foreign Ministry]] from 1990 to 1992 and was Deputy Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, and in the early 1990s was his government's special representative to the talks on the [[Yugoslav Wars|former Yugoslavia]].[^4][^5] He was ambassador to [[Belgium]] and liaison ambassador to [[NATO]] and the [[Western European Union]] from 1994 to 1998, ambassador to [[Canada]] from 1998 to 2003, and ambassador-at-large from 2003 to 2006.[^1]
|
||||
|
||||
He became Russia's ambassador to the United Nations on April 8, 2006, and held the post for almost eleven years.[^1][^4] On July 8, 2015 Russia cast the only negative vote, a veto, on a [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] draft resolution that would have emphasized acceptance of the 1995 [[Srebrenica massacre]] as genocide.[^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### Contact with Epstein, 2015-2017
|
||||
|
||||
Epstein's first message in the produced log, on November 16, 2015, read: "I'm in town wed- fri if you have time . Jeffrey Epstein." Churkin proposed Friday at 4 p.m., and later moved the meeting to 5 p.m.[^7] On December 11, 2015 Epstein wrote, "Oil now at the 36 $ level I suggested." On January 2, 2016 he wrote, "Ehud Barak in town this week if a meal is convenient," and on January 13, while arranging a meeting for the following day, "Larry summers will be here as well," adding, "Or 12 if you prefer privacy." On February 12, 2016 Epstein wrote, "Good work on Syria , markets will continue bad."[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
On May 23, 2016 Epstein wrote that any help for Churkin's son was "confidential." Churkin replied, "Of course," and then, "Greatly appreciated!" Epstein answered, "He's s great son."[^8] On June 9 Epstein reported that the son was "doing better" and "just needed to understand American biz habits"; Churkin replied, "U r a great teacher!" On August 1, 2016 Epstein reported that the son's "First job" was "confirmed to start day after Labor Day," and Churkin replied, "Fantastic!!"[^8] On October 21 Epstein wrote that the son was "scoring good grades" and "being exposed to the most diverse investments . Only doable in the past 5 years , great foundation."[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
On August 28, 2016 Epstein wrote: "Don't know if you have any interest . Ehud Barak and TOM Barrack at house tomorw . You are always welcome." Churkin asked the time and accepted 1 p.m.[^8] The same afternoon Epstein's scheduler, [[Lesley Groff]], circulated the notice "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," listing Epstein, Barak, Barrack, and Churkin, "4 total"; the calendar entry for August 29, 2016 read "12:30pm LUNCH w/Ehud Barak, Tom Barrack and Vitaly Chrukin."[^10]
|
||||
|
||||
On September 6, 2016 Epstein offered an introduction to "My very close friend Tom Pritzker . Hyatt hotels and chairman of CSI." Churkin proposed the next evening and later that day thanked Epstein for the time he had spent with his son. On September 7 Epstein moved the Pritzker meeting to the 18th or 19th and added: "also thorbjorn jagland will be staying with me."[^8] [[Thorbjørn Jagland]] was then Secretary General of the [[Council of Europe]]; in February 2026 Norway's economic crime unit, [[Økokrim]], opened an investigation of him for aggravated corruption.[^11]
|
||||
|
||||
On November 13, 2016 Epstein wrote, "Ehud coming today at 430 . As always you are welcome." On December 2, 2016, after a meeting at 4 p.m., he wrote, "Thx your gift means a great deal." On January 5, 2017 he wrote, "Btw my house in palm beach is always available for you as your rest spot." Their last exchange in the log arranged a lunch at noon on January 10, 2017, at which Churkin wrote, "On my way .sorry."[^9] No later messages appear in the produced export.[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Death
|
||||
|
||||
Churkin was at work at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations on February 20, 2017, the day before his sixty-fifth birthday. The President of the [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]], [[Peter Thomson]], said he had been told Churkin had suffered "some sort of cardiac arrest" at the mission and was taken to hospital, where he died; the [[New York City Police Department|New York Police Department]] said there were no indications of foul play.[^2][^5] The [[New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner]] said after the autopsy that further tests were needed. On February 24 and March 1, 2017 the [[State Department]], through James Donovan of the [[United States Mission to the United Nations]], wrote to the city asking that the results not be released, stating that Churkin's diplomatic immunity survived his death; the March 1 letter reported Russian complaints that media statements about his medical history had included information "very private in nature" and "about which even they had no knowledge." On March 10 the medical examiner's office said it had been instructed not to disclose further details "in order to comply with international law and protocol."[^3] A New York City official told [[CNN]] the same day, on condition of anonymity, that the autopsy found a heart attack and no sign of foul play.[^12]
|
||||
|
||||
After Churkin's death Epstein's office continued to deal with his son. On July 3, 2017 Epstein's assistant arranged a telephone call from Epstein for 1:45 p.m.; on July 20 the son wrote asking to meet Epstein in person, and on August 15, 2017 Epstein's calendar recorded a 4:30 p.m. appointment with him for the following day.[^13]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Vitaly Churkin: Outstanding diplomat who 'knew no defeat'." *TASS,* February 20, 2017, on his birth, education, posts, and appointment to the United Nations on April 8, 2006. https://tass.com/politics/932071
|
||||
[^2]: "Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador To U.N., Is Dead At 64." *NPR,* February 21, 2017. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/21/516364780/vitaly-churkin-russian-ambassador-to-u-n-is-dead-at-64
|
||||
[^3]: "Russia Ambassador Vitaly Churkin's cause of death won't be released." *CBS News / Associated Press,* March 10, 2017. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ambassador-cause-of-death-wont-be-released/ ; "State Dept. seeks to keep Russian diplomat's cause of death private." *The Hill,* March 2017. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/323403-state-dept-asks-ny-medical-examiner-not-to-release-russian/
|
||||
[^4]: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, briefing by spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, February 22, 2017, "Death of Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin," on his education, posts, and decorations. https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2017/russia-170222-russia-mfab01.htm
|
||||
[^5]: Besheer, Margaret. "Russia's Long-time UN Ambassador Dies Suddenly." *Voice of America,* February 20, 2017. https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2017/russia-170220-voa01.htm
|
||||
[^6]: United Nations, Meetings Coverage, "At Meeting Commemorating Twentieth Anniversary of Srebrenica Killings, Security Council Fails to Adopt Resolution," SC/11961, 7481st meeting, July 8, 2015. https://press.un.org/en/2015/sc11961.doc.htm
|
||||
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619434, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," November 16, 2015 to February 23, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619434.pdf
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619438, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," May 23, 2016 to September 7, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619444, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," October 3, 2016 to January 10, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619444.pdf
|
||||
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02044775, DataSet 10, email from Lesley Groff, "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," August 28, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02044775.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02045038, DataSet 10, calendar alert, August 29, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02045038.pdf
|
||||
[^11]: "Økokrim åpner etterforsking av Mona Juul og Terje Rød-Larsen." *NRK,* February 9, 2026 (updated February 12, 2026), reporting the investigation of Jagland opened February 5, 2026. https://www.nrk.no/norge/okokrim-apner-etterforsking-av-mona-juul-og-terje-rod-larsen-1.17761823
|
||||
[^12]: "Official: No foul play in death of Russian ambassador to UN." *CNN,* March 10, 2017. https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/10/world/russian-ambassador-heart-attack
|
||||
[^13]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02219806, DataSet 11, email thread between Epstein's office and Churkin's son, July 3 to July 21, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02219806.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00676901, DataSet 9, scheduling email and calendar entry, August 15, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00676901.pdf
|
||||
|
|
@ -12,42 +12,80 @@ tags:
|
|||
alias:
|
||||
- William J. Burns
|
||||
- Bill Burns
|
||||
summary: "William J. Burns is an American diplomat and intelligence official who served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, president of the Carnegie Endowment, and Director of Central Intelligence from 2021 to 2025 under Joe Biden, and whose multiple 2014 meetings with Jeffrey Epstein at the Epstein Manhattan townhouse were documented in the Wall Street Journal's 2023 review of the Epstein calendars."
|
||||
summary: "William J. Burns is the American diplomat who met Jeffrey Epstein three times in 2014 as Deputy Secretary of State and later served as CIA director from 2021 to 2025."
|
||||
born: 1956-04-11
|
||||
location: "Fort Bragg, North Carolina (born)"
|
||||
created: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-06-18
|
||||
updated: 2026-09-25
|
||||
relations:
|
||||
- type: employed_by
|
||||
with: "[[United States Department of State]]"
|
||||
role: "Deputy Secretary of State"
|
||||
start: 2011
|
||||
end: 2014-11
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: head_of
|
||||
with: "[[Central Intelligence Agency]]"
|
||||
role: "Director"
|
||||
start: 2021-03
|
||||
end: 2025-01
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
- type: member_of
|
||||
with: "[[Aspen Strategy Group]]"
|
||||
role: "member, per Tom Pritzker's 2016 roster"
|
||||
fn: 8
|
||||
- type: appointed
|
||||
with: "[[Joe Biden]]"
|
||||
reverse: true
|
||||
role: "nominated as CIA director"
|
||||
start: 2020-11
|
||||
fn: 3
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
William J. Burns (born April 11, 1956, at [[Fort Bragg|Fort Bragg, North Carolina]]) is an American diplomat and intelligence official who served as the [[Director of Central Intelligence]] from March 2021 to January 2025 under President [[Joe Biden|Joe Biden]]. Burns's career spans the [[United States Foreign Service|Foreign Service]] (ambassador to [[Jordan]] 1998-2001, assistant secretary of state for [[Near Eastern Affairs]] 2001-2005, ambassador to [[Russia]] 2005-2008, deputy secretary of state 2011-2014), the think-tank sector (president of the [[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]] 2015-2021), and the intelligence community (CIA director 2021-2025). The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported in 2023, on the basis of the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]], that Burns met with [[Jeffrey Epstein]] on multiple occasions in 2014 at the Epstein Manhattan townhouse, while Burns was between the deputy-secretary-of-state tenure and the Carnegie Endowment presidency. Burns stated through a spokesperson that he "deeply regrets" the meetings and was unaware of Epstein's 2008 conviction at the time.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
William J. Burns (born April 11, 1956, at [[Fort Bragg|Fort Bragg, North Carolina]]) is an American diplomat and intelligence official who served as Director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] from March 2021 to January 2025 under President [[Joe Biden|Joe Biden]]. Burns's career spans the [[United States Foreign Service|Foreign Service]] (ambassador to [[Jordan]] 1998-2001, assistant secretary of state for [[Near Eastern Affairs]] 2001-2005, ambassador to [[Russia]] 2005-2008, deputy secretary of state 2011-2014), the think-tank sector (president of the [[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]] 2015-2021), and the intelligence community (CIA director 2021-2025). The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported in 2023, on the basis of the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]], that Burns met with [[Jeffrey Epstein]] three times in 2014, while Burns was serving as deputy secretary of state and preparing to leave government.[^1][^2] Burns stated through a spokesperson that he "deeply regrets" the meetings and was unaware of Epstein's 2008 conviction at the time.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### Career and the Diplomatic-to-Intelligence Trajectory
|
||||
|
||||
Burns entered the Foreign Service in 1982 and rose through the Near Eastern Affairs and policy-planning ranks under both Republican and Democratic administrations. His ambassadorial assignments in Jordan and Russia and his tenure as assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs placed him at the operational center of U.S. Middle East policy across the [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] period, the [[Iraq War|Iraq War]], and the post-[[Arab Spring|Arab Spring]] regional realignment. His 2011-2014 tenure as deputy secretary of state under [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Kerry|John Kerry]] covered the [[Benghazi|Benghazi]] period, the [[Iran nuclear deal|Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)]] negotiations, and the early stages of the [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian conflict]].[^1]
|
||||
Burns entered the Foreign Service in 1982 and rose through the Near Eastern Affairs and policy-planning ranks under both Republican and Democratic administrations. His ambassadorial assignments in Jordan and Russia and his tenure as assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs placed him at the operational center of U.S. [[Middle East]] policy across the [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] period, the [[Iraq War|Iraq War]], and the post-[[Arab Spring|Arab Spring]] regional realignment. His 2011-2014 tenure as deputy secretary of state under [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Kerry|John Kerry]] covered the [[Benghazi|Benghazi]] period, the [[Iran nuclear deal|Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)]] negotiations, and the early stages of the [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian conflict]].[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
The 2014 transition from deputy secretary of state to the [[Carnegie Endowment]] presidency is the gap during which the Epstein meetings occurred. Burns left government in November 2014 and took the Carnegie Endowment presidency in February 2015, and the WSJ-reported Epstein meetings fall within the 2014 window when Burns was a private citizen but still the most recently retired deputy secretary of state. Burns spent the six years (2015-2021) between the State Department departure and the CIA directorship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.[^1]
|
||||
Burns left government in November 2014 and took the [[Carnegie Endowment]] presidency in February 2015. The WSJ-reported Epstein meetings took place in 2014, while he was still deputy secretary of state; the *Journal* reported that after meeting Epstein, Burns left the [[State Department]] to run the Carnegie Endowment.[^1][^2] Burns spent the six years (2015-2021) between the State Department departure and the CIA directorship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Epstein Meetings
|
||||
|
||||
[[The Wall Street Journal]]'s May 2023 report on the Epstein calendars documented that Burns met with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions in 2014, including at the Epstein Manhattan townhouse. The reporting was based on the schedules and emails obtained from the Epstein files, which the WSJ reviewed. The meetings occurred after Epstein's 2008 federal non-prosecution agreement but before the 2019 federal sex-trafficking charges. Burns stated through a spokesperson that he was unaware of Epstein's 2008 conviction at the time and that he cut ties with Epstein upon learning of it. [[The Guardian]] reported Burns's statement that he "deeply regrets ever meeting" with Epstein.[^1][^2]
|
||||
[[The Wall Street Journal]]'s May 2023 report on the Epstein calendars documented that Burns met with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions in 2014, including at the Epstein Manhattan townhouse. The reporting was based on the schedules and emails obtained from the Epstein files, which the WSJ reviewed. The meetings occurred after Epstein's 2008 federal [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]] but before the 2019 federal sex-trafficking charges. Burns stated through a spokesperson that he was unaware of Epstein's 2008 conviction at the time and that he cut ties with Epstein upon learning of it. [[The Guardian]] reported Burns's statement that he "deeply regrets ever meeting" with Epstein.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
The Carstensen EFTA index documents additional Epstein file entries relevant to the Burns-Epstein relationship. The Tommy Carstensen aggregator cross-references the EFTA releases to document the Thiel-Epstein-Burns overlap: [[Peter Thiel]]'s documented 2014 meetings at the Epstein townhouse overlap chronologically with Burns's, placing the chairman of a major [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] contractor ([[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]], whose government business includes the CIA as a client) and the future CIA director in the same Epstein-mediated setting within the same calendar year. Burns became CIA director in March 2021, seven years after the meetings.[^3][^4]
|
||||
[[Peter Thiel]]'s documented 2014 meetings at the [[9 East 71st Street|Epstein townhouse]] overlap chronologically with Burns's, placing the chairman of a major CIA contractor ([[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]], whose government business includes the CIA as a client) and the future CIA director in the same Epstein-mediated setting within the same calendar year. Burns became CIA director in March 2021, seven years after the meetings.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Palantir Overlap
|
||||
|
||||
Palantir Technologies received early funding from the CIA venture arm [[In-Q-Tel]] in 2004 and is a documented CIA platform supplier through its [[Palantir Gotham|Gotham]] product. Burns's CIA directorship (2021-2025) postdated his 2014 Epstein meetings by seven years. The Carstensen EFTA index documents that Peter Thiel's 2014 meetings at the Epstein townhouse overlap chronologically with Burns's, placing the future CIA director and the Palantir chairman on the same Epstein-mediated social terrain within the same calendar year.[^3][^4]
|
||||
Palantir Technologies received early funding from the CIA venture arm [[In-Q-Tel]] in 2004 and is a documented CIA platform supplier through its [[Palantir Gotham|Gotham]] product. Burns's CIA directorship (2021-2025) postdated his 2014 Epstein meetings by seven years. Peter Thiel's 2014 meetings at the Epstein townhouse overlap chronologically with Burns's, placing the future CIA director and the Palantir chairman on the same Epstein-mediated social terrain within the same calendar year.[^5][^6]
|
||||
|
||||
The substantive question of what was discussed at the Burns-Epstein meetings, and whether any of it touched on Palantir or on intelligence matters, is not documented in the primary sources currently available. Burns's spokesperson's statement framed the meetings as relating to Burns's transition to the Carnegie Endowment and to geopolitics, and the WSJ reporting did not establish that intelligence or contracting matters were discussed. The Epstein calendars and the Carstensen-indexed EFTA entries are the primary record; they document the co-presence but not the meeting content.[^1][^3]
|
||||
The substantive question of what was discussed at the Burns-Epstein meetings, and whether any of it touched on Palantir or on intelligence matters, is not documented in the primary sources currently available. Burns's spokesperson's statement framed the meetings as relating to Burns's transition to the Carnegie Endowment and to geopolitics, and the WSJ reporting did not establish that intelligence or contracting matters were discussed. The Epstein calendars are the primary record; they document the meetings but not their content.[^3][^5]
|
||||
|
||||
### The CIA Directorship and the Biden Tenure
|
||||
|
||||
Burns was nominated for the CIA directorship by President Biden in November 2020 and confirmed by the Senate in March 2021. His tenure covered the [[Withdrawal from Afghanistan|2021 Afghanistan withdrawal]], the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]] (Burns had met with [[Sergei Naryshkin|Russian SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin]] in Moscow in November 2021 in a documented attempt to dissuade the invasion), the [[Hamas-Israel war|2023 Hamas-Israel war]], and the broader [[China|China]]-Russia strategic realignment. Burns returned to private life in January 2025 at the end of the Biden administration.[^1]
|
||||
Burns was nominated for the CIA directorship by President Biden in November 2020 and confirmed by the Senate in March 2021. His tenure covered the [[Withdrawal from Afghanistan|2021 Afghanistan withdrawal]], the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]] (Burns had met with [[Sergei Naryshkin|Russian SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin]] in Moscow in November 2021 in a documented attempt to dissuade the invasion), the [[Hamas-Israel war|2023 Hamas-Israel war]], and the broader [[China|China]]-Russia strategic realignment. Burns returned to private life in January 2025 at the end of the Biden administration.[^3]
|
||||
|
||||
The 2023 disclosure of the 2014 Epstein meetings surfaced the connection after Burns had already become CIA director, placing a sitting CIA director in the publicly disclosed Epstein relationship. Burns's spokesperson's framing (unaware of the conviction, regrets the meetings, cut ties on learning) is the official position. The underlying primary documents are the Epstein calendars and the Carstensen-indexed EFTA entries.[^1][^2][^3]
|
||||
The 2023 disclosure of the 2014 Epstein meetings surfaced the connection after Burns had already become CIA director, placing a sitting CIA director in the publicly disclosed Epstein relationship. Burns's spokesperson's framing (unaware of the conviction, regrets the meetings, cut ties on learning) is the official position. The underlying primary documents are the Epstein calendars and the 2026 [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] releases.[^3][^4]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Calendar Record and the CIA Statement
|
||||
|
||||
The *Journal*'s calendar reporting recorded three meetings between Burns and Epstein in 2014, when Burns was serving as deputy secretary of state in the [[Barack Obama|Obama]] administration and preparing to leave government service.[^1][^2] When the reporting appeared in May 2023, Burns was the sitting CIA director. The agency's spokeswoman, [[Tammy Kupperman Thorp]], said that "the two had no relationship," that Burns "did not know anything about him, other than that he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on transition to the private sector," that he "remembers being introduced in Washington by a mutual friend, and meeting Epstein once briefly in New York," and that he "does not recall any further contact, including receiving a ride to the airport."[^1][^2] The calendar records three meetings; the agency's statement describes one. The mutual friend was not named.
|
||||
|
||||
The same calendar reporting documented Epstein's post-conviction meetings with the former [[White House]] Counsel [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], the linguist [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Ariane de Rothschild]] of the [[Edmond de Rothschild Group]], [[Joshua Cooper Ramo]], a [[FedEx]] director and former co-chief executive of [[Kissinger Associates]], and [[Leon Botstein]], president of [[Bard College]], who received 150,000 dollars from Epstein.[^1][^2] In 2014, the year of the Burns meetings, Epstein also met Ruemmler within weeks of her departure from the White House.[^7]
|
||||
|
||||
### The Aspen Strategy Group Roster, 2016
|
||||
|
||||
On August 8, 2016 the [[Hyatt Hotels|Hyatt]] chairman [[Tom Pritzker]] wrote to Epstein that he had "Just finished presentation on leadership to grand pooh baahs of Aspen Strategy Group," adding, "Take a look at members it will make you laugh." Epstein replied, "who attends." Pritzker answered the same evening: "You have to be a bit of a wonk to know some of the names, but Nye, Scowcroft and Nick Burns run it (Scowcroft being replaced by Condi). Members include Patraeus, Albright, Slaughter, Donalon (Obama NSA), Hadley (Bush NSA), Sullivan (NSA Hillary), Bill Burns (State #2), Kurt Campbell, Hoss Carwright (#2 Jt Chiefs), Harman, Ignatius, Sanger, Nunn, Reed, Sawers ([[MI6]]), Sherman (iran deal), Work (current #2 DoD). It seems to now be taking on an aura. Looking for a time to come catch up in NY."[^8] The roster named, besides Burns, the [[Aspen Strategy Group]]'s co-chairs [[Joseph Nye]], [[Brent Scowcroft]], and [[Nicholas Burns]], with [[Condoleezza Rice]] succeeding Scowcroft, and among its members the former CIA director [[David Petraeus]], the former national security advisers [[Tom Donilon]] and [[Stephen Hadley]], [[Jake Sullivan]], and the former chief of the British [[Secret Intelligence Service]], Sir [[John Sawers]].[^8] Burns was then president of the Carnegie Endowment. A month later Epstein offered to introduce Pritzker to the Russian ambassador to the [[United Nations]], [[Vitaly Churkin]], describing him as "My very close friend Tom Pritzker . Hyatt hotels and chairman of CSI."[^9]
|
||||
|
||||
### Footnotes
|
||||
|
||||
[^1]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar: CIA Director William Burns..." *Wall Street Journal,* May 2023. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-calendar-cia-director-goldman-sachs-noam-chomsky-c9f6a3ff ; For Burns's career and the CIA directorship, see the CIA official biography and the contemporaneous confirmation and tenure coverage.
|
||||
[^2]: "Jeffrey Epstein messaged with former CIA director Bill Burns, files show." *The Guardian,* February 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/jeffrey-epstein-bill-burns-cia-messages
|
||||
[^3]: Tommy Carstensen Epstein Files index, "Peter Thiel," cross-referencing the EFTA releases. https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/people/peter-thiel.html
|
||||
[^4]: For the Palantir Technologies-In-Q-Tel relationship and the CIA client base, see the Palantir Technologies page and the underlying SEC EDGAR filings.
|
||||
[^1]: Ponieman, Natan. *Benzinga,* May 2023, on Epstein's private calendar, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/05/32134015/private-calendar-reveals-jeffrey-epsteins-meetings-with-cia-director-noamchomsky-and-goldman-sachs
|
||||
[^2]: *The Daily Beast,* May 2023, on Epstein's calendar meetings with Noam Chomsky and William Burns. https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-calendar-reveals-meetings-with-noam-chomsky-and-former-cia-chief-william-burns/
|
||||
[^3]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar: CIA Director William Burns..." *Wall Street Journal,* May 2023. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-calendar-cia-director-goldman-sachs-noam-chomsky-c9f6a3ff ; For Burns's career and the CIA directorship, see the CIA official biography and the contemporaneous confirmation and tenure coverage.
|
||||
[^4]: "Jeffrey Epstein messaged with former CIA director Bill Burns, files show." *The Guardian,* February 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/jeffrey-epstein-bill-burns-cia-messages
|
||||
[^5]: "Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein Had a Yearslong Relationship." *Jacobin,* March 2026, on Thiel's 2014 contacts with Epstein and the Epstein-brokered Barak introduction. https://jacobin.com/2026/03/thiel-epstein-barak-ai-israel
|
||||
[^6]: For the Palantir Technologies-In-Q-Tel relationship and the CIA client base, see the Palantir Technologies page and the underlying SEC EDGAR filings.
|
||||
[^7]: "The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar." *Above the Law,* May 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://abovethelaw.com/2023/05/the-former-biglaw-partner-in-jeffrey-epsteins-private-calendar/
|
||||
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01783338, DataSet 10, email exchange between Tom Pritzker and Jeffrey Epstein, August 8, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01783338.pdf
|
||||
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01619438, DataSet 10, iMessage log with contact "Vitaly Churkin," message of September 6, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Loading…
Add table
Add a link
Reference in a new issue