disinfozone/The_Info_Web
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Packages Wiki Activity Actions

vault backup: 2026-09-25 20:44:34

Browse source
This commit is contained in:
disinfo.zone 2026-09-25 20:44:34 -04:00
parent 6a6e61a37c
commit b208eb6051
No known key found for this signature in database
124 changed files with 8803 additions and 839 deletions
Download patch file Download diff file Expand all files Collapse all files

59
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Adnan Khashoggi.md
View file

@ -1,17 +1,50 @@
---
category: "Key Figures"
created: 2024-04-25
updated: 2026-05-17
updated: 2026-09-25
tags:
- Person
- IranContra
- PROMIS
- ArmsDealer
- BCCI
summary: Adnan Khashoggi (1935-2017) was a Saudi billionaire arms dealer and key Iran-Contra middleman who bridged financing for the Reagan administration's arms sales to Iran through BCCI, and was named alongside Manucher Ghorbanifar and Richard Armitage in the May 1985 Reynolds letter as a broker for the covert distribution of PROMIS software.
summary: "Adnan Khashoggi (1935-2017) was a Saudi arms dealer and Iran-Contra middleman whose arms sales to Iran were bridge-financed through BCCI and who was named as a PROMIS software broker in 1985."
born: 1935-07-25
died: 2017-06-06
location: "Mecca, Saudi Arabia"
relations:
- type: partner_of
with: "[[Manucher Ghorbanifar]]"
role: "co-intermediaries in the Iran arms sales"
fn: 1
- type: participant_in
with: "[[Iran-Contra Affair]]"
role: "middleman and bridge financier for the arms sales to Iran"
fn: 1
- type: investigated
with: "[[Switzerland]]"
reverse: true
role: "arrested on charges of concealing funds, held three months, extradited"
start: 1988
fn: 1
- type: prosecuted
with: "[[Southern District of New York]]"
reverse: true
role: "racketeering and fraud; acquitted with Imelda Marcos"
end: 1990
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Samira Khashoggi Fayed]]"
role: "brother"
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Jamal Khashoggi]]"
role: "uncle"
fn: 6
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Hassan Yassin]]"
role: "cousin"
fn: 4
---
[[Adnan Khashoggi]] (25 July 1935 – 6 June 2017) was an international arms merchant and a factotum for the House of Saud. He was considered the richest man in the world in the 1980s. Khashoggi covered his financial tracks by establishing front companies in [[Switzerland]] and [[Liechtenstein]] to handle his commissions. He also developed contacts with notable figures such as [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officers [[James H. Critchfield]] and [[Kim Roosevelt]], and U.S. businessman [[Bebe Rebozo]], a close associate of former U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]].[^1]
@ -19,21 +52,37 @@ Khashoggi's sister, [[Samira Khashoggi Fayed]], was the mother of [[Dodi Fayed]]
### Involvement in Iran-Contra Affair and PROMIS Scandal
Khashoggi was implicated in the [[Iran-Contra Affair]] as a key middleman in the arms-for-hostages exchange, working alongside Iranian arms dealer [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]]. He was found to have borrowed money for these arms purchases from the now-bankrupt financial institution, the [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]], with [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] and U.S. backing.[^1] BCCI helped Adnan Khashoggi finance the sale of arms to [[Iran]] as a part of the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]]'s Iran-Contra effort.[^2] Khashoggi participated in five of the deals for the [[United States]], and BCCI provided the bridge financing through [[Israel]] to [[Iran]].[^3]
Khashoggi was implicated in the [[Iran-Contra Affair]] as a key middleman in the arms-for-hostages exchange, working alongside Iranian arms dealer [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]]. He was found to have borrowed money for these arms purchases from the now-bankrupt financial institution, the [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]], with [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] and U.S. backing.[^1] BCCI helped Adnan Khashoggi finance the sale of arms to [[Iran]] as a part of the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]]'s Iran-Contra effort.[^2] Khashoggi participated in five of the deals for the [[United States]], and BCCI provided the bridge financing through [[Israel]] to Iran.[^3]
He was also involved in brokering the transaction of [[PROMIS]] software to an Arab Sheik for resale and general distribution. He was mentioned in a document dated May 16, 1985, along with [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]] and [[Richard Armitage]], as individuals who would broker this transaction. [[William Bradford Reynolds]] independently remembered Armitage, Khashoggi, and Ghorbanifar working together on [[PROMIS]].[^1]
He was also involved in brokering the transaction of [[PROMIS]] software to an Arab Sheik for resale and general distribution. He was mentioned in a document dated May 16, 1985, along with Manucher Ghorbanifar and [[Richard Armitage]], as individuals who would broker this transaction. [[William Bradford Reynolds]] independently remembered Armitage, Khashoggi, and Ghorbanifar working together on PROMIS.[^1]
### Legal Troubles
In 1988, Khashoggi was arrested in [[Switzerland]], accused of concealing funds. He was held for three months and then extradited to the [[United States]], where he was released on bail and subsequently acquitted. In 1990, a [[United States|U.S.]] federal jury in Manhattan acquitted Khashoggi and [[Imelda Marcos]], widow of the exiled Philippine President [[Ferdinand Marcos]], of racketeering and fraud.[^1]
In 1988, Khashoggi was arrested in Switzerland, accused of concealing funds. He was held for three months and then extradited to the United States, where he was released on bail and subsequently acquitted. In 1990, a U.S. federal jury in Manhattan acquitted Khashoggi and [[Imelda Marcos]], widow of the exiled Philippine President [[Ferdinand Marcos]], of racketeering and fraud.[^1]
### Connections
His cousin, [[Hassan Yassin]], was described as a close business associate of [[Kamal Adham]].[^4]
### Death and the Khashoggi Name in the Epstein Library
Khashoggi died in London on June 6, 2017, aged 81, after suffering from Parkinson's disease. His family's statement said he had "combined commercial acumen with an over-riding loyalty to his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His work always furthered the interests of his country."[^5] His nephew, the journalist [[Jamal Khashoggi]], was killed in the Saudi consulate in [[Istanbul]] on October 2, 2018.[^6]
In the days after Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance his name circulated among [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s correspondents. On October 12, 2018 Epstein's accountant, [[Richard Kahn]], sent him a *[[New York Post]]* report that [[Richard Branson]] had halted a project with Saudi Arabia over the disappearance.[^7] On October 13 the former UN envoy [[Terje Rød-Larsen]] forwarded him [[Elliott Abrams]]'s *[[Washington Post]]* column "Why Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance will haunt the Saudi government."[^8] On October 15 the author [[Edward Jay Epstein]] sent him a *[[The Federalist|Federalist]]* article, "10 Questions To Answer About Khashoggi Before Buying The Narrative."[^9] On November 17, 2018 a correspondent sent Epstein the *Washington Post* report "CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi's assassination" with the question "What does that mean ?"; Epstein replied, "not good."[^10] On December 5, 2018 Epstein sent a correspondent listed as "Jabor Y." a link to a report on Senator [[Lindsey Graham]]'s criticism of Crown Prince [[Mohammed bin Salman]] over the killing.[^11]
On February 5, 2020 an unsolicited message titled "Khashoggi connects to Epstein," which referred to the Khashoggi yacht *Nabila*, reached the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]; it was forwarded internally with the note "I am passing this on" and its receipt was acknowledged. Its claims were not corroborated.[^12] No document located in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein Library]] records contact between Epstein and Adnan Khashoggi.
### Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 12.
[^3]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 387.
[^4]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 352.
[^5]: "Family says arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi dies at 81." *Associated Press,* via *Fox News,* June 6, 2017. https://www.foxnews.com/world/family-says-arms-dealer-adnan-khashoggi-dies-at-81
[^6]: "Jamal Khashoggi: A Profile." *Voice of America,* October 11, 2018 (updated October 19, 2018). https://www.voanews.com/a/who-is-jamal-khashoggi/4610403.html
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02619942, DataSet 11, email from Richard Kahn to Jeffrey Epstein, October 12, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02619942.pdf
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01019780, DataSet 9, email from Terje Rod-Larsen to Jeffrey Epstein, October 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01019780.pdf
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02619510, DataSet 11, email from Edward Epstein to Jeffrey Epstein, October 15, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02619510.pdf
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02614545, DataSet 11, email to jeevacation@gmail.com, November 17, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02614545.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02617007, DataSet 11, reply chain, November 17, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02617007.pdf
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02611297, DataSet 11, email from jeevacation@gmail.com to "Jabor Y.," December 5, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02611297.pdf
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00104025, DataSet 9, internal U.S. Attorney's Office (SDNY) forwarding chain, "Khashoggi connects to Epstein," February 5-6, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00104025.pdf

56
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Cecile de Jongh.md
View file

@ -11,10 +11,25 @@ tags:
alias:
- Cecile Galiber de Jongh
- Cecile R. de Jongh
summary: "Cecile de Jongh was the First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2015 and the office manager of Jeffrey Epstein's territorial companies, whom court filings later cast as his primary conduit for spreading money and influence through the territory's government."
summary: "Cecile de Jongh was First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2015 while serving as office manager of Jeffrey Epstein's territorial companies, which held Economic Development Commission tax benefits."
location: "St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands"
created: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[John de Jongh]]"
role: "wife"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Financial Trust Company]]"
start: 2007
role: "office manager"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Southern Trust Company]]"
end: 2019
role: "office manager"
fn: 6
---
Cecile de Jongh (born Cecile Galiber) was the office manager of [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein's]] [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] entities, including [[Financial Trust Company]] and its successor [[Southern Trust Company]], a position she held from 2007 to 2015. During the same years her husband, [[John de Jongh]], served as the territory's seventh governor, making her the First Lady of the [[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]. A January 2020 civil enforcement complaint by the Virgin Islands [[Denise George|Attorney General]], and later filings by [[JPMorgan Chase]] in related litigation, alleged that she used her dual position to manage Epstein's local affairs, influence territorial legislation, and direct his money toward officials while he was a registered sex offender.[^1][^2]
@ -25,19 +40,48 @@ De Jongh worked as the office manager of Epstein's Virgin Islands companies from
The same filings alleged that Epstein paid tuition for de Jongh's children, that she forwarded her children's tuition bills to him for payment, and that she requested he help fund her husband's re-election campaign. In her May 2023 deposition, taken at the Ritz-Carlton on St. Thomas over roughly five and a half hours, de Jongh described confronting Epstein after his 2006 Florida arrest, saying she looked him in the eye and asked what was going on, and was assured it was a one-time mistake that would not recur. The arrangement continued after Epstein registered as a sex offender following his 2008 Florida plea.[^2][^3]
The employment overlapped entirely with her public role. While serving as First Lady from 2007 to 2015, she simultaneously drew her salary from Epstein's companies, an overlap that was reported contemporaneously and that became the foundation of the later allegations. The settlement that resolved the Virgin Islands case against the Epstein estate included language shielding Epstein employees from civil liability, and no charges were brought against de Jongh personally.[^2][^4]
The employment overlapped entirely with her public role. While serving as First Lady from 2007 to 2015, she simultaneously drew her salary from Epstein's companies, an overlap that was reported contemporaneously and that became the foundation of the later allegations. No charges were brought against de Jongh, and she was not a defendant in the territory's case against the estate, whose November 2022 settlement resolved only the claims against the estate and the named co-defendants. The phrase "shield its participants from liability" in that litigation comes from the territory's 2020 objection to the estate's proposed victim compensation program, which required claimants to release claims against "any person or entity arising from or related to Mr. Epstein's conduct." Denise George later told the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] that Governor Albert Bryan, urging her to settle for 80 million dollars, said "that the Epstein estate just wanted to clear people."[^2][^4][^5][^6][^7]
### Alleged Influence on Territorial Government
JPMorgan's 2023 court filings described de Jongh as Epstein's "primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI government." According to those filings, in 2011 she emailed Epstein proposed language for legislation increasing sex-offender monitoring, asking, "This is the suggested language; will it work for you?" The bank alleged that after a monitoring bill passed she wrote that "all is not lost and we will figure something out by coming up with a game plan to get around these obstacles." The draft she circulated concerned the section of the Virgin Islands Code governing the travel and reporting requirements imposed on registered sex offenders.[^2][^5]
JPMorgan's 2023 court filings described de Jongh as Epstein's "primary conduit for spreading money and influence throughout the USVI government." According to those filings, in 2011 she emailed Epstein proposed language for legislation increasing sex-offender monitoring, asking, "This is the suggested language; will it work for you?" The bank alleged that after a monitoring bill passed she wrote that "all is not lost and we will figure something out by coming up with a game plan to get around these obstacles." The draft she circulated concerned the section of the Virgin Islands Code governing the travel and reporting requirements imposed on registered sex offenders.[^2][^8]
The filings further alleged that de Jongh advised Epstein on how to "buy control of the USVI political class," coordinated meetings between him and commissioners, senators, and gubernatorial candidates, recommended placing a sitting senator on a monthly retainer for loyalty and access, and tracked which candidates he funded. They alleged she helped secure student visas for young women connected to Epstein by arranging their enrollment in classes at the [[University of the Virgin Islands]] to provide cover for their presence in the territory, and that she offered to have someone else sign tuition letters so that the registered sex offender's signature would not appear on the paperwork. She was also alleged to have worked with the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]] to keep Epstein's companies in compliance so the tax benefits continued, and to have guided his charitable donations to satisfy program requirements.[^2][^5]
The filings further alleged that de Jongh advised Epstein on how to "buy control of the USVI political class," coordinated meetings between him and commissioners, senators, and gubernatorial candidates, recommended placing a sitting senator on a monthly retainer for loyalty and access, and tracked which candidates he funded. They alleged she helped secure student visas for young women connected to Epstein by arranging their enrollment in classes at the [[University of the Virgin Islands]] to provide cover for their presence in the territory, and that she offered to have someone else sign tuition letters so that the registered sex offender's signature would not appear on the paperwork. She was also alleged to have worked with the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]] to keep Epstein's companies in compliance so the tax benefits continued, and to have guided his charitable donations to satisfy program requirements.[^2][^8]
These allegations originate in the Virgin Islands Attorney General's complaint and in JPMorgan's filings, the latter of which the territory characterized as hyperbole offered to deflect the bank's own liability for failing to report suspicious activity. De Jongh did not respond to requests for comment when the filings were unsealed in 2023. The allegations describe a pattern of conduct rather than any criminal adjudication, and she was never charged.[^2][^4]
### Tenure and the Company Records
The Virgin Islands Daily News, reviewing the JPMorgan exhibits, described de Jongh as Epstein's office manager on St. Thomas "for two decades," through his death, a longer span than the 2007 to 2015 period used in the bank's and territory's filings. In a December 2014 email about employee bonuses she wrote that "in 14 years, we have not had a bad audit and we ensure that you have the best relationships with local regulators and departments," and that "although most of our work is support-based and not revenue-generating, we complete what has to be done for the company efficiently and effectively." In the same email she assured Epstein that "I take this job, my management of your team and our implementation of your requests very seriously and that they be done in the most confidential of ways."[^9]
The December 2014 email described a Southern Trust employee, "Lucas," as "currently working on the scanning and shredding for all of the entities, FTC, LSJ, Zorro, NES, JEGE, Hyperion, and JEVIF," hired "as a temporary college intern-type person to deal with shredding sensitive documents as a summer project" at a salary of 20,000 dollars, and proposed moving another employee off the Southern Trust payroll onto that of LSJ LLC. Her husband was then in the last days of his second term and facing demands that he repay about 490,000 dollars in public funds spent on security improvements at the couple's private home; he was charged with embezzlement in August 2015, and the case was dismissed in January 2016 after he paid 380,000 dollars.[^9][^10]
The Economic Development Commission compliance officer [[Sandra Bess]] identified de Jongh as the "compliance person" and office manager for both Financial Trust and Southern Trust. When a Washington reporter asked Government House spokesman [[Jean Greaux Jr.]] in 2012 whether she had helped Financial Trust obtain its tax benefits, she drafted a response for Epstein's approval: "Cecile de Jongh currently works for Financial Trust Company in the capacity of office manager. She had nothing to do with Financial Trust Company receiving EDC tax benefits." Epstein answered, "I would simply state that you are an office manager," and she replied, "That's what John went with."[^9][^11]
### January 24, 2014
The Economic Development Commission certificate awarding Southern Trust its ten-year package of exemptions is dated January 24, 2014 and signed by the commission's chairman, [[Albert Bryan]], who was then also her husband's Commissioner of Labor, and by Epstein as the company's president. That day 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 emailed Epstein's accountant [[Richard Kahn]]: "Hi Rich, Can you please prepare a check for $15,000 made payable to Governor's Special Events Fund. Thanks." The territory later estimated that the Southern Trust certificate let Epstein avoid 80,576,236 dollars in taxes.[^5][^11]
### Enrollment at the University of the Virgin Islands
In May 2013 de Jongh corresponded with University of the Virgin Islands Vice President for Institutional Advancement [[Dionne Jackson]] about English as a Second Language classes, and told Epstein that "we should put them on the list for the fall semester" after he wrote that two women whose names are redacted would sign up. On May 29, 2013 she wrote to Jackson that "the total cost for the course (for up to 10 students) is $8,868 which we will pay. We have two students to enroll," and asked Epstein, "What kind of visas do these ladies currently have?" after a university official told her that an I-20 student visa form was issued only for degree programs. On June 5 she wrote that the women "need to go down and enroll and show the ability to pay. I can draft a letter for them to present. Think about whether you should sign it or one of us," and on June 27 that the university was "structuring the class around the ladies." University president [[David Hall (academic)|David Hall]] said in May 2023 that he "was not aware of the activities described" and never approved a course for people connected with Epstein.[^9]
### Political Access and Donations
The JPMorgan exhibits show de Jongh arranging Epstein's contacts with the territory's next two governors. On October 16, 2014 she wrote that "Kenn Mapp and Celestino White would like to see you." After [[Kenneth Mapp]] won the governorship, she forwarded an inaugural committee solicitation to Epstein in December 2014, asking him "to confirm that you want to donate $10,000 to the Mapp-Potter inaugural committee and that it should come from Southern Trust." On September 1, 2016 Epstein instructed her to "prepare a check for mapps super pac. For 75k." On December 20, 2018, after Bryan defeated Mapp, she wrote: "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." The exhibits do not show whether Epstein paid the Bryan committee, and Bryan's office said in 2019 that his campaign had not received contributions from Epstein.[^6][^9]
According to FBI notes of an October 2023 interview with the former Attorney General Denise George, George believed that Attorney General [[Vincent Frazer]] had been pressured by Governor John de Jongh to allow Epstein to give 24 hours' notice of travel instead of the 21 days required of registered sex offenders. The arrangement was rescinded in March 2019.[^6]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Virgin Islands governor's wife employed by convicted sex-offender billionaire." *The Daily Caller,* April 22, 2012. https://dailycaller.com/2012/04/22/virgin-islands-governors-wife-employed-by-convicted-sex-offender-billionaire/
[^2]: "JPMorgan alleges wife of U.S. Virgin Islands' ex-governor aided Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activity." *NBC News,* May 24, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jpmorgan-alleges-ex-virgin-islands-first-lady-aided-jeffrey-epstein-rcna86365
[^3]: "Cecile de Jongh Testifies She Confronted Epstein After His 2006 Arrest." *St. Thomas Source,* July 26, 2023. https://stthomassource.com/content/2023/07/26/cecile-de-jongh-testifies-she-confronted-epstein-after-his-2006-arrest/
[^4]: "JPMorgan Chase says Jeffrey Epstein paid tuition for kids of U.S. Virgin Islands governor." *CNBC,* May 25, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/jpmorgan-jeffrey-epstein-paid-tuition-for-kids-of-virgin-islands-governor.html
[^5]: "JPMorgan accuses wife of former Virgin Islands governor of aiding Epstein." *Fortune,* May 25, 2023. https://fortune.com/2023/05/25/jpmorgan-jeffrey-epstein-virgin-islands-first-lady-sex-trafficking-de-jongh ; Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y. 2022).
[^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 142 to 143, 159, 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. 30 to 31, 34, 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. "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 (FBI notes of October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George).
[^7]: "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/
[^8]: "JPMorgan accuses wife of former Virgin Islands governor of aiding Epstein." *Fortune,* May 25, 2023. https://fortune.com/2023/05/25/jpmorgan-jeffrey-epstein-virgin-islands-first-lady-sex-trafficking-de-jongh ; Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y. 2022).
[^9]: 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 (JPMorgan exhibits: December 2014 bonus email, UVI ESL emails of May and June 2013, 2012 press response, Mapp and White meeting, Mapp-Potter and Mapp super PAC donations, Bryan/Roach inaugural request, Motta statement, Hall statement).
[^10]: "DOJ Drops Charges Against Former Governor De Jongh After $380,000 Settlement." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* January 22, 2016. https://viconsortium.com/vi-vic_news/doj-drops-charges-against-former-governor-de-jongh-with-prejudice-after-380000-settlement
[^11]: "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/ (Bess identification; January 24, 2014 certificate and same-day emails).

113
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Darren Indyke.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
---
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
tags:
- Person
- DarrenIndyke
- JeffreyEpstein
- EpsteinEstate
- Lawyer
- ShellCompany
- VirginIslands
alias:
- Darren K. Indyke
- Indyke
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein's longtime lawyer, officer of his companies and co-executor of his estate, named a 50 million dollar beneficiary, sued by victims and the Virgin Islands, and under federal investigation in 2026."
location: "New York, New York"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
role: "personal attorney"
end: 2019-08-10
fn: 1
- type: director_of
with: "[[Southern Trust Company]]"
role: "director; signatory on primary bank account"
start: 2013
end: 2019
fn: 2
- type: director_of
with: "[[Maple Inc.]]"
role: "vice president, secretary and director"
fn: 2
- type: head_of
with: "[[J. Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation]]"
role: "president (listed as of October 23, 2007)"
fn: 2
- type: director_of
with: "[[Wexner Foundation]]"
role: "secretary (per SEC filings 1998 to 2001 and tax forms through 2006, as reported by The Daily Beast)"
start: 1998
end: 2006
fn: 5
- type: investigated
with: "[[Denise George]]"
reverse: true
start: 2020
end: 2022-12-01
role: "defendant in the territory's CICO action"
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
reverse: true
start: 2026-09
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Darren K. Indyke is a New York lawyer who was [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s longtime personal attorney, an officer or director of many of the companies through which Epstein held property and moved money, and, with the accountant [[Richard Kahn]], co-executor of Epstein's estate and co-trustee of the trust Epstein signed two days before his death in August 2019. The trust names Indyke to receive 50 million dollars, second in order of payment. The [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] government sued him in his personal capacity in 2020 as one of the "indispensable captains" of what it called the Epstein Enterprise, victims sued him and Kahn in a class action that the estate agreed in February 2026 to settle for up to 35 million dollars, and in September 2026 federal prosecutors in Manhattan were reported to be investigating both men. Indyke and Kahn deny knowing of Epstein's sex trafficking or knowingly helping him.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
### Early Career, the Wexners and Maxwell
*[[The Daily Beast]]* reported in August 2020 that Indyke graduated from [[Colgate University]] in 1986 and [[Cornell Law School]] five years later, and then spent four years at the boutique firm Gold & Wachtel, which had represented Epstein "at least as far back as 1988"; the firm's principal, [[William Wachtel]], said he hired Indyke as a favor to his father. According to the same report, Indyke was listed as secretary of [[Wexner Foundation|The Wexner Foundation]] in SEC filings from 1998 to 2001 and on its tax forms through 2006, and in 2008 [[Abigail Wexner]] gave him power of attorney over her condominium at 15 Central Park West, according to property records. The report stated that his name appeared on corporate filings for the company that bought [[Ghislaine Maxwell]]'s East 65th Street townhouse from [[Lynn Forester]] in 2000 for 4.95 million dollars, that he was a trustee of Maxwell's Max Foundation from 2001 to 2010, and that he had retained the criminal defense lawyer [[Marc Agnifilo]]. A source familiar with the victims' litigation described him to the publication as the "in-house counsel to Epstein's enterprise." A printout of the article is among the Justice Department's Epstein releases.[^5]
### Officer of the Epstein Companies
According to the Virgin Islands government's Second Amended Complaint, filed in November 2022, Indyke or Kahn, "frequently both," were officers or directors of the Butterfly Trust, of the companies holding Epstein's real property, and of Financial Strategy Group, Ltd.; Financial Trust, Inc.; FT Real Estate Inc.; [[Gratitude America]], Inc.; Hyperion Air, Inc.; the J. Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation, Inc.; Jeepers, Inc.; Mort, Inc.; Nautilus, Inc.; and Zorro Development Corporation, and had "signatory authority over virtually all of the accounts held by the Epstein Enterprise entities." The territory alleged that the two men "organized, controlled, and directed almost every aspect of the Epstein Enterprise," that with Epstein they "held and managed at least 140 different bank accounts for Epstein and Epstein-owned entities, many of which existed only to transfer payments to other entities and accounts," and that "in many instances, Kahn and/or Indyke structured these transactions in order to evade the bank's reporting requirements."[^2]
Indyke sat with Epstein and Kahn on the board of [[Southern Trust Company]], the St. Thomas company that obtained a Virgin Islands tax-incentive certificate on the representation that it ran a "biomedical and financial informatics" business. He was signatory on its primary bank account, into which funds were wired "primarily from a single source," and authorized a majority of the wire transfers out of it to Epstein's other entities and personal accounts. The territory estimated that the certificate let Epstein avoid 80,576,236 dollars in taxes. When Epstein formed [[Cypress Inc.|Cypress, Inc.]], [[Maple Inc.|Maple, Inc.]] and [[Laurel Inc.|Laurel, Inc.]] as Virgin Islands corporations in November 2011 and moved title to the [[Zorro Ranch]], the [[9 East 71st Street]] townhouse and his [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] house into them, Indyke became vice president, secretary and director of each. The territory alleged that these transfers "were made for the sole purpose of sheltering these assets from collection."[^2]
Indyke was listed as president of the J. Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation, a tax-exempt private foundation, as of October 23, 2007. Between September 2015 and June 2019 he signed foundation checks for more than 400,000 dollars payable to young female models and actresses, including more than 380,000 dollars in monthly payments of 8,333 dollars to a former Russian model; in November 2017 he signed a foundation check to a New York immigration lawyer whose memo line referenced that model's surname. Earlier in 2017 he signed a foundation check for 160,000 dollars to resolve an environmental fine Epstein had incurred for construction on [[Great St. James]], which the estate later repaid to the foundation after questions were raised about it. The territory called the payments "inconsistent with the charitable purpose of the Foundation."[^2]
### The Cash Withdrawals
The territory's complaint described transactions on Epstein's personal accounts, for which Indyke was signatory, that bank representatives and the [[New York State Department of Financial Services|New York Department of Financial Services]] flagged as potentially suspicious. On July 20, 2016 Indyke cashed a 7,500 dollar check and told the bank he would cash a second, for 4,000 dollars, the next business day "to avoid all the paperwork," which he did on July 21. From June 2018 to February 2019 there were 97 separate 1,000 dollar withdrawals from one account at an ATM near his law office, and from April 9 to May 8, 2019, 21 more on all but one business day. Eleven checks between April 2016 and April 2019 converted more than 126,000 dollars into euros, some marked "Euros for safe." On January 17, 2018 Indyke cashed a 100,000 dollar check after Kahn arranged with the bank for the cash to be ready. Payments of more than 2.5 million dollars went from the account to dozens of women with Eastern European surnames, described as hotel expenses, tuition and rent, and to the immigration lawyer.[^2]
The complaint alleged that in at least three cases Indyke and Kahn "participated with Epstein in coercing his sex trafficking victims ... to enter into arranged and forced marriages in order to obtain immigration status for the foreign women," that Indyke paid the immigration lawyer, and that he "threatened at least one who indicated that she would seek a divorce." Former Attorney General [[Denise George]] told the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] in 2023 that her investigation concluded Indyke "was in charge of coordinating female to female marriages to gain immigration status in the [[United States]]." Indyke has denied the allegations and was not charged.[^2][^6]
### The Carbyne Investment
In early 2019 Indyke handled the exercise of warrants in [[Carbyne]], the Israeli emergency-response company chaired by [[Ehud Barak]], for Southern Trust Company, which as a limited partner of SUM (E.B.) Limited Partnership put up 2.4 million dollars of the 3.6 million dollar call, alongside NJF Capital, the company of [[Nicole Junkermann]]. When the partnership's [[Tel Aviv]] lawyer, Tomer Toor, relayed the Israeli bank's anti-money-laundering request for the name and citizenship of each limited partner's controlling person, Indyke wrote to Epstein on March 12, 2019: "Not sure how to respond. I thought we did not want your name associated with this Investment? Also, Tomer is asking for a bank rec letter from the transferring bank which is DB. I have asked Rich to find out from Stewart Oldfield at DB with whom Rich has a decent relationship if that would even be possible at this point." Epstein replied "ok," and on March 14 Indyke asked, "Am I correct that by your 'ok' you mean that I may confirm that you are the controlling person of the STC?" Epstein answered, "Yes."[^7] [[Deutsche Bank]] had notified Epstein on December 21, 2018 that it would no longer service his accounts.[^8] On March 7, 2019 Indyke forwarded Carbyne's audited 2017 statements, draft 2018 statements and three-year projection to Richard Kahn, and on March 20 sent further Carbyne documents to Toor.[^9]
Deutsche Bank's know-your-customer page for "The 2013 Butterfly Trust," produced to the federal grand jury in New York, listed Indyke among the trust's "Current Potential Beneficiaries," with Epstein's assistant [[Lesley Groff]], his pilot [[Larry Visoski]] and others.[^10]
### Payments to Indyke
The territory alleged that "from 2011 to 2019, Epstein and Epstein-owned entities paid over $16 million net" to Indyke, including loans still outstanding to Indyke-related entities, that tax forms from Epstein entities "did not report nearly the full compensation," and that he was paid through Birch Tree BR, LLC, Harlequin Dane, LLC and Darren K Indyke, PLLC, which it described as shell companies. Indyke was also a beneficiary of the Butterfly Trust, a trust for people who worked for Epstein that also paid numerous young women with Eastern European surnames; Indyke and Kahn signed trust checks of more than 1 million dollars to young women or their entities, some of whom were not beneficiaries.[^2] Through their lawyers, Indyke and Kahn have said they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.[^1]
### Co-Executor
Indyke and Kahn filed Epstein's will for probate in the [[Superior Court of the Virgin Islands]] on August 15, 2019, valuing the estate's Virgin Islands property at 577,672,654 dollars, and filed a Certificate of Trust for the 1953 Trust on August 26, 2019. The trust entitles each co-executor to 250,000 dollars a year for running it, which both testified they have not received. The estate's February 2021 accounting valued its assets at about 240.8 million dollars, and by September 2026 court filings put them at 107.6 million dollars. The territory alleged in 2022 that "since they were appointed as Co-Executors ... Indyke and Kahn have approved the release of Estate funds to pay for the legal fees and costs of persons who, like the Co-Executors themselves, are alleged herein to have participated in the criminal activity of the Epstein Enterprise"; Kahn testified in 2026 that the estate spends 10 to 15 million dollars a year on legal and other fees and covers the co-executors' legal bills.[^1][^2]
The territory's action against the estate, Indyke, Kahn and the Epstein companies settled on December 1, 2022 for more than 105 million dollars, half the proceeds of the sale of [[Little St. James]], and the return of more than 80 million dollars in tax benefits.[^11] Testifying to the [[House Oversight Committee]] on March 19, 2026, Indyke said he could only speculate that Epstein left him so much "because there was a lot of work to be done," and that "as to the why he did, what he did and why he gave money to whom he gave the money to, he never had conversations like that with us." He testified 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 and would expire in 2026.[^1]
### Victim Suits and Federal Investigation
Victims represented by [[Boies Schiller Flexner]] sued Indyke and Kahn personally in 2024 (Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204, S.D.N.Y., before Judge [[Arun Subramanian]]), alleging that they built "a complex web of corporations and bank accounts" that let Epstein hide the abuse and pay victims and recruiters while they were "richly compensated." On February 19, 2026 the estate agreed to pay up to 35 million dollars to settle. Indyke's lawyer, Daniel H. Weiner, said: "Neither of the co-executors has made any admission or concession of misconduct. Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality." A further suit filed in August 2026 alleged that "each played critical roles in enabling Epstein's acts ... by providing Epstein the necessary financial and legal support for his sex trafficking operation." After a victims' attorney raised the co-executors' overlapping roles as beneficiaries, defendants and executors at a September 2026 settlement hearing, Jennifer Freeman, a lawyer for Epstein victims, told CNN: "You're making a decision about your own personal liability, so they decided they had no liability. Surprise, surprise." Weiner and Kahn's lawyer, Daniel Ruzumna, said their clients "emphatically reject" any allegation that they were complicit in or knew of Epstein's crimes and that no women have accused them of committing or witnessing abuse.[^1][^3] In a separate suit by a plaintiff identified as "VE," Indyke and Kahn appeared in May 2020 as co-executors, alongside Nine East 71st Street Corporation and [[Financial Trust Company]], through Charles L. Glover of [[Troutman Sanders]], the firm that had defended Epstein and Financial Trust against [[Steven Hoffenberg]] in 2016.[^12]
On September 23, 2026 the [[Washington Examiner]], citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that federal authorities in New York had opened an investigation of Indyke and Kahn; the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]], which first reported it, said prosecutors in Manhattan were arranging witness interviews and requesting emails and financial records, and that people interviewed described questions about the men's roles in legal entities allegedly used to conceal Epstein's activities. A [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] spokesman said, "We don't comment on the existence, or lack thereof, of investigations." Both men have said none of the women told them they were being abused.[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Em Steck, "Epstein left millions to his closest advisers. A shrinking estate and new lawsuits may stand in the way," *CNN,* September 21, 2026, citing the 1953 Trust, estate court filings, and the House Oversight Committee testimony of Kahn (March 11, 2026) and Indyke (March 19, 2026). https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/21/politics/jeffrey-epstein-estate-lawsuit-vis
[^2]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Darren K. Indyke et al., No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint (filed November 30, 2022), paragraphs 8 to 17, 76 to 117, 169, 175, 177 to 195; reproduced as ECF No. 1-1 in Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y., filed 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
[^3]: Reuters, "Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement in victim class action," *NBC News,* February 20, 2026; Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y., filed February 16, 2024, Judge Arun Subramanian), docket. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-estate-agrees-35-million-settlement-victim-class-action-rcna259863 ; https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68260876/doe-3-v-indyke/
[^4]: 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/
[^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00163119, DataSet 9, press printout: Kate Briquelet and William Bredderman, "Jeffrey Epstein's Right-Hand Mystery Men: The Lawyer and the Accountant," *The Daily Beast,* August 30, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00163119.pdf
[^6]: Suzanne Carlson, "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender," *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026, reporting FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02634615, DataSet 11, email chain "Carbyne warrants" among Tomer Toor, NJF Capital, Darren Indyke and Jeffrey Epstein, February 28 to March 14, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf
[^8]: 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), paras. 16-58. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01035810, DataSet 9, email from Richard Kahn to Jeffrey Epstein, "Fwd: Carbyne," March 15, 2019; EFTA02636176, DataSet 11, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Richard Kahn, "Re: CARBYNE," March 27, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01035810.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02636176.pdf
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01364303, DataSet 10, Deutsche Bank know-your-customer page "The 2013 Butterfly Trust" (DB-SDNY-0054829); EFTA01372887, DataSet 10, Deutsche Bank "KYC Print," July 15, 2019 (DB-SDNY-0066790). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01364303.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01372887.pdf
[^11]: "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/
[^12]: VE v. Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. Kahn, as Joint Personal Representatives of the Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, Nine East 71st Street, Corporation, Financial Trust Company, Inc., NES, LLC, No. 1:19-cv-07625-AJN (S.D.N.Y.), Notice of Appearance of Charles L. Glover, Troutman Sanders LLP, May 12, 2020 (ECF No. 62); on Troutman Sanders in the 2016 case, letter of Bennet J. Moskowitz to Judge Richard J. Sullivan, June 28, 2016, filed as ECF No. 16-7 in No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO (S.D.N.Y.), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.7.pdf . https://web.archive.org/web/20260117012714/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/VE%20v.%20Nine%20East%2071st%20Street,%20No.%20119-cv-07625%20(S.D.N.Y.%202019)/062.pdf

60
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Douglas Leese.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
---
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- DouglasLeese
- ArmsTrade
- AlYamamah
- BritishAerospace
- JeffreyEpstein
- StevenHoffenberg
alias:
- Douglas Leese
summary: "Douglas Leese was a British defense contractor named in Parliament in 1996 as a channel for Al-Yamamah commissions, and whom Steven Hoffenberg credited with introducing him to Jeffrey Epstein."
location: "London, United Kingdom; Bermuda"
relations:
- type: contractor_to
with: "[[British Aerospace]]"
role: "alleged by George Galloway under parliamentary privilege to have handled Al-Yamamah commissions"
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Julian Leese]]"
role: "father"
fn: 4
- type: director_of
with: "[[Cam Gears]]"
role: "managing director"
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Douglas Leese was a British businessman and defense contractor. He appears in two records: a January 1996 speech in the [[House of Commons]] in which [[George Galloway]] named him as a channel for secret commissions on the [[Al-Yamamah]] arms sales to [[Saudi Arabia]], and [[Steven Hoffenberg]]'s account, given to [[Vicky Ward]] of *[[Vanity Fair]]* in 2003, that Leese had introduced Hoffenberg to [[Jeffrey Epstein]] in the 1980s. Epstein gave a different account of the same introduction.[^1][^2]
### The Al-Yamamah Commissions
On January 24, 1996, in a Commons debate on Saudi Arabia, Galloway said under parliamentary privilege that the Al-Yamamah contract had been "landed by [[British Aerospace]] as a result of corruption on an unprecedented scale," with "enormous bribes and commissions of up to 30 per cent. of the multi-billion pound deal" shared between the defence minister, [[Sultan bin Abdulaziz|Prince Sultan]], and his family and the sons of [[King Fahd]], notably Prince Mohammed.[^1] He named as middlemen [[Wafic Said]], whom he described as a business partner of the Conservative minister [[Jonathan Aitken]], and [[Mark Thatcher]], son of the then prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]]. He then said: "Some of those secret commissions on the Al Yamamah deal have 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]]."[^1]
In the same speech Galloway said that a report by Sir [[John Bourn]] of the [[National Audit Office]] documenting some of the commissions "has been suppressed by the Select Committee on Public Accounts for more than three years," and cited testimony in a [[United States]] court by Colonel Thomas Dooley, an executive of [[Sikorsky]], describing a "competition for bribes" over Black Hawk helicopter sales in which, Dooley said, Prince [[Bandar bin Sultan]] specified the bribes and the middlemen.[^1] Galloway's statements were made under privilege and were not adjudicated. Five years earlier, in October 1991, Galloway had used the same privilege to raise the allegations that [[Robert Maxwell]] and the *[[Daily Mirror]]* foreign editor [[Nicholas Davies]] were connected to Israeli intelligence.[^3]
### The Hoffenberg Introduction
Epstein met Hoffenberg, the head of [[Towers Financial Corporation]], in [[London]] in the 1980s. Ward reported in 2003: "According to Hoffenberg, the two men were introduced by Douglas Leese, a defense contractor. Epstein has said they were introduced by [[John Mitchell]], the late attorney general."[^2] Mitchell had been [[Richard Nixon]]'s attorney general and was imprisoned for his part in the [[Watergate]] cover-up. At the time Epstein was running [[International Assets Group]], a consulting company, from his apartment on East 66th Street in New York; he claimed to manage money for billionaires only, but testified in a 1989 deposition that he spent 80 percent of his time helping people recover stolen money from fraudulent brokers and lawyers.[^2] Hoffenberg then took Epstein on as a consultant to Towers, which collapsed in 1993 as a Ponzi scheme.[^2]
### The Leese Family and Epstein
Leese had been managing director of his father's steering-gear company, [[Cam Gears]], which was sold in 1965 to the American aerospace and defense contractor [[TRW Inc.|TRW]]. After leaving [[Bear Stearns]] in 1981 Epstein traveled regularly to London; according to [[Julian Leese]], he became Leese's protégé and a close friend of Leese's sons Nicholas and Julian. In what *[[Drop Site News]]* called his final recorded interview, given to the journalist [[Tom Pattinson]], Julian Leese said that his father sold radar equipment rather than weapons, that Epstein occasionally advised his father and attended some of his business meetings, that the two had fallen out in the early 1980s over Epstein's use of his father's expense account, and that his father had supported Towers Financial Corporation by introducing Hoffenberg to people in his circle. Julian Leese, who worked briefly as an intern at Towers after university, died in 2024.[^4]
The Leese sons remained in contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction. On June 15, 2010 one of Leese's sons wrote to Epstein: "My boy, V good to speak to you over the weekend . I should be back in CA mid August so it would be great if we can find a way to meet up ....too long and we are not getting younger. My bro called last night and sends lots of love." Epstein replied: "Definitely , my great friend , nicole junkeman is considering moving to Singapore . May I have her call you," referring to the investor [[Nicole Junkermann]].[^5] Epstein's calendar for October 30, 2012 carried the reminder "Julian Leese shooting in Sussex Oct. 30th (he wants JE to be there)."[^6] On January 28, 2013 an entry asked: "does Julian Leese want to meet the Pres of the Maldives?"[^7] On June 24, 2013 Epstein's scheduler, [[Lesley Groff]], wrote that "Julian Leese is in NY and would like to come see you (as you suggested)"; the same day's schedule listed a breakfast with [[Leon Black]] and a hoped-for meeting with the defense lawyer [[Reid Weingarten]].[^8] Correspondence with members of the family continued to 2018.[^9] No document located in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein Library]] records contact between Epstein and Douglas Leese himself.
### Footnotes
[^1]: 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
[^2]: 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)
[^3]: "Media Baron Sues Seymour Hersh." *The Washington Post,* October 25, 1991. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/10/25/media-baron-sues-seymour-hersh/c16c29e2-04ba-4038-9fff-08113fa33b77/
[^4]: "Epstein, Israel, and the CIA: How the Iran-Contra Planes Landed at Les Wexner's Base." *Drop Site News,* December 19, 2025, citing Julian Leese's interview with Tom Pattinson. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-iran-contra-planes-leslie-wexner-pottinger-leese-arms-weapons-smuggling
[^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02412487, DataSet 11, email exchange, "My boy," June 15-16, 2010. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02412487.pdf
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02155750, DataSet 10, calendar alert, November 5, 2012, for October 30, 2012. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02155750.pdf
[^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02149524, DataSet 10, calendar alert, January 28, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02149524.pdf
[^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00388568, DataSet 9, email from Lesley Groff to Jeffrey Epstein, "Julian Leese is in NY," June 24, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00388568.pdf
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01015987, DataSet 9, email with attachments, "Leese Family photos," November 22, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01015987.pdf

2
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Elon Musk.md
View file

@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ The Starlink operational question ran alongside the documented Putin contact cha
Musk appears on the leaked 2026 Dialog retreat roster, per *WIRED*'s reporting on the hacktivist [[maia arson crimew|crimew]]'s publication of the Dialog membership directory and the separately provided registration list.[^1]
The document releases (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564) document that Musk attended an August 2015 dinner that [[Reid Hoffman]] hosted in [[Palo Alto]] to raise money for the [[MIT Media Lab]]. The guest list included Peter Thiel, [[Mark Zuckerberg]], [[Joi Ito]], and [[Jeffrey Epstein|Epstein]]. The dinner was documented in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein file]] releases and indexed in the Carstensen aggregator. The 2015 dinner is seven years after Epstein's 2008 federal non-prosecution agreement.[^1][^5][^8]
The document releases (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564) document that Musk attended an August 2015 dinner that [[Reid Hoffman]] hosted in [[Palo Alto]] to raise money for the [[MIT Media Lab]]. The guest list included Peter Thiel, [[Mark Zuckerberg]], [[Joi Ito]], and [[Jeffrey Epstein|Epstein]]. The dinner was documented in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein file]] releases and indexed in the Carstensen aggregator. The 2015 dinner is seven years after Epstein's 2008 federal [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement|non-prosecution agreement]].[^1][^5][^8]
Musk has stated publicly that he attended the dinner because Epstein promised to introduce him to someone, and that he left early. The documented co-presence of Musk, Thiel, Hoffman, Zuckerberg, and Ito at a single Epstein-mediated dinner places five PayPal Mafia and Silicon Valley principals at the same table as the registered sex offender. The Hoffman image-rehabilitation apology (September 2019) covers the broader pattern of Hoffman's Epstein contacts that the 2015 dinner is one documented instance of.[^1][^5][^8]

125
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Ghislaine Maxwell.md
View file

@ -10,65 +10,144 @@ tags:
- Mossad
alias:
- Ghislaine Maxwell
summary: "Ghislaine Maxwell is the British socialite convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor for her role as Jeffrey Epstein's principal accomplice, daughter of the publishing mogul Robert Maxwell who was credibly alleged to have operated as a Mossad-connected intelligence asset, and the youngest of the Maxwell children whose family intelligence legacy has produced sustained reporting on whether the Epstein-Maxwell operation functioned as an intelligence-linked compromise operation."
summary: "British socialite convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking a minor as Jeffrey Epstein's principal accomplice, daughter of Robert Maxwell, whose immunity appeal failed and whose 2025 Justice Department interview preceded a prison-camp transfer."
born: 1961-12-25
location: "Maisons-Laffitte, France (born)"
created: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Robert Maxwell]]"
role: "daughter"
fn: 2
- type: partner_of
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
role: "companion and principal accomplice"
start: 1991
end: 2019
fn: 1
- type: investigated
with: "[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]"
reverse: true
start: 2020-07-02
fn: 5
- type: prosecuted
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
reverse: true
start: 2020-06-29
end: 2024-09-17
fn: 5
- type: represented
with: "[[David Oscar Markus]]"
reverse: true
start: 2025
fn: 18
---
Ghislaine Maxwell (born December 25, 1961, in [[Maisons-Laffitte|Maisons-Laffitte]], [[France|France]]) is the British socialite convicted on December 29, 2021 in the [[U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York|U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York]] on five of six federal counts including sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor, for her role as [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein]]'s principal accomplice in the trafficking operation. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on June 28, 2022. She is the youngest daughter of the publishing mogul [[Robert Maxwell|Robert Maxwell]], who was credibly alleged across multiple documented sources to have operated as a [[Mossad|Mossad]]-connected intelligence asset, and whose family intelligence legacy has produced sustained reporting on whether the Epstein-Maxwell operation functioned as an intelligence-linked compromise operation.[^1][^2][^3]
### Early Life and the Path to Epstein
Ghislaine Maxwell was the youngest of the nine children of Robert Maxwell and the Holocaust scholar [[Elisabeth Maxwell|Elisabeth "Betty" Maxwell]], and was widely described as her father's favorite, the child after whom he named his yacht. She was educated at [[Marlborough College]] and [[Balliol College]], [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], and worked inside her father's business empire, taking public-facing roles connected to [[Oxford United]] football club and the newspaper The European. She moved in elite British and international social circles before her father's death.[^9]
Ghislaine Maxwell was the youngest of the nine children of Robert Maxwell and the Holocaust scholar [[Elisabeth Maxwell|Elisabeth "Betty" Maxwell]], and was widely described as her father's favorite, the child after whom he named his yacht. She was educated at [[Marlborough College]] and [[Balliol College]], [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], and worked inside her father's business empire, taking public-facing roles connected to [[Oxford United]] football club and the newspaper The European. She moved in elite British and international social circles before her father's death.[^4]
After Robert Maxwell drowned in November 1991 and his empire was found to have looted the Mirror Group pension funds, the family fortune and reputation collapsed, and Ghislaine relocated to New York. She reinvented herself there as a society fixer and met Epstein in the early 1990s. Their romantic relationship gave way to a working one in which she organized his households, staff, and social calendar, a role the 2021 trial identified as that of recruiter and procurer for the abuse operation.[^9]
After Robert Maxwell drowned in November 1991 and his empire was found to have looted the Mirror Group pension funds, the family fortune and reputation collapsed, and Ghislaine relocated to New York. She reinvented herself there as a society fixer and met Epstein in the early 1990s. Their romantic relationship gave way to a working one in which she organized his households, staff, and social calendar, a role the 2021 trial identified as that of recruiter and procurer for the abuse operation.[^4]
### Arrest, Indictment, and the Non-Prosecution Agreement Defense
A grand jury in the Southern District of New York returned a sealed indictment against Maxwell on June 29, 2020. It was unsealed on July 2, 2020, the day agents of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] arrested her at a property in [[New Hampshire]]. The original six counts charged her with facilitating Epstein's sexual abuse of minor victims "from around 1994 to 1997." A first superseding indictment, filed July 10, 2020, added two counts of perjury arising from her 2016 deposition testimony in [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]]. A second superseding indictment, filed March 29, 2021, added a sex trafficking conspiracy count and a count of sex trafficking of a minor, extended the charged conduct into the early 2000s, and renumbered the perjury counts as Counts Seven and Eight. On July 30, 2020, Judge [[Alison Nathan|Alison J. Nathan]] entered the protective order (ECF No. 36) that governed discovery in the case and that the government moved to modify five years later.[^5][^6]
Maxwell's lead pretrial motion, filed over the signatures of Mark S. Cohen of [[Cohen & Gresser]], Jeffrey S. Pagliuca and [[Laura Menninger|Laura A. Menninger]] of [[Haddon, Morgan and Foreman]], and Bobbi C. Sternheim, sought dismissal of the superseding indictment for breach 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]]. In consideration of Epstein's state guilty pleas, that agreement 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]]." Maxwell argued that she was a third-party beneficiary of the clause. Nathan denied the motion with the other pretrial motions in an opinion and order of April 16, 2021 (ECF No. 207).[^6][^7]
The [[Second Circuit]] panel that heard the appeal, Judges [[José A. Cabranes]], [[Richard C. Wesley]], and [[Raymond J. Lohier Jr.]], heard argument on March 12, 2024 and affirmed on September 17, 2024. Applying United States v. Annabi (1985), it held that "[a] plea agreement binds only the office of the United States Attorney for the district in which the plea is entered unless it affirmatively appears that the agreement contemplates a broader restriction," and it acknowledged that the circuits "have been split on this issue for decades." The panel found that "[n]othing before us indicates that USAO-SDNY had been notified or had approved of Epstein's NPA," that the United States Attorney's Manual in force during the negotiations barred any district from making an agreement binding another district without written approval from that district or the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, and that the Assistant Attorney General had told the [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] she "played no role" in the agreement. None of the four has been charged by any federal district.[^7]
The Office of Professional Responsibility's November 2020 report on the Florida resolution found that the U.S. Attorney who approved the agreement, [[Alexander Acosta|R. Alexander Acosta]], had not committed professional misconduct and that OPR "did not find evidence that his decision was based on corruption or other impermissible considerations, such as Epstein's wealth, status, or associations." It concluded that Acosta's decision to resolve the federal investigation through the agreement "constitutes poor judgment," that "the NPA was a flawed mechanism," and that he had "agreed to several unusual and problematic terms in the NPA without the consideration required under the circumstances." Acosta had by then served as Secretary of Labor under [[Donald Trump]] from 2017 until his resignation on July 12, 2019, six days after Epstein's arrest in New York.[^8]
### The Conviction
The federal trial in the Southern District of New York established that Maxwell was Epstein's "number two," who groomed and recruited underage girls (victims as young as 14), arranged travel for them across state lines, paid them to recruit additional victims, and normalized the abuse through her social position. Four victims testified under pseudonyms ("Jane," "Kate," "Carolyn," "Annie"). The jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts: conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor. The sixth count (perjury, related to a 2016 civil deposition) resulted in acquittal; those charges were subsequently dropped. The [[Second Circuit|Second Circuit]] denied Maxwell's appeal in September 2024.[^1][^4]
The federal trial in the Southern District of New York established that Maxwell was Epstein's "number two," who groomed and recruited underage girls (victims as young as 14), arranged travel for them across state lines, paid them to recruit additional victims, and normalized the abuse through her social position. Three accusers testified under pseudonyms ("Jane," "Kate," and "Carolyn"), and a fourth, [[Annie Farmer]], testified under her own name. The jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts: conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor. The jury acquitted her on Count Two, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. The two perjury counts, arising from her 2016 civil deposition, had been severed for a separate trial and were dismissed at sentencing.[^7] The Second Circuit denied Maxwell's appeal in September 2024.[^1][^9]
The trial ran from November 29 to December 29, 2021, before Judge [[Alison Nathan|Alison J. Nathan]]; the jury of six women and six men deliberated about 40 hours across parts of six days before returning the verdict.[^6] Maxwell moved for a new trial on January 19, 2022 under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33, after Juror No. 50 ("Scotty David") told media interviewers that his own childhood sexual abuse, which he had not disclosed on the jury questionnaire, had helped persuade fellow jurors; Nathan held an evidentiary hearing and denied the motion on April 1, 2022, finding the omission "highly unfortunate, but not deliberate" and the juror credibly unbiased.[^7] At the June 28, 2022 sentencing Nathan imposed an above-Guidelines term of 240 months, a five-year term of supervised release, and a 750,000 dollar fine; prosecutors did not seek restitution because the testifying victims had already been compensated through the Epstein Victim Compensation Program and civil settlements, and eight victims submitted impact statements, several reading them aloud.[^1] The Second Circuit affirmed on September 17, 2024 and denied rehearing on November 25, 2024.[^4]
The trial ran from November 29 to December 29, 2021, before Judge Alison J. Nathan; the jury of six women and six men deliberated about 40 hours across parts of six days before returning the verdict.[^10] Maxwell moved for a new trial on January 19, 2022 under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33, after Juror No. 50 ("Scotty David") told media interviewers that his own childhood sexual abuse, which he had not disclosed on the jury questionnaire, had helped persuade fellow jurors; Nathan held an evidentiary hearing and denied the motion on April 1, 2022, finding the omission "highly unfortunate, but not deliberate" and the juror credibly unbiased.[^11] At the June 28, 2022 sentencing Nathan imposed an above-Guidelines term of 240 months, a five-year term of supervised release, and a 750,000 dollar fine; prosecutors did not seek restitution because the testifying victims had already been compensated through the [[Epstein Victims' Compensation Program|Epstein Victim Compensation Program]] and civil settlements, and eight victims submitted impact statements, several reading them aloud.[^1] The Second Circuit affirmed on September 17, 2024 and denied rehearing on November 25, 2024.[^9]
During the trial Nathan admitted Government Exhibit 52, Epstein's contact book, over defense objections to its authentication and on hearsay grounds, in a memorandum opinion and order of December 9, 2021 (ECF No. 535). The authenticating witness was [[Juan Alessi]], the former house manager of the Palm Beach residence, who was examined by the government and questioned on voir dire by the defense on December 8, 2021. It was a copy of the same directory that a later house manager, [[Alfredo Rodriguez]], had been convicted in 2010 of concealing from federal investigators.[^12]
Juror 50 testified under a grant of immunity at a hearing on March 8, 2022 that his inaccurate answers to three questionnaire items on sexual abuse had been an inadvertent mistake. At sentencing Nathan calculated a Guidelines range of 188 to 235 months and imposed concurrent terms of 60 months on each conspiracy count, 120 months on the transportation count, and 240 months on the count of sex trafficking of a minor, with a fine of 250,000 dollars on each of three counts, for a total of 750,000 dollars. The four-level leadership enhancement rested in part on the testimony of two of Epstein's pilots that Sarah Kellen had been Maxwell's assistant, which Nathan found corroborated by other testimony that Maxwell was Epstein's "number two and the lady of the house" in Palm Beach. The Second Circuit upheld the enhancement and the sentence.[^7]
### The Recruitment Operation
The trial record and victim accounts established Maxwell as the operation's recruiter and the figure who normalized the abuse. She approached adolescent girls in ordinary settings, spas, shopping areas, and schools, befriended them, and brought them to Epstein under the cover of paid "massage" work that escalated into sexual abuse. She recruited [[Virginia Giuffre]] around 2000, when Giuffre was a teenage locker-room attendant at [[Mar-a-Lago]]. The operation ran as a pyramid in which victims were paid to recruit further victims, multiplying the number of girls cycled through the houses.[^10]
The trial record and victim accounts established Maxwell as the operation's recruiter and the figure who normalized the abuse. She approached adolescent girls in ordinary settings, spas, shopping areas, and schools, befriended them, and brought them to Epstein under the cover of paid "massage" work that escalated into sexual abuse. She recruited [[Virginia Giuffre]] around 2000, when Giuffre was a teenage locker-room attendant at [[Mar-a-Lago]]. The operation ran as a pyramid in which victims were paid to recruit further victims, multiplying the number of girls cycled through the houses.[^13]
Maxwell exercised operational control over the physical network. She managed Epstein's residences (the Manhattan townhouse, the [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] house, [[Little St. James]] in the Virgin Islands, the [[New Mexico]] ranch, and the Paris apartment), directed household staff, and coordinated travel on Epstein's aircraft. She maintained the contact directory known as the "little black book," which listed hundreds of names; a former house manager, [[Alfredo Rodriguez]], later attempted to sell a copy and was convicted of obstruction. Flight logs and staff testimony placed her at the center of the logistics.[^10]
Maxwell exercised operational control over the physical network. She managed Epstein's residences (the Manhattan townhouse, the [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] house, [[Little St. James]] in the Virgin Islands, the [[New Mexico]] ranch, and the Paris apartment), directed household staff, and coordinated travel on Epstein's aircraft. She maintained the contact directory known as the "little black book," which listed hundreds of names; a former house manager, Alfredo Rodriguez, later attempted to sell a copy and was convicted of obstruction. Flight logs and staff testimony placed her at the center of the logistics.[^13]
Her social standing opened the doors the operation depended on. She introduced Epstein into circles that included British royalty and American political figures, among them [[Prince Andrew]] and [[Bill Clinton]], and hosted at the properties. A March 2001 photograph taken at Maxwell's London home showed Andrew with his arm around Giuffre and Maxwell in the background, an image central to Giuffre's later civil suit against Andrew. The 2024 unsealing of the [[Giuffre v. Maxwell]] documents and the testimony of four pseudonymous accusers at the 2021 trial ("Jane," "Kate," "Carolyn," and "Annie") detailed the mechanics of how the recruitment and abuse were carried out.[^10]
Her social standing opened the doors the operation depended on. She introduced Epstein into circles that included British royalty and American political figures, among them [[Prince Andrew]] and [[Bill Clinton]], and hosted at the properties. A March 2001 photograph taken at Maxwell's London home showed Andrew with his arm around Giuffre and Maxwell in the background, an image central to Giuffre's later civil suit against Andrew. The 2024 unsealing of the Giuffre v. Maxwell documents and the testimony of four accusers at the 2021 trial (the pseudonymous "Jane," "Kate," and "Carolyn," and Annie Farmer) detailed the mechanics of how the recruitment and abuse were carried out.[^13]
### The Robert Maxwell Legacy
Robert Maxwell (born Jan Ludvik Hoch, 1923, in [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]]) was the British publishing mogul who controlled [[Mirror Group Newspapers|Mirror Group Newspapers]] and [[Pergamon Press|Pergamon Press]], served as a [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament]], and died on November 5, 1991, in a documented drowning at sea off his yacht *Lady Ghislaine* (named for his daughter) near the [[Canary Islands|Canary Islands]]. After his death, his empire was found to have looted approximately 460 million pounds from the Mirror Group pension fund.[^2][^3]
Robert Maxwell was accused across multiple documented sources of operating as an intelligence asset for Mossad, [[MI6|MI6]], and the [[KGB|KGB]]. The documented allegations include the distribution of modified [[PROMIS|PROMIS]] software to facilitate Israeli intelligence-gathering operations, involvement in the [[Mordechai Vanunu|Vanunu]] case, and the broader intelligence-community relationships documented by the journalists [[Gordon Thomas|Gordon Thomas]] (in *[[Gideon's Spies|Gideon's Spies]]*) and the BBC Select documentary "Robert Maxwell, the KGB and MI6." Robert Maxwell met the accusations with denials and legal threats. No intelligence service has officially confirmed him as an agent.[^2][^3]
Robert Maxwell was accused across multiple documented sources of operating as an intelligence asset for Mossad, [[MI6|MI6]], and the [[KGB|KGB]]. The documented allegations include the distribution of modified [[PROMIS|PROMIS]] software to facilitate Israeli intelligence-gathering operations, involvement in the [[Mordechai Vanunu|Vanunu]] case, and the broader intelligence-community relationships documented by the journalists [[Gordon Thomas|Gordon Thomas]] (in *[[Gideon's Spies|Gideon's Spies]]*) and the [[BBC]] Select documentary "Robert Maxwell, the KGB and MI6." Robert Maxwell met the accusations with denials and legal threats. No intelligence service has officially confirmed him as an agent.[^2][^3]
### The Intelligence-Operation Question
Ghislaine Maxwell moved to [[New York|New York]] in 1991 after her father's death and the collapse of the family's reputation, reportedly with a financial settlement from the family estate. She met Epstein shortly after. Her lawyers have argued that her father's death "set her on a path" toward Epstein. The documented combination of Robert Maxwell's intelligence legacy, Ghislaine's role as Epstein's social partner and the principal recruiter of the trafficking operation, the documented [[Ehud Barak|Israeli-intelligence]] contacts through Epstein, and the broader pattern of Epstein's relationships with intelligence officials ([[William Burns]]) and technology principals ([[Peter Thiel|Thiel]], [[Elon Musk|Musk]]) has produced the recurring analytical question of whether the Epstein-Maxwell operation functioned as an intelligence-linked compromise or "honeypot" operation. The question is not confirmed in any primary document and is flagged here as a documented analytical thread.[^3][^5]
Ghislaine Maxwell moved to [[New York|New York]] in 1991 after her father's death and the collapse of the family's reputation, reportedly with a financial settlement from the family estate. She met Epstein shortly after. Her lawyers have argued that her father's death "set her on a path" toward Epstein. The documented combination of Robert Maxwell's intelligence legacy, Ghislaine's role as Epstein's social partner and the principal recruiter of the trafficking operation, the documented [[Ehud Barak|Israeli-intelligence]] contacts through Epstein, and the broader pattern of Epstein's relationships with intelligence officials ([[William Burns]]) and technology principals ([[Peter Thiel|Thiel]], [[Elon Musk|Musk]]) has produced the recurring analytical question of whether the Epstein-Maxwell operation functioned as an intelligence-linked compromise or "honeypot" operation. The question is not confirmed in any primary document and is flagged here as a documented analytical thread.[^3][^14]
The strongest version of the intelligence claim traces to Ari Ben-Menashe, a self-described former Israeli Military Intelligence figure, who alleged in interviews and in his book *Profits of War* (1992) that Robert Maxwell was a "full-service" Mossad asset and that Epstein and Ghislaine were introduced into Israeli intelligence work through the Maxwell connection.[^8] Ben-Menashe's reliability is contested: his account is uncorroborated by any declassified file, he has made other claims that proved unverifiable, and no intelligence service has confirmed any of it, so the assertion that Ghislaine inherited her father's intelligence ties is reported allegation rather than established fact.[^8] What is documented in the trial record and contemporaneous reporting is narrower: that Maxwell maintained the social access (to figures including Prince Andrew and a transatlantic donor class) through which Epstein's operation functioned, and that Epstein separately cultivated relationships with Barak and others. Whether that access was directed by any service, or was simply the by-product of inherited wealth and connections weaponized for blackmail-adjacent leverage, remains unproven in any primary source.[^3][^5]
The strongest version of the intelligence claim traces to [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-described former Israeli Military Intelligence figure, who alleged in interviews and in his book *Profits of War* (1992) that Robert Maxwell was a "full-service" Mossad asset and that Epstein and Ghislaine were introduced into Israeli intelligence work through the Maxwell connection.[^15] Ben-Menashe's reliability is contested: his account is uncorroborated by any declassified file, he has made other claims that proved unverifiable, and no intelligence service has confirmed any of it, so the assertion that Ghislaine inherited her father's intelligence ties is reported allegation rather than established fact.[^15] What is documented in the trial record and contemporaneous reporting is narrower: that Maxwell maintained the social access (to figures including Prince Andrew and a transatlantic donor class) through which Epstein's operation functioned, and that Epstein separately cultivated relationships with Barak and others. Whether that access was directed by any service, or was simply the by-product of inherited wealth and connections weaponized for blackmail-adjacent leverage, remains unproven in any primary source.[^3][^14]
### The 2025 Justice Department Interview and Transfer
In late July 2025 the Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]], who had previously served as [[Donald Trump|Donald Trump's]] personal defense attorney, interviewed Maxwell over two days at the federal correctional institution in [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] under a grant of limited proffer immunity. The Justice Department released a 337-page transcript on August 22, 2025. In it Maxwell discussed Trump, Prince Andrew, and other prominent men associated with Epstein and largely spoke of them in exculpatory terms, while declining to confirm the central allegations against several figures. The interview was conducted while the Trump administration was managing the contested release of the Epstein files, and critics characterized it as an effort to shape the public record.[^11]
On July 18, 2025, Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]], who had previously served as Donald Trump's personal criminal defense attorney, entered a notice of appearance for the United States in Maxwell's closed criminal case (ECF No. 784) and on the same day personally filed a motion to unseal the grand jury transcripts (ECF No. 785). Maxwell's counsel Melissa Madrigal responded on July 22 regarding the defense's review of the grand jury transcripts (ECF No. 793). Judge [[Paul Engelmayer|Paul A. Engelmayer]], to whom the case had passed after Nathan's elevation to the Second Circuit, denied the motion on August 11, 2025 (ECF No. 809), holding that Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) barred disclosure and that the circuit's "special circumstances" exception did not apply.[^16]
On July 22, 2025, between Blanche's motion and his interview, an internal email chain in which one participant's signature reads "FBI NY Violent Crime Threat" compiled a history of the case. It recorded that Maxwell "was first mentioned in the case file on 04/23/2019," that victim interviews described her befriending minor victims and instructing them "on how to massage Epstein, to include sexual contact," and that "SDNY proffered Maxwell with her Defense counsel prior to indictment." The requester asked for draft "proffer 302s," noting that "SDNY kept notes," and asked how many victims had complained about her; the answer was "4 victims that testified and 1 additional victim that did not testify (5 total). Other women named GM but they weren't necessarily determined to be victims of this case." Of the untried perjury counts the chain stated that "After the conviction, the perjury charges were dropped to prevent the victims from testifying in another trial." For the status of her appeal it relied on the trial prosecutor [[Maurene Comey]], who had been dismissed six days earlier.[^17]
Blanche questioned Maxwell over two days in [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] beginning at 10:12 a.m. on July 24, 2025. Present for the government were Blanche, Acting Associate Deputy Attorney General Diego Pestana, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spencer Horn of the New York field office, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Mark Beard; present for Maxwell were her attorneys [[David Oscar Markus]], Leah Saffian, and Melissa Madrigal. Blanche described the terms on the record: "whatever you talk about today, you have what's called immunity. So that means that the words that you say today, we cannot use against you in a case in chief, if we were ever to bring one," with an exception for false statements. Asked what she had observed of Trump's relationship with her and Epstein, Maxwell said she had met Trump through her father in the 1990s, that "President Trump was always very cordial and very kind to me," and that "I admire his extraordinary achievement in becoming the President now. And I like him, and I've always liked him." Of Epstein and Trump she said: "I don't know how they met, and I don't know how they became friends." The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] posted redacted transcripts of both days on August 22, 2025; the first day's transcript runs 263 pages. In the interview Maxwell largely spoke of prominent men associated with Epstein in exculpatory terms.[^18][^19]
On August 1, 2025, roughly one week after the interview, the [[Federal Bureau of Prisons|Bureau of Prisons]] moved Maxwell from the low-security federal correctional institution at Tallahassee to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]] in Texas. Former Bureau of Prisons officials called the transfer "highly unusual" for an inmate convicted of a sex offense with more than ten years left to serve, and residents of Bryan protested her arrival.[^19] On August 7, 2025, Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]], ranking member of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee|Senate Judiciary]] Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, wrote to Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III that "Ms. Maxwell's abrupt transfer raises questions about whether she has been given special treatment in exchange for political favors." The letter noted that such an interview "would ordinarily be conducted by an FBI agent or member of the local U.S. Attorney's Office, not the Deputy Attorney General," and that it was "doubly unusual because of Mr. Blanche's former role as President Trump's personal criminal attorney" and the [[Wall Street Journal]] report of July 17, 2025 that Maxwell had assembled a fiftieth-birthday book for Epstein containing a personal note from Trump. Whitehouse cited Bureau of Prisons Program Statement 5100.08, under which inmates with a sex-offense history are housed "at a minimum, at low-security facilities" absent a waiver from Bureau officials in Grand Prairie, Texas, and requested Maxwell's security point score and "Management Variables" as of June 1 and August 1, 2025, by August 28. The Bureau of Prisons did not provide a detailed public rationale.[^19][^20]
Maxwell's attorneys had petitioned the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] on April 10, 2025, after Justice [[Sonia Sotomayor]] extended the filing deadline (Application No. 24A709), presenting the question whether "under Santobello v. New York and common principles of contract interpretation, does a promise on behalf of the 'United States' or the 'Government' that is made by a United States Attorney in one district bind federal prosecutors in other districts?" The government filed its opposition on July 14, 2025, ten days before the interview, and Maxwell replied on July 28. The Court denied certiorari on October 6, 2025 (No. 24-1073). She separately offered to testify before the [[House Oversight Committee]], which had subpoenaed her, on the condition that she receive immunity, a condition that was not granted.[^19][^21]
### The Grand Jury Materials and the Epstein Files Transparency Act
The [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] (Pub. L. No. 119-38, 139 Stat. 656), enacted November 19, 2025, directed the Attorney General to release "all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" relating to Epstein within thirty days, subject to an exception for information identifying victims, and barred withholding or redaction to protect "politically exposed persons." On November 24, 2025, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley renewed the government's motion to unseal the Maxwell grand jury materials, now citing the Act (ECF No. 810). Engelmayer set an expedited schedule that included submissions from victims through a dedicated Justice Department mailbox (ECF No. 811), docketed three redacted victim letters on December 5 (ECF No. 818), and on December 9, 2025 granted the motion and modified the July 30, 2020 protective order, subject to the Act's victim-privacy provision (ECF No. 820).[^22]
On January 13, 2026, Representatives [[Thomas Massie]] and [[Ro Khanna]], the Act's co-sponsors, moved to participate as amici curiae in the closed case and asked the court to appoint "a special master or independent monitor" to supervise the Justice Department's compliance (ECF Nos. 837, 838). They told the court that as of January 5, 2026, more than two weeks after the statutory deadline of December 19, 2025, the Department had "publicly released only 12,285 documents," with "more than 2 million documents potentially responsive to the Act in various phases of review," and that it had missed the Act's fifteen-day reporting deadline to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, invoked privileges the Act did not permit, redacted in a manner inconsistent with its bar on shielding "politically exposed persons," and withdrawn some files after release. Their brief concluded: "DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act." Letters from victims transmitted through the government, including one from [[Haley Robson]] docketed on January 20, 2026 (ECF No. 843), were cited in support. Engelmayer denied the motion on January 21, 2026 (ECF No. 844), holding that "[t]his federal criminal case does not give the Court jurisdiction over, or authority to supervise, DOJ's compliance with the EFTA, a civil records-disclosure statute," and that amici may not inject issues no party has raised; he did not address the substance of the representatives' account. Status letters on the Department's review process followed on January 15 and January 31, 2026 over the name of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, [[Jay Clayton]] (ECF Nos. 839, 847).[^23][^24]
### Correspondence in the Epstein Library
On December 8, 2009, five months after Epstein's release from the Palm Beach stockade, a correspondent signing "Gmax" wrote to Epstein's email address: "If you call I'd start by saying what ever you saw was fake and part of a blackmail scheme...." The message does not say what had been seen or who was to be called.[^25]
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 person who described himself as a former [[Cantor Fitzgerald]] compliance employee and who alleged money laundering by [[Howard Lutnick]]; the form records the caller as saying that "Maxwell and Sarah Ferguson, a royal family member, host events called La Dolce Vita Parties, where high profile celebrities and executives contribute large donations to attend," and that Lutnick had made "huge donations" to them. The form records these as the caller's statements, without findings, and notes that "Queries were not conducted on Epstein and Maxwell due to the sensitive nature of the case."[^26]
### Collateral Attack
On December 17, 2025, Maxwell filed a pro se motion to vacate her sentence under 28 U.S.C. section 2255 (ECF No. 830), opened as the companion civil matters Maxwell v. United States, Nos. 1:25-cv-10464 and 1:25-cv-10468. Engelmayer's January 2026 opinion described the criminal case as "effectively closed," with the section 2255 motion "the only outstanding item." The government's letters of February 12 and April 21, 2026 (ECF Nos. 852, 856) concerned the briefing schedule for its response, and the docket remained active in July 2026 (ECF No. 866).[^23][^27]
Days after the interview, on August 1, 2025, Maxwell was moved from the Tallahassee facility to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]] in Texas. Former Bureau of Prisons officials called the transfer "highly unusual" for an inmate convicted of a sex offense with more than ten years left to serve, since prison camps ordinarily exclude both categories. Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] demanded documents explaining the decision, and residents of Bryan protested her arrival. The Bureau of Prisons did not provide a detailed public rationale.[^11]
Maxwell pursued parallel efforts to overturn or shorten her sentence. Her attorneys petitioned the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] to vacate the conviction, arguing that the co-conspirator immunity clause in Epstein's 2007 [[non-prosecution agreement]] with the Southern District of Florida barred her later prosecution anywhere in the country; the Court denied certiorari in October 2025. She separately offered to testify before the [[House Oversight Committee]], which had subpoenaed her, on the condition that she receive immunity, a condition that was not granted.[^11]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "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
[^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]: Thomas, Gordon. *Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad.* St. Martin's Press.
[^4]: "Ghislaine Maxwell loses sex trafficking appeal." *BBC,* September 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0glxd0gxko
[^5]: For the Epstein-Barak Israeli-intelligence channel and the Epstein-Burns CIA-director contacts, see the Jeffrey Epstein, Ehud Barak, and William Burns pages.
[^6]: "Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Jury finds she sex trafficked a minor for Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five of six counts." *CNN,* December 29, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/us/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-wednesday
[^7]: United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (AJN), Opinion and Order denying motion for new trial (S.D.N.Y. April 1, 2022). See also "Juror's omissions will not trigger Ghislaine Maxwell retrial." *Courthouse News Service.* https://www.courthousenews.com/jurors-omissions-will-not-trigger-ghislaine-maxwell-retrial/
[^8]: 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; see also Thomas, *Gideon's Spies* (note 3).
[^9]: For Maxwell's family, education, and move to New York, see "Ghislaine Maxwell: The British socialite who became Epstein's confidante." *BBC,* December 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53100417 and the contemporaneous biographical reporting.
[^10]: For the recruitment mechanics, the contact directory, and the victim testimony, see the trial record in United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (S.D.N.Y. 2021), the January 2024 unsealing of Giuffre v. Maxwell exhibits before Judge Loretta Preska, and the Alfredo Rodriguez obstruction case (S.D. Fla.).
[^11]: "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 ; "Supreme Court declines to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal." *SCOTUSblog,* October 2025. https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/10/supreme-court-declines-to-hear-ghislaine-maxwells-appeal/
[^4]: For Maxwell's family, education, and move to New York, see "Ghislaine Maxwell: The British socialite who became Epstein's confidante." *BBC,* December 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53100417 and the contemporaneous biographical reporting.
[^5]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Indictment (filed under seal June 29, 2020, unsealed July 2, 2020); S1 Superseding Indictment (July 10, 2020); S2 Superseding Indictment (March 29, 2021); Protective Order, ECF No. 36 (July 30, 2020). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^6]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Notice of Motion to Dismiss Superseding Indictment for Breach of Non-Prosecution Agreement, ECF No. 141 (filed Feb. 4, 2021). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.141.0.pdf ; Opinion and Order, ECF No. 207 (April 16, 2021). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^7]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 3-4, 6-12, 23-25 (2d Cir. Sept. 17, 2024) (Cabranes, Wesley, Lohier, JJ.), reported at 118 F.4th 256, quoting the NPA at A-178 and United States v. Annabi, 771 F.2d 670, 672 (2d Cir. 1985). https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2024/09/17/united_states_v._maxwell.pdf
[^8]: 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://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl (archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260623200353id_/https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl)
[^9]: "Ghislaine Maxwell loses sex trafficking appeal." *BBC,* September 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0glxd0gxko
[^10]: "Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Jury finds she sex trafficked a minor for Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five of six counts." *CNN,* December 29, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/us/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-wednesday
[^11]: United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (AJN), Opinion and Order denying motion for new trial (S.D.N.Y. April 1, 2022). See also "Juror's omissions will not trigger Ghislaine Maxwell retrial." *Courthouse News Service.* https://www.courthousenews.com/jurors-omissions-will-not-trigger-ghislaine-maxwell-retrial/
[^12]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Memorandum Opinion and Order re Government Exhibit 52, ECF No. 535 (Dec. 9, 2021). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^13]: For the recruitment mechanics, the contact directory, and the victim testimony, see the trial record in United States v. Maxwell, 20 Cr. 330 (S.D.N.Y. 2021), the January 2024 unsealing of Giuffre v. Maxwell exhibits before Judge Loretta Preska, and the Alfredo Rodriguez obstruction case (S.D. Fla.).
[^14]: For the Epstein-Barak Israeli-intelligence channel and the Epstein-Burns CIA-director contacts, see the Jeffrey Epstein, Ehud Barak, and William Burns pages.
[^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; see also Thomas, *Gideon's Spies* (note 3).
[^16]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Notice of Attorney Appearance (Todd Blanche), ECF No. 784 (July 18, 2025); Motion to Unseal, ECF No. 785 (July 18, 2025); defense letter, ECF No. 793 (July 22, 2025); Opinion and Order, ECF No. 809 (Aug. 11, 2025), reported at 794 F. Supp. 3d 215, 225-29 (S.D.N.Y. 2025). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^17]: 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
[^18]: U.S. Department of Justice, "Interview Transcript, Maxwell, 2025.07.24 (Redacted)," Day 1, 263 pp. https://www.justice.gov/storage/audio-files/Interview%20Transcript/Interview%20Transcript%20-%20Maxwell%202025.07.24%20(Redacted).pdf ; landing page https://www.justice.gov/maxwell-interview
[^19]: "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 ; "Supreme Court declines to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal." *SCOTUSblog,* October 2025. https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/10/supreme-court-declines-to-hear-ghislaine-maxwells-appeal/
[^20]: 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
[^21]: Maxwell v. United States, No. 24-1073 (U.S.), Application No. 24A709 (extension granted Jan. 21, 2025); Petition for a Writ of Certiorari (April 10, 2025); Brief for the United States in Opposition (July 14, 2025); Reply (July 28, 2025); certiorari denied, 146 S. Ct. 93 (Oct. 6, 2025). https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-1073.html ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures/court-records-maxwell-v-united-states-no-24-1073-us-2025-petition-cert
[^22]: Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, 139 Stat. 656 (Nov. 19, 2025); United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Renewed Motion to Unseal, ECF No. 810 (Nov. 24, 2025); Order, ECF No. 811 (Nov. 24, 2025); victim letters, ECF No. 818 (Dec. 5, 2025); Opinion and Order, ECF No. 820 (Dec. 9, 2025), 2025 WL 3522378. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^23]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 21, 2026), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844, denying motion of Reps. Massie and Khanna (ECF Nos. 837, 838). https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
[^24]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), letters re Epstein Files Transparency Act review, ECF No. 839 (Jan. 15, 2026) and ECF No. 847 (Jan. 31, 2026); letter transmitting correspondence from Haley Robson, ECF No. 843 (Jan. 20, 2026). On Robson's public account of her role, see "Jeffrey Epstein accuser reflects on being a sex trafficking victim, and recruiting other girls," *CBS News.* https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-accuser-sex-trafficking-haley-robson/ https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^25]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02434764, DataSet 11, email, "Gmax" to jeevacation@gmail.com, December 8, 2009. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02434764.pdf
[^26]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01249210, DataSet 9, 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. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01249210.pdf
[^27]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), Pro Se Motion to Vacate under 28 U.S.C. 2255, ECF No. 830 (Dec. 17, 2025); Maxwell v. United States, Nos. 1:25-cv-10464, 1:25-cv-10468 (S.D.N.Y. filed Dec. 17, 2025); government letters, ECF No. 852 (Feb. 12, 2026), ECF No. 856 (April 21, 2026); ECF No. 866 (July 31, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/

94
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Howard Lutnick.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
---
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- HowardLutnick
- CantorFitzgerald
- CommerceDepartment
- JeffreyEpstein
- TrumpAdministration
- Finance
alias:
- Howard Lutnick
- Howard W. Lutnick
summary: "Howard Lutnick is the Cantor Fitzgerald chairman and U.S. Secretary of Commerce who bought a house Jeffrey Epstein had sold, co-invested with him in 2012, and told the press their contact ended in 2005."
born: 1961-07-14
location: "New York, New York"
relations:
- type: head_of
with: "[[Cantor Fitzgerald]]"
role: "president and chief executive from 1991; chairman from 1996"
start: 1991
fn: 1
- type: head_of
with: "[[United States Department of Commerce]]"
role: "Secretary of Commerce"
start: 2025-02-21
fn: 2
- type: appointed
with: "[[Donald Trump]]"
reverse: true
role: "nominated as Secretary of Commerce"
start: 2025
fn: 2
- type: partner_of
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
role: "co-investors in Adfin through separate LLCs (CVAFH I and Southern Trust Company)"
start: 2012-12-28
end: 2014
fn: 1
- type: subject_of
with: "[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]"
role: "FD-71A Guardian complaint alleging money laundering, filed under the Epstein case number"
start: 2020-10-14
fn: 6
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Howard Lutnick is an American financier who has led the brokerage and investment bank [[Cantor Fitzgerald]] since 1991 and who became [[United States Department of Commerce|Secretary of Commerce]] in the second administration of [[Donald Trump]] in February 2025.[^1][^2] For more than a decade he lived next door to [[Jeffrey Epstein]] on East 71st Street in [[Manhattan]], in a house that Epstein had sold in 1996 to an entity that resold it to Lutnick two years later. In October 2025 Lutnick said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005; documents released by the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] in early 2026 showed correspondence through 2018, a family visit to [[Little St. James]] in December 2012, and a joint investment in an advertising-technology company signed four days after that visit.[^1][^3]
### Cantor Fitzgerald and the Commerce Department
Lutnick became president and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald in 1991 and chairman in 1996.[^1] The firm's venture arm, Cantor Ventures, is its venture-capital subsidiary.[^1] Trump nominated Lutnick as Secretary of Commerce after the 2024 election, and he took office in February 2025, with responsibility for trade policy, export controls, and the department's technology-standards bodies, including the [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] and the [[U.S. AI Safety Institute]].[^2]
### The House on East 71st Street
In 1996 Epstein sold the property at 11 East 71st Street to an entity called Comet Trust. In 1998 Comet Trust sold it to Lutnick, and it became his primary residence, adjoining Epstein's own mansion on the same block.[^1] The houses stand near the [[Frick Collection]]. In 2018 Lutnick wrote to Epstein about the museum's planned expansion, warning that it might "block your sunlight and views," and pressed him: "You should put in a letter. I'm sending a lawyer. Don't ignore this."[^1]
### The 2005 Account
In October 2025 Lutnick told the [[New York Post]] that he and his wife, Allison, had cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after touring Epstein's townhouse, and said, "I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again."[^1]
### The Correspondence After 2005
The released emails show Lutnick and Epstein arranging calls and planning drinks in 2011.[^1] On April 4, 2011, Epstein's assistant [[Lesley Groff]] told him, "Howard Lutnick returned your call." On April 27 she wrote that Lutnick "will come see you at 5pm on Sunday May 1st," and Epstein's calendar for May 1, 2011 reads "5:00 Drinks w/Howard Lutnick."[^4] On November 20, 2012, Groff wrote to Lutnick: "Jeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St. Thomas some over the holidays," passing on Epstein's telephone numbers and naming as contacts the staff of his St. Thomas office, "FTC," the [[Financial Trust Company]]. Calendar alerts of December 20 and 21, 2012 read "can Howard Lutnick do lunch Sat or Sun on JE's island?" and "can Howard Lutnick do lunch on Sat. 22nd or Sun. 23rd?"[^5] In December 2012 Lutnick, his wife, and their four children planned a visit to Little St. James, and Lutnick was invited to lunch there on December 24, 2012; afterward Epstein's assistant wrote to Lutnick on Epstein's behalf, "it was nice seeing you."[^1]
On December 28, 2012, four days after the lunch, Lutnick and Epstein each signed, on behalf of limited liability companies, a contract to acquire stakes in Adfin, an advertising-technology company since shut down. Epstein signed for [[Southern Trust Company]], Inc., the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] entity through which he conducted much of his business; Lutnick signed for an LLC named CVAFH I. Their signatures appear on neighboring pages, and the document lists nine shareholders.[^1] A person close to Lutnick told CBS News that "Cantor was a small minority investor in Adfin" and that Lutnick "would not have any knowledge of who the other investors were."[^1] Adfin correspondence continued into 2014, when the shareholder David Mitchell wrote to Epstein about further fundraising involving Cantor Ventures.[^1]
On January 8, 2013, eleven days after the signing, Epstein had his assistant forward Lutnick a document concerning casino legislation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein kept his island and a range of business interests. A Lutnick spokesperson said he "ignored the document sent to him."[^1] In 2017 Epstein agreed to give 50,000 dollars to a dinner honoring Lutnick organized in part by the hedge-fund manager [[John Paulson]]; Epstein wrote to Paulson, "hope pr is ok," and declined the table his donation bought, telling Paulson that Lutnick could fill the seats.[^1]
### The 2020 FBI Complaint
On October 14, 2020, a caller who described himself as a former compliance employee of BGC and Cantor Fitzgerald, responsible for "reviewing, reporting, and compliance for all of North America," telephoned the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s National Threat Operations Center to report alleged money laundering by Lutnick "via BGC Financial and Cantor Fitzgerald." The FBI recorded the call on an FD-71A Guardian complaint form dated April 23, 2021, filed under a money-laundering zero file and under case 50D-NY-3027571, "EPSTEIN, JEFFREY; CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING."[^6]
The caller said he had become a whistleblower after uncovering "fraud, money laundering, Ponzi schemes, and regulatory breaches," described a "global Ponzi share" scheme in which more than 3,500 BGC employees were "forced to contribute 10% of their earnings," and said Lutnick "is deeply rooted to the royal family" and used his charities as a "smokescreen." He said he believed he had documents "which could link Lutnick to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell": that [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] and [[Sarah Ferguson]] hosted "La Dolce Vita Parties" to which Lutnick made "huge donations," and that "Epstein also sold Lutnick a house for $10 dollars through a trust fund, which was then sold for millions shortly after prior to the money going overseas." He called Lutnick's gifts to [[Haverford College]] suspicious but "cannot prove any illegal activity concerning this aspect."[^6] The recorded conveyance of 11 East 71st Street ran from Epstein to Comet Trust in 1996 and from Comet Trust to Lutnick in 1998.[^1]
The FBI's own queries found that Sentinel and Guardian searches for Lutnick "revealed 26 results in the NY division case files," including a restricted closed case "concerning money laundering" and a control file "concerning a RICO violations/real estate scheme," and that a DIVS query "revealed 34 results, including three SAR's." The form notes: "Queries were not conducted on Epstein and Maxwell due to the sensitive nature of the case."[^6] No charge against Lutnick has been reported, and the Commerce Department has said he "has never been accused of wrongdoing."[^1]
### Senate and House Questioning
At a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on February 10, 2026, Lutnick acknowledged the 2012 island visit, saying, "My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies," and that after first meeting Epstein as a neighbor, "Over the next 14 years, I met him two other times that I can recall."[^3] Senator [[Chris Van Hollen]], the subcommittee's ranking member, told him that "the issue is not that you engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein, but that you totally misrepresented the extent of your relationship with him to the Congress, to the American people, and to the survivors of his despicable criminal and predatory acts."[^3] Senator [[Jeff Merkley]] listed eight interactions in the files after 2005, including a possible telephone call and an effort to schedule drinks, and said the planned family trip "sounds like somebody you know well enough to call up."[^3] Senator [[Jacky Rosen]] called the same day for his resignation, saying he had "clearly misled the American people."[^7] Representative [[Robert Garcia]], ranking member of the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]], said: "He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, yet we now know they were in business together."[^1]
The Commerce Department's statement called the reporting "nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration's accomplishments" and said that "Secretary Lutnick had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing."[^1] In a closed-door House Oversight interview whose transcript was released in May 2026, Lutnick said he had "no recollection of anything being discussed" on the island, adding, "If you said chitchat, I'd go with that," and "'Discussed' sounds like there was like a discussion, which I don't think there was."[^8] He remained in office.
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ruetenik, Daniel, and Graham Kates. "Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show." *CBS News,* updated February 7, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-in-business-together/
[^2]: U.S. Department of Commerce, leadership biography of Howard Lutnick. https://www.commerce.gov/about/leadership/howard-lutnick
[^3]: "Under fire for Epstein ties, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defends visiting his private island." *NBC News,* February 10, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-island-rcna258333
[^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00654552, DataSet 9, email from Lesley Groff to Jeffrey Epstein, April 4, 2011; EFTA01868626, DataSet 10, email from Lesley Groff, "Howard Lutnick Sunday 5pm," April 27, 2011; EFTA02189429, DataSet 10, calendar alarm "5:00 Drinks w/Howard Lutnick," May 1, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00654552.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01868626.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02189429.pdf
[^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00401048, DataSet 9, email from Lesley Groff to Howard Lutnick, November 20, 2012; EFTA02152992, DataSet 10, calendar alert, December 20, 2012; EFTA02152944, DataSet 10, calendar alert, December 21, 2012. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00401048.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152944.pdf
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01249210, DataSet 9, FBI FD-71A Guardian Complaint Form, "Alleged Money Laundering by Howard Lutnick via BGC Financial and Cantor Fitzgerald," April 23, 2021. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01249210.pdf
[^7]: Office of Senator Jacky Rosen, press release calling for Lutnick's resignation, February 10, 2026. https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/02/10/after-secretary-of-commerce-howard-lutnick-admits-to-visiting-jeffrey-epsteins-island-in-2012-rosen-calls-for-his-resignation/
[^8]: *MS NOW,* May 2026, on the released transcript of Lutnick's House Oversight interview. https://www.ms.now/news/howard-lutnick-minimizes-epstein-island-visit-in-newly-released-testimony-transcript

82
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/John de Jongh.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
---
category: "Political Figure"
tags:
- Person
- VirginIslands
- Governor
- JeffreyEpstein
- Embezzlement
- GovernmentCapture
- EconomicDevelopmentCommission
alias:
- John de Jongh Jr.
- John P. de Jongh
- John P. de Jongh Jr.
- John deJongh
- John deJongh Jr.
- John DeJongh
- Governor John de Jongh
summary: "John de Jongh Jr. was the two-term governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2015, whose wife managed Jeffrey Epstein's territorial office and whose 2015 embezzlement prosecution ended in a settlement."
location: "Estate Mafolie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands"
relations:
- type: head_of
with: "[[Government of the United States Virgin Islands]]"
start: 2007-01
end: 2015-01-05
role: "governor"
fn: 1
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[Cecile de Jongh]]"
role: "husband"
fn: 7
- type: appointed
with: "[[Albert Bryan]]"
start: 2007-05-03
end: 2015-01-05
role: "Commissioner of Labor"
fn: 5
- type: prosecuted
with: "[[Claude Walker]]"
reverse: true
start: 2015-08-18
end: 2016-01-22
role: "acting attorney general, embezzlement charges dismissed with prejudice"
fn: 2
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
John P. de Jongh Jr. was the governor of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] for two terms, from 2007 to January 2015. Throughout both terms his wife, [[Cecile de Jongh]], was office manager of [[Jeffrey Epstein|Jeffrey Epstein's]] territorial companies, [[Financial Trust Company]] and [[Southern Trust Company]], which held tax-incentive certificates from the [[Economic Development Commission]]; he and his Commissioner of Labor, [[Albert Bryan]], who chaired that commission, both signed off on an extension of Southern Trust's benefits. In August 2015 the administration of his successor, [[Kenneth Mapp]], had him arrested on territorial embezzlement charges over about 490,000 dollars in public highway funds spent on security at his private home; the charges were dismissed with prejudice in January 2016 after he paid 380,000 dollars.[^1][^2][^3]
### Governor, 2007 to 2015
De Jongh took office in 2007 and declined to move into the governor's official residence at Estate Catherineberg, remaining at his private house at Estate Mafolie on [[St. Thomas]]. He said renovating Catherineberg for a family would have required more than a year of work at an estimated cost above 1.5 million dollars plus 80,000 dollars a year in housing expenses. He appointed Bryan Commissioner of Labor on May 3, 2007, and Bryan served through the end of his administration. De Jongh defeated Mapp in the 2010 election for a second term.[^1][^2][^4][^5][^6]
### Epstein and the First Lady
Cecile de Jongh drew her salary from Epstein's companies while serving as First Lady, earning more than 200,000 dollars in 2007, the year her husband took office; the employment was reported in 2012. That year a Washington reporter asked Government House whether she had helped Financial Trust obtain its tax benefits. She drafted a response for Epstein stating that she worked "in the capacity of office manager" and "had nothing to do with Financial Trust Company receiving EDC tax benefits"; when Epstein suggested simply stating that she was an office manager, she replied, "That's what John went with." [[JPMorgan Chase]] later alleged in court that Epstein paid tuition for the couple's children and that she asked him to help fund her husband's re-election.[^7][^8][^9]
The Economic Development Commission certificate for Southern Trust, signed by Bryan as chairman, is dated January 24, 2014. That day Cecile de Jongh asked Epstein to match 15,000 dollars she had raised for "John's final State of the Territory reception," writing that "John and I will cover the balance," and an hour later asked Epstein's accountant [[Richard Kahn]] to prepare a 15,000 dollar check "payable to Governor's Special Events Fund." Bryan and de Jongh both signed off on an extension of Epstein's Southern Trust benefits.[^3][^10]
Registered sex offenders in the territory must generally give 21 days' notice of travel. A prior Attorney General, [[Vincent Frazer]], had allowed Epstein to give 24 hours' notice. The later Attorney General [[Denise George]] told the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] in 2023 that she "believed that Frazer was pressured by then Governor John De Jongh." The arrangement was rescinded in March 2019.[^3][^9]
### The Mafolie Prosecution
Beginning in 2007 the Department of Public Works spent more than 490,000 dollars on a fence, a guardhouse, and a camera system at the Mafolie house, after obtaining an opinion from the territorial Attorney General's office that the work was permissible if it served the public interest. In 2010 the [[Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior|U.S. Interior Department Inspector General]] concluded that the renovations "usurped the Legislature's authority to determine how to spend public funds" and that the money should be returned. In April 2015, after leaving office, de Jongh paid the Department of Property and Procurement 202,832.60 dollars, which he said was the appraised fair-market value of the improvements; in May the Mapp administration's Acting Attorney General [[Terri Griffiths]] returned the payment as less than the 497,000.25 dollars the Inspector General had found owed.[^1][^2][^4]
On August 18, 2015, Acting Attorney General [[Claude Walker]] announced the arrest of de Jongh and [[Julito Francis]], former director of the [[Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority]], on two counts each of embezzlement of public monies and neglecting to pay over public monies, alleging that between April 2007 and January 2009 they "acted in concert" to convert 490,000 dollars of highway funds to improvements at the governor's private residence "without authority of law." The arrest was carried out solely by the territorial Department of Justice; asked why federal authorities were not involved, Walker did not have an answer. De Jongh pleaded not guilty on September 3, 2015, saying every step "was taken with full transparency and in adherence to standard government procedures on procurement."[^1][^4]
In a November 2015 motion to dismiss, his attorneys called the case "a politically-driven, poorly conceived vendetta initiated by the current governor, whom Governor de Jongh defeated handily in his last reelection campaign in 2010," and "a disgrace both upon the Virgin Islands Department of Justice and the Governor's Office," contrasting it with Mapp's own spending on hotel suites, limousines, and a personal chef. In January 2016 the charges were dismissed with prejudice after de Jongh paid the government 380,000 dollars. "I would like to thank our community for the heartfelt support that has been expressed to me and my family during this period," he said.[^2][^6]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Governor John P. de Jongh Arrested By DOJ Officials." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* August 18, 2015. https://viconsortium.com/vi-world/governor-john-p-de-jongh-arrested-being-processed-at-district-court (archived at https://wp.viconsortium.com/?p=27084).
[^2]: "DOJ Drops Charges Against Former Governor De Jongh After $380,000 Settlement." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* January 22, 2016. https://viconsortium.com/vi-vic_news/doj-drops-charges-against-former-governor-de-jongh-with-prejudice-after-380000-settlement (archived at https://wp.viconsortium.com/?p=33926).
[^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 (Cecile de Jongh's employment throughout her husband's tenure; Frazer waiver; George's FBI account; extension of Southern Trust benefits signed off by Bryan and de Jongh).
[^4]: "De Jong Pleads Not Guilty In Superior Court, Says He Believes In 'Just And Proper' Outcome." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* September 3, 2015. https://viconsortium.com/vi-vic_news/de-jong-pleads-not-guilty-in-superior-court-says-he-believes-in-just-and-proper-outcome (archived at https://wp.viconsortium.com/?p=27962).
[^5]: "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 (Bryan as Commissioner of Labor under de Jongh, May 3, 2007 to January 5, 2015).
[^6]: "De Jongh Attorneys Slam Mapp And Walker; Call Case Against Former Governor Sham, Disgrace And Poltically-Driven." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* November 4, 2015. https://viconsortium.com/vi-government/de-jongh-attorneys-slam-mapp-administration-says-case-against-former-governor-is-sham-disgrace-and-poltically-driven (archived at https://wp.viconsortium.com/?p=30871).
[^7]: "Virgin Islands governor's wife employed by convicted sex-offender billionaire." *The Daily Caller,* April 22, 2012. https://dailycaller.com/2012/04/22/virgin-islands-governors-wife-employed-by-convicted-sex-offender-billionaire/
[^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
[^9]: "JPMorgan alleges wife of U.S. Virgin Islands' ex-governor aided Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activity." *NBC News,* May 24, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jpmorgan-alleges-ex-virgin-islands-first-lady-aided-jeffrey-epstein-rcna86365 ; "JPMorgan Chase says Jeffrey Epstein paid tuition for kids of U.S. Virgin Islands governor." *CNBC,* May 25, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/jpmorgan-jeffrey-epstein-paid-tuition-for-kids-of-virgin-islands-governor.html
[^10]: "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/

48
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Joi Ito.md
View file

@ -11,37 +11,65 @@ tags:
- 2015Dinner
alias:
- Joichi Ito
summary: "Joi Ito is a Japanese-American venture capitalist and former director of the MIT Media Lab who resigned in September 2019 after Ronan Farrow's New Yorker reporting documented that the Media Lab had a deeper financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than previously disclosed, and who attended the 2015 Epstein dinner alongside Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, and Mark Zuckerberg."
summary: "Joi Ito is a Japanese venture capitalist who directed the MIT Media Lab from 2011 until resigning in September 2019 after Ronan Farrow reported that he solicited and concealed Jeffrey Epstein's donations."
born: 1966-06-19
location: "Kyoto, Japan (born)"
created: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-09-22
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: funded
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
reverse: true
role: "investments in Ito ventures: 250,000 dollars in an MIT spinout and 1 million dollars in a 9 million dollar Ito fund; Ito disclosed 1.2 million dollars on 2019-09-04"
fn: 6
---
Joi Ito (born Joichi Ito, June 19, 1966, in [[Kyoto]], [[Japan]]) is a Japanese-American venture capitalist and technology advocate who served as director of the [[MIT Media Lab|MIT Media Lab]] from 2011 until his September 2019 resignation. [[Ronan Farrow]]'s *[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]* reporting (September 2019) documented that the Media Lab had a deeper financial relationship with [[Jeffrey Epstein]] than previously disclosed, including Epstein-directed donations that Ito had personally solicited and attempted to conceal. Ito attended the 2015 Epstein dinner (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564) alongside [[Peter Thiel]], [[Elon Musk]], [[Reid Hoffman]], and [[Mark Zuckerberg]]. Hoffman participated in the Epstein image-rehabilitation effort through Ito's introductions.[^1][^2][^3]
### The MIT Media Lab and the Epstein Funding
Ito became director of the MIT Media Lab in 2011. The Media Lab is the interdisciplinary research laboratory at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] known for its experimental work at the intersection of technology, media, and design. Ito's tenure was characterized by aggressive fundraising from technology-industry donors and by the expansion of the Lab's corporate-sponsorship model. The Epstein funding was part of this expansion: Epstein directed donations to the Media Lab through a structure designed to conceal the source, and Ito personally solicited additional Epstein-directed funds.[^1][^2]
Ito became director of the MIT Media Lab in 2011. The Media Lab is the interdisciplinary research laboratory at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] known for its experimental work at the intersection of technology, media, and design. Epstein made six donations to the lab between 2013 and 2017, totaling 525,000 dollars, which MIT recorded as anonymous, and internal emails credited him with directing at least 7.5 million dollars more from [[Bill Gates]] and [[Leon Black]]; Ito personally solicited Epstein money and instructed staff to record it as anonymous.[^1][^4]
Farrow's *New Yorker* piece (September 6, 2019), titled "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," documented that the Media Lab's relationship with Epstein was more extensive than MIT had publicly acknowledged, that Ito had accepted Epstein-directed donations after the 2008 conviction, and that the Lab had taken steps to keep the relationship from becoming public. The reporting was based on internal Media Lab documents obtained by *The New Yorker.* Ito resigned the same week.[^1]
### The Image-Rehabilitation Channel and the Hoffman Connection
The Ito-Epstein channel functioned as the conduit through which Reid Hoffman participated in the post-conviction Epstein image-rehabilitation effort. [[Axios|Axios]] reported in September 2019 that Hoffman apologized for his role in helping repair Epstein's public image, specifically for introductions Hoffman facilitated related to Epstein's MIT donations through Ito. The effort included an August 2015 dinner that Hoffman hosted in [[Palo Alto]] (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564), ostensibly to raise money for the Media Lab, whose guest list included Ito, Thiel, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Epstein. Epstein described the gathering in an August 20, 2015 email to [[Tom Pritzker]], writing "i had dinner with zuckerburg, mu=k, thiel hoffman, wild."[^2][^3][^4]
The Ito-Epstein channel functioned as the conduit through which Reid Hoffman participated in the post-conviction Epstein image-rehabilitation effort. [[Axios|Axios]] reported in September 2019 that Hoffman apologized for his role in helping repair Epstein's public image, specifically for introductions Hoffman facilitated related to Epstein's MIT donations through Ito. The effort included an August 2015 dinner that Hoffman hosted in [[Palo Alto]] (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564), ostensibly to raise money for the Media Lab, whose guest list included Ito, Thiel, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Epstein. Epstein described the gathering in an August 20, 2015 email to [[Tom Pritzker]], writing "i had dinner with zuckerburg, mu=k, thiel hoffman, wild."[^2][^3][^5]
Epstein's donations to the Media Lab were directed through intermediaries and through structures designed to obscure the source. *The New Yorker* reporting documented that Ito had personally solicited additional Epstein-directed funds after the 2008 conviction and that the Lab had marked Epstein's contributions in its internal records with designations intended to keep the relationship from becoming public. The internal Media Lab documents obtained by *The New Yorker* included emails in which Ito and other Media Lab staff discussed how to process Epstein-directed funds without triggering disclosure requirements.[^1][^5]
Epstein's donations to the Media Lab were directed through intermediaries and through structures designed to obscure the source. *The New Yorker* reporting documented that Ito had personally solicited additional Epstein-directed funds after the 2008 conviction and that the Lab had marked Epstein's contributions in its internal records with designations intended to keep the relationship from becoming public. The internal Media Lab documents obtained by *The New Yorker* included emails in which Ito and other Media Lab staff discussed how to process Epstein-directed funds without triggering disclosure requirements.[^1][^4]
### The Resignation and the Aftermath
Ito resigned from the MIT Media Lab on September 7, 2019, one day after the *New Yorker* reporting. MIT initiated an independent investigation conducted by the law firm [[Goodwin Procter|Goodwin Procter]], which produced a report documenting the extent of the Media Lab's Epstein relationship and the institutional failures that permitted it. The Goodwin Procter investigation foundund that Epstein made ten donations to MIT totaling 850,000 dollars between 2002 and 2017, nine of them, 750,000 dollars, after his 2008 conviction and 525,000 dollars of those to the Media Lab; that the post-conviction gifts were driven by Ito or by Professor Seth Lloyd; that three members of MIT's senior team approved them in 2013 knowing of Epstein's record; and that President L. Rafael Reif "was not contemporaneously aware of Epstein's donations."[^5]
Ito resigned from the MIT Media Lab on September 7, 2019, one day after the *New Yorker* reporting. MIT initiated an independent investigation conducted by the law firm [[Goodwin Procter|Goodwin Procter]], which produced a report documenting the extent of the Media Lab's Epstein relationship and the institutional failures that permitted it. The Goodwin Procter investigation found that Epstein made ten donations to MIT totaling 850,000 dollars between 2002 and 2017, nine of them, 750,000 dollars, after his 2008 conviction and 525,000 dollars of those to the Media Lab; that the post-conviction gifts were driven by Ito or by Professor Seth Lloyd; that three members of MIT's senior team approved them in 2013 knowing of Epstein's record; and that President L. Rafael Reif "was not contemporaneously aware of Epstein's donations."[^4]
Ito also resigned from positions at the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation|MacArthur Foundation]], the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation|Knight Foundation]], the [[Knight-Hennessy Scholars|Knight-Hennessy Scholars]] program, and the [[New York Times Company|New York Times Company]] board. The resignations terminated Ito's positions across the philanthropic, media, and academic institutions that his Epstein relationship had damaged. The MIT Media Lab subsequently reformed its donor-acceptance policies to prohibit anonymous donations and to require enhanced due diligence on donors with criminal records.[^1][^5]
Ito also resigned from positions at the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation|MacArthur Foundation]], the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation|Knight Foundation]], the [[Knight-Hennessy Scholars|Knight-Hennessy Scholars]] program, and the [[New York Times Company|New York Times Company]] board. The MIT Media Lab subsequently reformed its donor-acceptance policies to prohibit anonymous donations and to require enhanced due diligence on donors with criminal records.[^1][^4]
### Due Diligence and Cultivation
Ito met Epstein at the [[TED Conference]] in February 2013 through [[Linda Stone]], a former member of the Media Lab's advisory council. Asking Stone about "public perception issues," he wrote that "Nicholas [Negroponte] and I talked about 'figuring it out' if he decides that he wants to give 'real money'" and that "people in my office are a bit weirded out." Stone advised him to "[f]ocus on his funding of Harvard, scientists, over many years"; she later told investigators that Epstein had insisted to her he was "wrongfully convicted" and had passed a lie-detector test. Ito told the investigators he took that advice and was persuaded by Epstein's high-profile connections, who vouched for him. In a June 2013 email to staff who objected, Ito wrote, "I find him very smart and interesting and excited about our work."[^6][^7]
From 2013 to 2018 Ito pitched Epstein on progressively larger gifts: in August 2013 a center for the study of "deceptive design" in evolutionary biology, in February 2016 an endowed chair named for [[Marvin Minsky]] costing several million dollars, in April 2016 a 12 million dollar fellowship program in "antidisciplinary science," and in 2018 1.5 million dollars for research by the Media Lab scientist [[Caleb Harper]]. None was made; Epstein never gave more than 150,000 dollars at a time. When the lab's development director raised the allegation in January 2015 that Epstein had forced an underage girl to have sex with [[Prince Andrew]], Ito replied: "I'm talking to [Epstein] about this. I'd rather not discuss over email, but it's possible, not likely, but possible that in the end, all of this new stuff will help clear him." He also strategized with Epstein about how to "mollify the bad press" after articles on a civil suit by Epstein's victims. In December 2017, answering another staff complaint, Ito wrote that Negroponte "agrees that we should treat Jeffrey with respect."[^6]
Ito proposed in February 2016 that Epstein attend the memorial for Minsky and suggested getting him "a private room at the Lab where he can 'hold court'"; after discussion with Minsky's family Epstein stayed in Ito's office and did not attend the event. On November 3, 2016, without disclosing Epstein's existing anonymous gifts, Ito asked the chairman of MIT's Executive Committee, [[Robert Millard]], "Can you help me figure out how to get money from JE?" Millard declined Epstein's dinner invitation. [[George Church]]'s online calendar listed Ito as a guest at a meal with Epstein.[^6][^8]
### The Bin Sulayem Visit
Four weeks after the Millard email, Ito hosted a Cambridge visit arranged by Epstein for [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem]], chairman of the Dubai state ports operator [[DP World]]. On November 29, 2016, Epstein's assistant [[Lesley Groff]] wrote to Ito: "I understand you and Sultan will be meeting with Jeffrey on Wed. Nov. 30th up at Harvard...can you please let me know your timing? Also, this will be at Martin Nowak's office at 1 Brattle Square?" Ito answered: "Sultan will be with me at the Media Lab. I can take Sultan to Martin's place. What time? Jeffrey originally told me that he was going to drop by the Media Lab at 11AM and then leave the Lab or Martin's at 11:30AM." He added that he was "locking in a bunch of meetings for Sultan at the Media Lab from 9:30AM-11AM (and we could use a bit more time too if Jeffrey isn't going to be in Boston yet)" and asked Groff for "the specifics of Jeffrey's plan." Bin Sulayem's assistant, one of two DP World employees "with the Chairman's office" travelling with him, wrote that he would stay at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. Ito's office told Groff that Ito planned to leave the lab with the party "around 11am to head to the Harvard," to the [[Program for Evolutionary Dynamics]] of [[Martin Nowak]].[^9]
### The Personal Investments
Epstein also put money into Ito's private ventures: 250,000 dollars in a company formed to commercialize technology developed at MIT and 1 million dollars in a 9 million dollar private investment fund Ito managed. In January 2018 Ito asked Epstein to invest 5 million to 15 million dollars in a further non-MIT fund; Epstein did not. Ito told the investigators the two investments were held in "escrow" while he tried to "eject" Epstein's money.[^6]
On August 15, 2019, Ito posted an apology on the lab's website: "I met Epstein in 2013 at a conference through a trusted business friend and, in my fundraising efforts for MIT Media Lab, I invited him to the Lab and visited several of his residences." He pledged to raise an amount equal to the lab's Epstein donations for survivors' groups and to "return the money that Epstein has invested in my investment funds." His public account said that "the Lab has received money through some of the foundations that he controlled." On Wednesday, September 4, 2019, Ito disclosed that he had received 1.2 million dollars from Epstein for investment funds under his control, in addition to the 525,000 dollars given to the lab. Two days later *The New Yorker* published the internal emails in which Ito solicited Epstein money ("Could you re-up/top-off with another $100K so we can extend his contract another year?") and directed that it be recorded as anonymous ("Make sure this gets accounted for as anonymous"). Ito did not respond to Farrow's requests for comment and resigned on September 7.[^1][^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein." *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019.
[^1]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein." *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019, on the directed gifts, the "re-up/top-off" and "anonymous" emails, Ito's September 4 disclosure of 1.2 million dollars, and his non-response. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-an-elite-university-research-center-concealed-its-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein
[^2]: "Mark Zuckerberg's 'Wild' Dinner With Epstein Revealed in Files." *The Daily Beast,* 2026, documenting the August 2015 Palo Alto dinner (EFTA00344556, EFTA00344564) attended by Thiel, Musk, Hoffman, Zuckerberg, and Ito. https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-zuckerbergs-wild-dinner-with-epstein-revealed-in-files/
[^3]: "Exclusive: Reid Hoffman apologizes for role in Epstein-linked donations." *Axios,* September 12, 2019. https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/reid-hoffman-jeffrey-epstein-mit-donations
[^4]: "Exclusive: Reid Hoffman apologizes for role in Epstein-linked donations to MIT." *Axios,* September 12, 2019. https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/reid-hoffman-jeffrey-epstein-mit-donations
[^5]: "MIT releases results of fact-finding on engagements with Jeffrey Epstein." *MIT News,* January 10, 2020, releasing the Goodwin Procter report (donations totaling 850,000 dollars across 2002-2017). https://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-releases-results-fact-finding-report-jeffrey-epstein-0110 ; "Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." Goodwin Procter LLP, January 2020. https://factfindingjan2020.mit.edu/files/MIT-report.pdf
[^4]: "MIT releases results of fact-finding on engagements with Jeffrey Epstein." *MIT News,* January 10, 2020, releasing the Goodwin Procter report (donations totaling 850,000 dollars across 2002-2017). https://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-releases-results-fact-finding-report-jeffrey-epstein-0110 ; "Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." Goodwin Procter LLP, January 2020. https://factfindingjan2020.mit.edu/files/MIT-report.pdf
[^5]: "Exclusive: Reid Hoffman apologizes for role in Epstein-linked donations to MIT." *Axios,* September 12, 2019. https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/reid-hoffman-jeffrey-epstein-mit-donations
[^6]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 17-18 and nn. 19-21, 40-41, 50, on Stone's advice, Ito's June 2013 email, the larger pitches, the January 2015 exchange, "mollify the bad press," the December 2017 email, Ito's personal ventures, the Minsky memorial and the Millard email. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^7]: Goodwin Procter LLP, *Report,* January 10, 2020, p. 10, on Stone's introduction of Ito to Epstein at TED in February 2013. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^8]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on Church's calendar entry and Ito's August 15, 2019 apology. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00439714, DataSet 9, email chain among Lesley Groff, Joichi Ito, the MIT Media Lab director's office and DP World staff, "Re: Jeffrey Epstein," November 29, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00439714.pdf

2
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Jonathan Levin.md
View file

@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Thiel took a bachelor of arts in philosophy at Stanford in 1989 and a JD from St
[[Rene Girard|René Girard]], the Andrew B. Hammond Professor of French Language, Literature, and Civilization, taught at Stanford, and Thiel took his courses as an undergraduate in the late 1980s; Girard's mimetic theory became foundational to Thiel's worldview, and Thiel spoke at Girard's memorial after his death in November 2015. [[Alex Karp|Alex Karp]], Thiel's [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]] cofounder, took his JD at Stanford Law in the same 1992 class as Thiel, where the two met, though Karp's undergraduate degree is from Haverford College and his doctorate from Goethe University Frankfurt. [[Reid Hoffman|Reid Hoffman]] met Thiel as a Stanford undergraduate, where he studied symbolic systems before taking a philosophy degree at Oxford. The [[Hoover Institution|Hoover Institution]] fellow and former Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson, who hosts the program *Uncommon Knowledge,* has interviewed Thiel within the same conservative-Stanford orbit.[^10][^11][^12]
The network continued to operate through Stanford institutions during Levin's tenure as dean. In January 2018 the Stanford "Cardinal Conversations" series opened with an event titled "Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel on Technology and Politics," moderated by [[Niall Ferguson|Niall Ferguson]] under the Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute. The *Stanford Daily* reported that an invitation found in the Epstein files indicates Levin attended Dialog's 2013 retreat, more than a decade before the 2026 leak.[^12][^13]
The network continued to operate through Stanford institutions during Levin's tenure as dean. In January 2018 the Stanford "Cardinal Conversations" series opened with an event titled "Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel on Technology and Politics," moderated by [[Niall Ferguson|Niall Ferguson]] under the Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute. The *Stanford Daily* reported that an invitation found in the [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] indicates Levin attended Dialog's 2013 retreat, more than a decade before the 2026 leak.[^12][^13]
### Footnotes

77
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Kenneth Marra.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
---
category: "Law Enforcement & Legal"
tags:
- Person
- KennethMarra
- FederalJudge
- JeffreyEpstein
- CrimeVictimsRightsAct
- NonProsecutionAgreement
- Chiquita
alias:
- Kenneth A. Marra
- Judge Kenneth Marra
- Judge Marra
summary: "Kenneth Marra is a U.S. district judge in West Palm Beach, appointed in 2002, who presided over the Epstein victims' Crime Victims' Rights Act case and the Chiquita paramilitary-financing litigation."
born: 1951
location: "Queens, New York (born)"
relations:
- type: appointed
with: "[[George W. Bush]]"
reverse: true
role: "U.S. District Judge, Southern District of Florida"
start: 2002-09-13
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Department of Justice]]"
role: "attorney"
start: 1977
end: 1980
fn: 1
- type: participant_in
with: "[[Doe v. United States]]"
role: "presiding judge"
start: 2008-07-07
end: 2019-09-16
fn: 2
- type: participant_in
with: "[[In re Chiquita Brands International]]"
role: "presiding judge"
start: 2008
fn: 8
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Kenneth A. Marra (born 1951) is a senior United States district judge of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida|Southern District of Florida]], sitting in [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]. Appointed by President [[George W. Bush]] in 2002, he presided from 2008 to 2019 over [[Doe v. United States]], the [[Crime Victims' Rights Act]] case brought by victims of [[Jeffrey Epstein]], in which he held in February 2019 that federal prosecutors had violated the Act by concealing the [[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]]. He also presided over the multidistrict litigation against [[Chiquita Brands International]] over its payments to Colombian paramilitaries.[^1][^2][^3]
### Career
Marra was born in Queens, New York, graduated from the [[State University of New York at Stony Brook]] in 1973, and received his law degree from [[Stetson University College of Law]] in 1977. He was an attorney with the [[Department of Justice]] from 1977 to 1980 and practiced privately in [[Washington, D.C.]], from 1980 to 1983 and in Florida from 1984 to 1996. From 1996 to 2002 he was a judge of Florida's 15th Judicial Circuit Court in [[Palm Beach County]], the circuit whose State Attorney in those years was [[Barry Krischer]].[^1][^4]
Bush nominated Marra to the federal bench on January 23, 2002. The Senate confirmed him on September 9, 2002 and he received his commission on September 13, 2002. He assumed senior status on August 1, 2017, and his seat was filled in November 2020 by [[Aileen Cannon]].[^1]
### The Epstein Cases
Marra presided over the Crime Victims' Rights Act petition filed on July 7, 2008 by the victim then known as Jane Doe 1, later identified as [[Courtney Wild]], and over a separate civil suit by another Jane Doe against Epstein, No. 9:08-cv-80893, which ran from 2008 to 2010. In the petition case he denied the government's July 2008 motion to seal its own response, ordered the government in August 2008 to produce the non-prosecution agreement to the petitioners under a protective order, and in February 2009 denied their motion to unseal it. The case was administratively closed in September 2010, and after Marra issued an order to show cause for lack of prosecution it was reopened in October 2010.[^2][^5]
In a 2011 ruling Marra held that rights under the Act attach before the government files formal charges, and in 2013 that the Act authorizes the rescission of a prosecutorial agreement, including a non-prosecution agreement, reached in violation of the conferral right. In April 2015 he struck from the record the allegations in a December 2014 filing that Epstein had trafficked a victim to [[Alan Dershowitz]] and others, describing them as "immaterial and impertinent" to the case.[^3][^6]
On February 21, 2019 he granted partial summary judgment for the petitioners. He wrote that "[p]articularly problematic was the Government's decision to conceal the existence of the NPA and mislead the victims to believe that federal prosecution was still a possibility," 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." He rejected the government's argument that a 2015 amendment had excluded non-prosecution agreements from victims' rights, reasoning that "[o]nce a NPA is entered into without notice, the matter is closed and the victims have no opportunity to be heard regarding any aspect of the case."[^3]
After Epstein's death, Marra closed the case on September 16, 2019, denying the victims' requests to rescind the agreement, to compel a meeting with former U.S. Attorney [[Alexander Acosta]], to obtain grand jury and internal documents, and to impose sanctions or damages. He wrote that "[t]he Court has no jurisdiction over Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. Attorney, who is now a private citizen," and that "despite Petitioners having demonstrated the Government violated their rights under the CVRA, in the end they are not receiving much, if any, of the relief they sought." He said the rulings "likely played some role, however small it may have been, in the initiation of criminal charges against Mr. Epstein in the Southern District of New York." He also ordered unsealed the remedies briefing that had been filed under seal in December 2011.[^7]
### The Chiquita Litigation
Marra presided over [[In re Chiquita Brands International]], the consolidated suits by relatives of people killed by the [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia]] (AUC), which Chiquita had admitted paying from 2001 to 2004 in a 2007 federal guilty plea that carried a 25 million dollar fine. In 2019 he ruled that the first bellwether plaintiffs lacked sufficient evidence to reach trial; the Eleventh Circuit reversed in September 2022. On June 10, 2024 a jury in his West Palm Beach courtroom found Chiquita liable for the deaths of eight men and awarded their families 38.3 million dollars. Chiquita said its payments had been extortion rather than collaboration and announced an appeal.[^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Federal Judicial Center, "Marra, Kenneth A.," Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges. https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/marra-kenneth
[^2]: Docket, *Doe v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla.), entries 1, 11-14, 26, 28, 36, 38, 40, 44, CourtListener. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4502088/doe-v-united-states/
[^3]: 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 26-33 (Marra, J.), reported at 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201, citing *Does v. United States*, 817 F. Supp. 2d 1337 (S.D. Fla. 2011), and *Doe v. United States*, 950 F. Supp. 2d 1262 (S.D. Fla. 2013). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867/gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.435.0.pdf
[^4]: "Hon. Kenneth A. Marra '73, U.S. District Court Judge, West Palm Beach," *Stony Brook Matters,* Stony Brook University. https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/hon-kenneth-a-marra-73-u-s-district-court-judge-west-palm-beach-2/
[^5]: Docket, *Doe v. Epstein*, No. 9:08-cv-80893-KAM (S.D. Fla.), CourtListener docket 4586642. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4586642/doe-v-epstein/
[^6]: "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/
[^7]: 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
[^8]: "Chiquita found liable for paramilitary killings in Colombia," *Courthouse News Service,* June 10, 2024. https://www.courthousenews.com/chiquita-found-liable-for-paramilitary-killings-in-colombia/ ; National Security Archive, "Chiquita Found Liable for Colombia Paramilitary Killings," June 10, 2024. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/colombia-chiquita-papers/2024-06-10/chiquita-found-liable-colombia-paramilitary-killings ; EarthRights International, "U.S. Court Orders Chiquita to Stand Trial for Colombians' Murder Claims." https://earthrights.org/media_release/u-s-court-orders-chiquita-to-stand-trial-for-colombians-murder-claims/

108
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Lawrence Krauss.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
---
category: "Scientists & Researchers"
tags:
- Person
- JeffreyEpstein
- LeonBlack
- ArizonaStateUniversity
- OriginsProject
- Physics
- SciencePhilanthropy
- SexualHarassment
alias:
- Lawrence Krauss
- Lawrence M. Krauss
- Krauss
summary: "Lawrence Krauss is a theoretical physicist who organized Jeffrey Epstein's 2006 Virgin Islands gravity conference, ran an Arizona State institute funded by Epstein and Leon Black, and retired after a 2018 harassment investigation."
born: 1954
location: "Tempe, Arizona"
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Arizona State University]]"
role: "Foundation Professor; director, Origins Project"
start: 2008
end: 2019
fn: 3
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Case Western Reserve University]]"
role: "physics professor"
end: 2008
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[Origins Project]]"
start: 2008
fn: 3
- type: funded
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
reverse: true
role: "250,000 dollars to the Origins Project through Enhanced Education"
start: 2010-12
end: 2017-04
fn: 6
- type: funded
with: "[[Leon Black]]"
reverse: true
role: "2 million dollars in personal gifts with Debra Black to the Origins Project"
start: 2014
end: 2015
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[Arizona State University]]"
reverse: true
role: "sexual-harassment investigation, Provost Mark Searle"
start: 2018
end: 2018-10-19
fn: 3
- type: participant_in
with: "[[Confronting Gravity]]"
role: "organizer of the Epstein-funded 2006 conference, St. Thomas"
start: 2006-03
fn: 1
---
Lawrence M. Krauss (born 1954) is an American-Canadian theoretical physicist and popular-science author who, while at [[Case Western Reserve University]], organized a 2006 physics conference in the [[United States Virgin Islands]] paid for by [[Jeffrey Epstein]], and who from 2008 ran the [[Origins Project]] at [[Arizona State University]], which took Epstein money from December 2010 to April 2017 and 2 million dollars from Epstein's client [[Leon Black]]. He publicly defended Epstein in 2011, consulted him in 2018 about how to answer sexual-misconduct allegations, and agreed that October to retire from Arizona State after the university substantiated several of them. Krauss denies harassing anyone.[^1][^2][^3]
### Physicist and Public Atheist
Krauss rose to prominence in the 1990s through popular books and lectures on physics and atheism, beginning with *The Physics of Star Trek* (1995) and later *A Universe from Nothing* (2012). He taught at Case Western Reserve before moving to Arizona State in 2008, where he founded the Origins Project to stage public events on "the origins of the universe, life, and social systems" with scientists, intellectuals and celebrities. The project relied heavily on donations from foundations and wealthy individuals. He was a contributor to [[John Brockman]]'s [[Edge Foundation|Edge]].[^1][^3][^4][^5]
### The 2006 Gravity Conference
In March 2006 Krauss convened "[[Confronting Gravity]]," a conference of about twenty physicists in [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]] funded by Epstein's foundation. Krauss had pitched it as "a small and rather exclusive workshop" with all expenses paid, naming as invitees [[Stephen Hawking]], the 2004 Nobel laureates [[David Gross]] and [[Frank Wilczek]], the 1999 laureate [[Gerard 't Hooft]] and [[Kip Thorne]]. "To get good people, you've got to have a hook," Krauss said in 2026. The announcement promised time to "relax on the beach, and take a trip to the nearby private island retreat of the science philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein." Epstein told the *St. Thomas Source* that "there is no agenda except fun and physics, and that's fun with a capital 'F.'" The physicists stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, and the program ended with a submarine dive for Hawking and a boat trip to a barbecue on [[Little St. James]], where a guide told them, "Don't go wandering off into the island."[^1]
[[Alan Guth]] of MIT recalled that "we probably never saw him without three or four young women." [[Jim Peebles]] recalled five to ten young women at a coffee break: "I can only tell you they were younger than the youngest women in our meeting. . . . Were they 15 or 30? I have no idea." Krauss told NPR the young women were Hawking's nurses. Palm Beach police were then completing their investigation of Epstein, who was indicted four months later. In a 2017 text Epstein wrote that when Hawking "came to my island. and said his dream was to go diving . . . i [duct-taped] his head to a high back chair and loaded him in a private sub, great fun," and he later listed the conference among his top five professional achievements. In 2012 someone whose name is redacted told Epstein they were "rehas[h]ing an article . . . on the gravity conference," and a press release on the six-year-old event followed the next month.[^1]
't Hooft told *[[BuzzFeed News]]* he had had no contact with Epstein since 2006; Wilczek said, "I did not receive financial support from Mr. Epstein. I did attend conferences and events which he financed in part." Epstein foundation websites nonetheless listed Wilczek as a funding recipient, and MIT's investigators found no such donation.[^6][^7]
### The Origins Project and the Black Money
Krauss said Epstein contacted him on his 2009 release from jail and told him the "experience had changed his view of the world, and he no longer wanted to make money. . . . He just wanted to support science." In late 2010 Krauss planned an Origins Project board meeting in the Virgin Islands for which [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] documents list Guth and the paleontologist [[Neil Shubin]] as expected attendees; it was called off, for reasons the documents do not state, after Epstein expressed disappointment with its organization. In 2011 Krauss told *[[The Daily Beast]]*: "As a scientist I always judge things on empirical evidence and he always has women ages 19 to 23 around him, but I've never seen anything else, so as a scientist, my presumption is that whatever the problems were I would believe him over other people. . . . I don't feel tarnished in any way by my relationship with Jeffrey. I feel raised by it."[^1][^6]
Records obtained by *BuzzFeed News* under Arizona's public records law show that Epstein's Virgin Islands foundation [[Enhanced Education]] paid the Origins Project 250,000 dollars between December 2010 and April 2017; Enhanced Education appears to have filed with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] only once, for 2002. The same records show 2 million dollars in personal gifts from Leon and [[Debra Black]] in 2014 and 2015, and one Origins accounting entry listing Epstein's employer as "Leon D. Black, Enhanced Education." Epstein attended the project's fifth-anniversary gala in 2014, where he was photographed with Krauss and [[Steven Pinker]]. In February 2017 he appeared at a meal after an Origins workshop on [[artificial intelligence]]; [[Shahar Avin]] of Cambridge's [[Centre for the Study of Existential Risk]] recalled that "he showed up with two young East European-looking women," that Krauss introduced him only as "my friend Jeffrey," and that "we asked him who he was and he wouldn't say." Avin said Epstein made offensive remarks about race, intelligence and athletic ability. Between 2012 and 2017 Black paid Epstein about 158 million dollars for tax and estate-planning advice.[^2][^6][^8][^9]
### The Harassment Investigation
On February 22, 2018, *BuzzFeed News* published an account of more than a decade of sexual-misconduct allegations against Krauss, and Arizona State reopened an investigation. Provost [[Mark Searle]]'s findings, released under a public records request, substantiated that Krauss grabbed a woman's breast at a 2016 meeting in Australia, touched the thigh of the atheist activist [[Cristina Rad]] at a 2011 meeting in Switzerland, suggested a threesome to a woman discussing employment at the Origins Project, made negative comments about pregnancy and parental leave, looked a student worker up and down while commenting on her clothing, discussed strip clubs with staff, and showed staff nude fan photographs. Krauss admitted telling a female employee in 2012 that she should "take one for the team" and date a donor. Searle also found that Krauss and another staff member failed to report that a donor who had taken a romantic interest in an Origins employee sent her more than fifty messages after she asked him to stop. Searle wrote: "It is inconceivable how a faculty member in the course of carrying out his work responsibilities could believe that the conduct would ever be appropriate." The 33-page determinations letter and Krauss's retirement letter are posted on [[DocumentCloud]].[^3][^10]
A dean recommended Krauss's dismissal on October 8, 2018. On October 19 he agreed to retire, and his retirement took effect in 2019. Krauss told *BuzzFeed News* he had given the university "documentary evidence, including witness statements and photographs, that falsified claims and undermined the credibility of claimants," and stated publicly, "I have never harassed or assaulted anyone." His October 20 letter called *BuzzFeed News* an "online tabloid" and cited "violations of due process, disregard for evidence, discrimination, [and] bias."[^1][^3]
While the allegations were pending, Krauss exchanged dozens of messages and emails with Epstein seeking advice on how to respond. "This is your life and future. I would not be cavalier as you write," Epstein texted him. Krauss ended one exchange, "Thanks for everything Jeffrey." Krauss told NPR in 2026 that in fifteen years of friendship Epstein "not once . . . ever sa[id], 'Hey, I've got a young woman,'" and that "Jeffrey was interested in interesting people."[^1]
### After Arizona State
Arizona State closed the Origins Project in 2018 and converted it into the ASU Interplanetary Initiative. It returned 25,000 dollars in unspent funds to Enhanced Education and about 460,000 dollars to the Blacks at their request; spokesperson [[Katie Paquet]] said, "we believe we have been successful in closing all connections to Epstein and his affiliated entities." Krauss relaunched the Origins Project as an independent foundation, taking some staff, which said it "has not received donations from that individual or any of his charitable foundations." Arizona State first reported only the 250,000 dollars; the Black gifts surfaced in August 2019 through the accounting records.[^2][^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: 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 the Confronting Gravity conference, the invitees, Guth's and Peebles's recollections, Epstein's 2017 text, the 2012 press-release email, the canceled 2010 board meeting, Epstein's 2009 contact, and the 2018 Krauss and Epstein exchanges. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5721150/epstein-scientists-physics-virgin-islands-conference
[^2]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on the Black gifts, the "Leon D. Black, Enhanced Education" accounting entry, the refunds, Paquet's statement, the 2014 gala, the February 2017 workshop, and the independent Origins Project Foundation. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
[^3]: Aldhous, Peter. "Documents Show That Arizona State Investigated A Slew Of Allegations Against Physicist Lawrence Krauss," *BuzzFeed News,* October 23, 2018, on Searle's findings, Krauss's responses, the October 19 retirement agreement and the October 20 letter. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/lawrence-krauss-sexual-harassment-report
[^4]: Krauss, Lawrence M. *The Physics of Star Trek.* Basic Books, 1995; Krauss, Lawrence M. *A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing.* Free Press, 2012.
[^5]: "About Edge," Edge.org, and Edge contributor listings including Krauss. https://www.edge.org/about-edge
[^6]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein Called Himself A 'Science Philanthropist' And Donated Millions To These Researchers," *BuzzFeed News,* July 11, 2019, updated July 13, 2019, on the 250,000 dollars obtained by public records request, Enhanced Education's single IRS filing, the 2011 Daily Beast quotations, and the statements of 't Hooft and Wilczek. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-science-donations
[^7]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, p. 28 n. 29, on the Epstein foundation web page listing Wilczek and the absence of any such donation. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^8]: MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod. "ASU took more money from Epstein than previously reported," *Arizona Mirror,* August 27, 2019, on the accounting record listing Epstein's supervisor as Leon Black, the refunds, and the conversion of the project into the Interplanetary Initiative. https://azmirror.com/2019/08/27/asu-took-more-money-from-epstein-than-previously-reported/
[^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]: Arizona State University, Office of the Provost. "Krauss Determinations" (letter of Provost Mark Searle, 33 pp., image scan) and "Krauss Retirement Letter," October 2018, posted by *BuzzFeed News* on DocumentCloud. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5015756-Krauss-Determinations.html ; https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5015757-Krauss-Retirement-Letter.html

49
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Marvin Minsky.md
View file

@ -15,16 +15,27 @@ born: 1927-08-09
died: 2016-01-24
location: "Boston, Massachusetts"
created: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: funded
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
reverse: true
role: "100,000 dollars through the C.O.U.Q. Foundation to MIT for Minsky research, and the 2002 and 2011 conferences"
start: 2002
fn: 13
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[Gloria Rudisch]]"
role: "husband"
fn: 1
---
Marvin Lee Minsky (August 9, 1927 to January 24, 2016) was an American cognitive and computer scientist at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] who co-founded the [[MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory]] and was a central figure in the founding of [[artificial intelligence]] as a field. He received funding from [[Jeffrey Epstein]] and organized a 2002 conference financed by Epstein in the U.S. Virgin Islands; in 2019 an unsealed deposition by [[Virginia Giuffre]] named Minsky, an allegation his widow [[Gloria Rudisch]] disputed.[^1][^2]
### MIT and the Founding of Artificial Intelligence
Minsky earned a doctorate in mathematics from Princeton in 1954 and joined MIT, where in 1959 he co-founded the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory with [[John McCarthy]]. He helped organize the 1956 [[Dartmouth Summer Research Project]], the workshop, convened with McCarthy, [[Claude Shannon]], and [[Nathaniel Rochester]], at which the term artificial intelligence was adopted. His honors included the [[Turing Award]] in 1969, the Japan Prize in 1990, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2001.[^3][^1]
Minsky earned a doctorate in mathematics from Princeton in 1954 and joined MIT, where in 1959 he co-founded the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory with [[John McCarthy]]. He helped organize the 1956 [[Dartmouth Summer Research Project]], the workshop, convened with McCarthy, [[Claude Shannon]], and [[Nathaniel Rochester]], at which the term artificial intelligence was adopted. His honors included the [[Turing Award]] in 1969, the Japan Prize in 1990, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2001.[^1][^3]
Minsky's research spanned neural networks, robotics, and theories of mind. With [[Seymour Papert]] he wrote *Perceptrons* (MIT Press, 1969), a mathematical critique of single-layer neural networks showing that such a network cannot compute the exclusive-or function; the book is often credited with redirecting funding and research away from connectionist approaches and contributing to the first AI funding winter, before multilayer networks revived the field in the 1980s. His 1986 book *The Society of Mind* (Simon & Schuster) argued that intelligence emerges from the interaction of many simple, mindless agents, and he developed the related "frames" model of knowledge representation.[^4][^3]
Minsky's research spanned neural networks, robotics, and theories of mind. With [[Seymour Papert]] he wrote *Perceptrons* (MIT Press, 1969), a mathematical critique of single-layer neural networks showing that such a network cannot compute the exclusive-or function; the book is often credited with redirecting funding and research away from connectionist approaches and contributing to the first AI funding winter, before multilayer networks revived the field in the 1980s. His 1986 book *The Society of Mind* (Simon & Schuster) argued that intelligence emerges from the interaction of many simple, mindless agents, and he developed the related "frames" model of knowledge representation.[^3][^4]
Minsky invented the confocal scanning microscope in 1957 and, with Papert, helped build early robotic and machine-vision systems at the MIT AI Laboratory. He later joined the [[MIT Media Lab]] founded by [[Nicholas Negroponte]], where he held the Toshiba Professorship of Media Arts and Sciences and remained active until his death. He continued to argue for symbolic and architectural approaches to general intelligence, developing the ideas in *The Society of Mind* into his 2006 book *The Emotion Machine*.[^3][^4]
@ -34,15 +45,27 @@ Epstein donated $100,000 to Minsky in 2002, several years before Epstein's 2008
After Minsky's death in 2016, Negroponte and Ito discussed whether Epstein could attend an on-campus memorial; Negroponte said Epstein would be welcome, but Ito instructed Epstein to stay away from the memorial and an associated reception. A Media Lab staff member later circulated memorial photographs with a note asking that they be posted only "as long as Jeffrey Epstein does not appear in any of the photos."[^2][^5]
In April 2002 Minsky organized a three-day artificial-intelligence meeting, the St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium, held April 14 to 16, 2002, on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and funded by Epstein. The proceedings were published by Minsky, [[Push Singh]], and [[Aaron Sloman]] as "The St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium: Designing Architectures for Human-Level Intelligence" in *AI Magazine* in 2004. Around twenty scientists attended, most of them men, including [[Roger Schank]], [[Doug Lenat]], [[Ken Forbus]], [[Henry Lieberman]], [[Vernor Vinge]], and [[Linda Stone]]. Schank later recalled that Epstein "walks into the conference with two girls on his arm" and sat "in the back, on a couch, hugging and kissing these girls." Epstein separately funded a 2006 physics gathering convened by [[Lawrence Krauss]] on Epstein's island that drew physicists including [[Stephen Hawking]].[^6][^7]
In April 2002 Minsky organized a three-day artificial-intelligence meeting, the St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium, held April 14 to 16, 2002, on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and funded by Epstein. The proceedings were published by Minsky, [[Push Singh]], and [[Aaron Sloman]] as "The St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium: Designing Architectures for Human-Level Intelligence" in *AI Magazine* in 2004. Around twenty scientists attended, most of them men, including [[Roger Schank]], [[Doug Lenat]], [[Ken Forbus]], [[Henry Lieberman]], [[Vernor Vinge]], and [[Linda Stone]]. Schank later recalled that Epstein "walks into the conference with two girls on his arm" and sat "in the back, on a couch, hugging and kissing these girls." Epstein separately funded "Confronting Gravity," a March 2006 physics conference at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas convened by [[Lawrence Krauss]], which drew physicists including [[Stephen Hawking]] and ended with a barbecue on Epstein's island, [[Little St. James]].[^6][^7][^8]
### Giuffre Allegation and the Dispute
In a deposition given in May 2016 and unsealed in August 2019 as part of a defamation suit brought against [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], Virginia Giuffre stated that Epstein directed her to have sex with Minsky when Minsky visited Epstein's compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands, when she was seventeen and Minsky was in his seventies. Giuffre's claim named Minsky among several prominent men she said she was instructed to have sexual contact with. Minsky, who had died in January 2016, never had an opportunity to respond, and no lawsuit was filed against his estate.[^8][^1]
In a deposition given on May 3, 2016 in her defamation suit against [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], and unsealed in stages from August 2019, Virginia Giuffre testified that she was directed to have sex with Minsky when he visited Epstein's compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands, when she was seventeen and Minsky was in his seventies. Giuffre's claim named Minsky among several prominent men she said she was instructed to have sexual contact with. Minsky, who had died in January 2016, never had an opportunity to respond.[^1][^9]
Minsky's widow, the pediatrician Gloria Rudisch, disputed the allegation, saying that she and her husband were "always together" during their visits and that the encounter Giuffre described did not happen. None of the men named in Giuffre's deposition was criminally charged or named as a defendant in civil suits arising from her account, and Giuffre's deposition is the only source for the claim against Minsky.[^9][^2]
The transcript pages filed in December 2022 record Maxwell's counsel, [[Laura Menninger]], summarizing Giuffre's testimony and asking, with Giuffre's lawyer [[Bradley Edwards]] objecting to the form: "another prince, the large hotel chain owner and Marvin Minsky, is there anyone else that Ghislaine Maxwell directed you to go have sex with?" Giuffre answered: "I am definitely sure there is. But can I remember everybody's name? No." Under further questioning she said she had kept notes of the men's names, begun around 2011 or 2012 and not at her lawyers' instruction, and had burned them "in a bonfire when I lived at Titusville." A separate witness testified in the same litigation that Minsky and Giuffre were both passengers on a March 2001 flight from Teterboro to Santa Fe and Palm Beach with Epstein, Maxwell, the chef [[Adam Perry Lang]] and the shipping heir [[Henry Jarecki]], when Giuffre was seventeen and Minsky seventy-three.[^10][^11]
The 2019 MIT review and records reported in 2025 and 2026 indicated that Minsky and Rudisch had contact with Epstein over multiple years, including visits to his island. The renewed release of U.S. Department of Justice files in 2026 returned attention to Minsky alongside other scientists in Epstein's orbit, though the allegation against Minsky has not been adjudicated and rests on Giuffre's account.[^2][^9]
Minsky's widow, the pediatrician Gloria Rudisch, disputed the allegation, telling the *[[New York Post]]* that she and her husband "were always together" when visiting Epstein. Minsky was never charged. The accusation of sexual contact rests on Giuffre's testimony; the flight testimony places the two on the same aircraft. In a 2015 deposition [[Alan Dershowitz]] said the young women around Epstein "were seen by [[Larry Summers]], they were seen by [George] Church, they were seen by Marvin Minsky," and that "there was no hint or suggestion of anything sexual or improper."[^11][^12]
The 2019 MIT review and records reported in 2025 and 2026 indicated that Minsky and Rudisch had contact with Epstein over multiple years, including visits to his island. The renewed release of [[Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] files in 2026 returned attention to Minsky alongside other scientists in Epstein's orbit, though the allegation against Minsky has not been adjudicated and rests on Giuffre's account.[^2][^12]
### The 2011 Conference and the Websites
The 2002 gift was the only Epstein donation MIT recorded for Minsky, and it was the one Epstein gift MIT did not reclassify as anonymous in 2013. Epstein's support continued outside MIT's books. Justice Department files show that he funded a second Minsky conference in 2011, addressing "future disasters that may arise in the face of growing populations, new technologies and new social network systems"; a 2012 Epstein foundation press release placed it on Epstein's island in December 2011. From at least August 2014 the website jeffreyepstein.net stated that "Jeffrey Epstein AI sponsors many leading scientists at the forefront of AI research, including Marvin Minsky and Seth Lloyd at MIT," and another page claimed support for "Marvin Minsky and MIT's AI and Media Labs." In a 2017 text message Epstein wrote: "I funded the father of AI marvin minsky for 20 years. I know the subject well."[^8][^11][^13]
When Epstein asked in February 2016 whether he could attend Minsky's memorial, Joi Ito offered two options: "get in a private room at the Lab where he can 'hold court' and people . . . could see him out of the public eye," or "let him participate since we have a good story around it. BTW, will press be at the event?" Nicholas Negroponte answered, "Of course he can come and would be welcome .... I would make absolutely no fuss over his coming and welcome home [sic] 100%." After discussion with Minsky's family, Epstein was kept in Ito's office during the March 17, 2016 event.[^13]
### The Stallman Resignation
In September 2019, on an MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory email list discussing a planned protest over MIT's Epstein ties, the free-software activist [[Richard Stallman]] objected that the announcement "does an injustice to Marvin Minsky." After the emails leaked, Stallman resigned as president and director of the [[Free Software Foundation]] and from his visiting-scientist post at MIT. He rejoined the foundation's board in March 2021.[^12]
### Footnotes
@ -50,8 +73,12 @@ The 2019 MIT review and records reported in 2025 and 2026 indicated that Minsky
[^2]: "Eight revelations from MIT's Jeffrey Epstein report," *MIT Technology Review,* January 10, 2020, on the $100,000 grant in 2002, the Negroponte "closest friend" and "visited him in jail" emails, the memorial episode, and the unsealed Giuffre allegation. https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/10/130928/mit-jeffrey-epstein-donations-media-lab-joi-ito-seth-lloyd-funding-ethics/
[^3]: Lohr, Steve. "Marvin Minsky, Pioneer in Artificial Intelligence, Dies at 88," *The New York Times,* January 25, 2016, on the Dartmouth project, the AI Lab, and the cause of death. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/business/marvin-minsky-pioneer-in-artificial-intelligence-dies-at-88.html
[^4]: Minsky, Marvin. *The Society of Mind.* Simon & Schuster, 1986.
[^5]: "MIT professor 'entirely willing' Epstein associate," *Fox News,* 2020, on Minsky's relationship with Epstein as described in the MIT review. https://www.foxnews.com/us/mit-professor-jeffrey-epstein-associate-entirely-willing
[^5]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 9, 16, on the 2002 donation of 100,000 dollars to support Minsky's research and Negroponte's March 2013 email calling Minsky Epstein's closest friend. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^6]: "What it was like to be a scientist in Jeffrey Epstein's circle," *Slate,* August 2019, on the April 2002 AI meeting organized by Minsky, the roughly twenty attendees, Schank's recollection, and the 2006 Krauss conference. https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/jeffrey-epstein-science-eugenics-sexual-abuse-researchers.html
[^7]: "Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Forgotten AI Summit," Investor News Today, 2025, on the St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium of April 2002 and its attendees. https://investornewstoday.com/2025/08/05/inside-jeffrey-epsteins-forgotten-ai-summit/
[^8]: Brown, Stephanie, et al. "Jeffrey Epstein ordered teen girl to have sex with powerful men, accuser says," *NBC News,* August 9, 2019, on the deposition's unsealing and Giuffre's naming of Minsky. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-ordered-teen-girl-have-sex-powerful-men-accuser-n1040996
[^9]: "AI Pioneer Accused of Having Sex With Trafficking Victim On Jeffrey Epstein's Island," *Slashdot,* August 9, 2019, on Rudisch's denial that the encounter occurred and that no estate lawsuit was filed. https://yro.slashdot.org/story/19/08/09/2244200/ai-pioneer-accused-of-having-sex-with-trafficking-victim-on-jeffrey-epsteins-island
[^7]: 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, on the April 2002 symposium and its participants. https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v25i2.1764
[^8]: 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 the 2006 conference, the 2011 Minsky conference and Epstein's 2017 text. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5721150/epstein-scientists-physics-virgin-islands-conference
[^9]: Brown, Stephanie, et al. "Jeffrey Epstein ordered teen girl to have sex with powerful men, accuser says," *NBC News,* August 9, 2019, on the deposition's unsealing and Giuffre's naming of Minsky. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-ordered-teen-girl-have-sex-powerful-men-accuser-n1040996
[^10]: Deposition of Virginia Giuffre, May 3, 2016, transcript pp. 204-206 (Agren Blando Court Reporting), filed as Exhibit 3 (DE 514-3), *Giuffre v. Maxwell*, No. 1:15-cv-07433-LAP (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1295-4 (filed December 12, 2022, under the order of November 18, 2022). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.447706/gov.uscourts.nysd.447706.1295.4.pdf
[^11]: Brandom, Russell. "AI pioneer accused of having sex with trafficking victim on Jeffrey Epstein's island," *The Verge,* August 9, 2019, updated November 18, 2022, on the deposition, the March 2001 flight testimony, the December 2011 conference press release, and Dershowitz's 2015 deposition. https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/9/20798900/marvin-minsky-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-island-court-records-unsealed
[^12]: Brodkin, Jon. "Richard Stallman returns to FSF 18 months after controversial rape comments," *Ars Technica,* March 22, 2021, on Rudisch's statement to the New York Post, Stallman's September 2019 emails and resignations, and his return to the board. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/richard-stallman-returns-to-fsf-18-months-after-controversial-rape-comments/
[^13]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 9, 16, 27-28 and n. 29, 50, on the 2002 gift, the absence of other Minsky donations, the non-reclassification of the 2002 gift, the Negroponte email, the website claims, and the memorial exchange. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf

47
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Nadia Marcinkova.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
---
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
tags:
- Person
- NadiaMarcinkova
- JeffreyEpstein
- NonProsecutionAgreement
- Immunity
- Aviation
alias:
- Nadia Marcinko
- Global Girl
summary: "Companion of Jeffrey Epstein named and immunized as a potential co-conspirator in his 2007 non-prosecution agreement, never charged, later a commercial pilot and founder of the aviation company Aviloop."
location: "New York, New York"
relations:
- type: subject_of
with: "[[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]]"
role: "named potential co-conspirator, immunized"
start: 2007-09-24
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[Aviloop]]"
fn: 2
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Nadia Marcinkova, who later used the surname Marcinko, is a former companion of [[Jeffrey Epstein]] described in litigation as his "traveling companion." 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]], under which the [[United States]] agreed not to charge "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to [[Sarah Kellen]], [[Adriana Ross]], [[Lesley Groff]], or Nadia Marcinkova." She has never been charged. She later became an FAA-certified commercial pilot and flight instructor and founded an aviation company, [[Aviloop]].[^1][^2]
### With Epstein
Marcinkova was reportedly brought to live with Epstein from the former [[Yugoslavia]]. Flight logs place her on Epstein's aircraft, including a February 2005 flight with the modeling agent [[Jean-Luc Brunel]], whose agency [[MC2 Model Management]] Epstein financed. In depositions in the civil litigation brought by Epstein's victims she invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.[^2][^3]
### The Immunity Clause
The agreement naming her was signed in September 2007 by Epstein and the Southern District of Florida under U.S. Attorney [[Alexander Acosta|R. Alexander Acosta]]. In 2024 the [[Second Circuit]] held, in rejecting [[Ghislaine Maxwell]]'s appeal, that the clause bound only the Florida office; no other federal district has charged Marcinkova. The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] concluded in November 2020 that Acosta had "agreed to several unusual and problematic terms in the NPA without the consideration required under the circumstances," a finding of "poor judgment" rather than misconduct.[^1][^4]
### Aviation
Marcinkova worked as a pilot under the nickname "Gulfstream Girl" until [[Gulfstream Aerospace]] sued her for trademark infringement in 2013. The suit was settled after she renamed herself "Global Girl" in January 2014. She founded Aviloop, an aviation company, and serves as its chief executive; she lives in [[New York City|New York]].[^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]: "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/
[^3]: "Jean-Luc Brunel: The French Modeling Honcho at the Center of Jeffrey Epstein's Web," *The Fashion Law.* https://www.thefashionlaw.com/jean-luc-brunel-at-the-center-of-jeffrey-epsteins-web-of-underage-girls/
[^4]: 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

77
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Peter Mandelson.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
---
category: "Political Figure"
tags:
- Person
- PeterMandelson
- LabourParty
- UnitedKingdom
- JeffreyEpstein
- JPMorgan
- MisconductInPublicOffice
alias:
- Peter Mandelson
- Lord Mandelson
- Baron Mandelson
- Peter Benjamin Mandelson
summary: "Peter Mandelson is the British Labour politician and former business secretary who was dismissed as ambassador to Washington in 2025 over Jeffrey Epstein and arrested in 2026 for alleged misconduct in public office."
location: "London, United Kingdom"
relations:
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Herbert Morrison]]"
role: "grandson"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[House of Lords]]"
role: "life peer"
start: 2008
end: 2026-02-04
fn: 4
- type: member_of
with: "[[Labour Party (UK)]]"
end: 2026-02-01
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]]"
role: "British Ambassador to the United States"
start: 2025
end: 2025-09-11
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[Metropolitan Police]]"
reverse: true
role: "investigation for misconduct in public office; arrested February 23, 2026 and bailed"
start: 2026-02-03
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Peter Mandelson is a British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician, the grandson of the Labour Cabinet minister [[Herbert Morrison]], and one of the architects of the party's "New Labour" return to power under [[Tony Blair]] in 1997. He held senior posts under Blair from 1997 to 2001, was the [[European Union]]'s trade commissioner, returned to government under [[Gordon Brown]] as business secretary from 2008 to 2010, and was appointed to the [[House of Lords]] for life in 2008.[^1] Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] made him ambassador to the [[United States]] at the start of [[Donald Trump]]'s second term and dismissed him on September 11, 2025 after the publication of his emails to [[Jeffrey Epstein]].[^1][^2] In an internal review completed in 2019, [[JPMorgan Chase|JPMorgan]]'s compliance staff described him as one of the two people with whom Epstein appeared to maintain "a particularly close relationship," and listed him among the people Epstein referred to the bank.[^3] After the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s January 30, 2026 release of [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]], the [[Metropolitan Police]] opened an investigation into whether he passed confidential government information to Epstein while a minister, and arrested him on February 23, 2026; he has denied wrongdoing and does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.[^1][^4][^5]
### Career
Mandelson twice resigned from Blair's government over allegations of financial or ethical impropriety, acknowledging mistakes but denying wrongdoing.[^1] The second resignation, in 2001, concerned allegations that he had helped an Indian billionaire obtain a British passport; an official inquiry cleared him of wrongdoing.[^2] Between his two periods in government he served as the European Union's trade commissioner, and from 2008 to 2010 he was Brown's business secretary.[^1]
Starmer named him ambassador in Washington at the start of Trump's second term, and he helped negotiate the May 2025 trade agreement that spared Britain some of Trump's tariffs.[^1]
### JPMorgan's "Project Jeep" Review
After Epstein's July 2019 arrest, JPMorgan's compliance staff reviewed his correspondence with the bank's executives under the code name "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|Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem]] who is a senior [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] official involved in ownership of the Dubai Ports." The Virgin Islands told Judge [[Jed Rakoff]] that the summary confirmed "more than four pages of Epstein referrals to JPMorgan," including [[Andrew Farkas]], [[Boris Nikolic]], [[Bill Gates]], and Mandelson; JPMorgan's chief executive, [[Jamie Dimon]], had said at deposition: "We did not need introductions to anybody."[^3]
### Dismissal as Ambassador
A "birthday book" for Epstein, given to Congress by his estate, contained a handwritten message from Mandelson calling Epstein his "best pal."[^2] On September 10, 2025 *[[The Sun]]* published emails Mandelson sent Epstein after his 2006 indictment, including a 2008 message reading, "I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened," and another reading, "Your friends stay with you and love you." Mandelson said in a television interview that day that he now regarded Epstein as "a charismatic criminal liar" and said, "I regret very much that I fell for his lies." On September 11 the Foreign Office minister [[Stephen Doughty]] told Parliament that Mandelson had been withdrawn with immediate effect; the Foreign Office said the emails showed that the depth and extent of the relationship was "materially different" from what had been known at his appointment, and singled out his suggestion that Epstein's conviction was wrongful and should be challenged. The dismissal came less than a day after Starmer told Parliament he had confidence in him. The deputy head of mission, [[James Roscoe]], replaced him.[^2]
### The 2026 Release and the Police Investigation
The files released on January 30, 2026 included bank documents suggesting that in 2003 and 2004 Epstein sent three payments totaling 75,000 dollars to accounts linked to Mandelson or to his partner. Mandelson said he did not remember receiving the money and would investigate whether the documents were authentic. In 2009 Epstein paid 10,000 pounds toward an osteopathy course for his partner; Mandelson told *[[The Times]]* that "in retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment" to accept it.[^4] The messages also showed that in 2009, as business secretary, Mandelson appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby colleagues to reduce a tax on bankers' bonuses, and sent him an internal government report on ways to raise money after the [[2008 financial crisis]], including by selling government assets, with the note, "Interesting note that's gone to the PM." In May 2010 he wrote to Epstein that "sources tell me 500 b euro bailout" was almost complete, hours before European governments announced a 500 billion euro rescue of the single currency.[^4] He also appeared to tell Epstein in advance that Brown would resign in 2010.[^5]
Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on February 1, 2026, saying he did not want to cause it "further embarrassment." Starmer's spokesman said the government had sent the police its assessment that the documents contained "likely market-sensitive information" that should not have left government. On February 3 the Metropolitan Police said, through Commander [[Ella Marriott]], that it had "launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former government minister, for misconduct in public office offenses"; the same day Mandelson announced his retirement from the House of Lords, effective February 4, as the government prepared legislation to remove him.[^4] Police searched addresses in Camden and [[Wiltshire]], and on February 23, 2026 arrested him in Camden on suspicion of misconduct in public office; he was released on bail early the next morning.[^1][^5] His solicitors, [[Mishcon de Reya]], said the arrest had been "prompted by a baseless suggestion" that he intended to flee and "take up permanent residence abroad," said "There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in any such suggestion," and said his "overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name."[^5] Brown assisted the police with their inquiries.[^1] Four days before Mandelson's arrest, [[Prince Andrew|Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor]] had been arrested by [[Thames Valley Police]] on suspicion of the same offense in connection with his work as trade envoy.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "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
[^2]: Frayer, Lauren. "U.K. fires its ambassador to Washington over emails to Jeffrey Epstein." *NPR,* September 11, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/11/nx-s1-5537814/jeffrey-epstein-uk-ambassador-mandelson
[^3]: 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, pp. 3-5. 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
[^4]: "The U.K. investigates its ex-ambassador to the U.S. over alleged leaks to Epstein." *Associated Press,* via *NPR,* February 3, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/03/g-s1-108529/epstein-files-uk-peter-mandelson
[^5]: Sutherland, Callum, and Olivia-Anne Cleary. "Mandelson's Lawyers Break Silence on His Arrest." *Time,* February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026). https://time.com/7380534/peter-mandelson-arrested-epstein-files-fallout/

19
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Reid Hoffman.md
View file

@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ tags:
- Microsoft
alias:
- Reid Garrett Hoffman
summary: "Reid Hoffman is an American venture capitalist and entrepreneur, a PayPal Mafia principal as cofounder and executive vice president of PayPal, the cofounder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, a Greylock general partner, a 2026 Dialog retreat registrant, and a 2015 Epstein dinner attendee who publicly apologized in 2019 for helping repair Jeffrey Epstein's post-conviction image."
summary: "Reid Hoffman is the PayPal executive, LinkedIn cofounder and Greylock partner who co-hosted an August 2015 Palo Alto dinner attended by Jeffrey Epstein and apologized in 2019 for aiding Epstein's image repair."
born: 1967-08-05
location: "Stanford, California (born)"
created: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Reid Hoffman (born August 5, 1967, in [[Stanford, California|Stanford]], [[California]]) is an American venture capitalist and entrepreneur who served as executive vice president and a founding board member of [[PayPal]], cofounded and served as executive chairman of [[LinkedIn]], and joined [[Greylock Partners|Greylock]] as a general partner in 2009. Hoffman is a [[PayPal Mafia]] principal, a 2026 [[Dialog]] retreat registrant per the leaked *WIRED* roster, and a documented attendee at the 2015 Jeffrey Epstein dinner whose guest list also included [[Peter Thiel]], [[Mark Zuckerberg]], [[Elon Musk]], [[Joi Ito]], and Epstein himself. Hoffman publicly apologized in September 2019 for his role in helping repair Epstein's post-conviction public image.[^1][^2][^3]
@ -28,21 +28,23 @@ The Microsoft acquisition and Hoffman's subsequent board seat at Microsoft place
### The Epstein Relationship and the 2019 Apology
*Axios* reported on September 12, 2019 that Hoffman had emailed the outlet to apologize for his role in helping repair [[Jeffrey Epstein|Epstein]]'s post-conviction public image. The apology covered Hoffman's 2015 interactions with Epstein, including introductions Hoffman facilitated related to Epstein's attempts at image rehabilitation and to the MIT donations Epstein was arranging through Joi Ito at the [[MIT Media Lab]]. The *Wall Street Journal* reported in 2023, on the basis of the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]], that Hoffman visited Epstein's private island.[^2][^3][^4]
*Axios* reported on September 12, 2019 that Hoffman had emailed the outlet to apologize for his role in helping repair [[Jeffrey Epstein|Epstein]]'s post-conviction public image. The apology covered Hoffman's 2015 interactions with Epstein, including introductions Hoffman facilitated related to Epstein's attempts at image rehabilitation and to the MIT donations Epstein was arranging through Joi Ito at the [[MIT Media Lab]]. The *[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]* reported in 2023, on the basis of the [[Epstein Files|Epstein calendars]], that Hoffman visited Epstein's private island.[^2][^3][^4]
The August 2015 dinner that Hoffman hosted in [[Palo Alto]], ostensibly to raise money for the MIT Media Lab (documented in the Epstein Files Transparency Act releases, EFTA00344556 and EFTA00344564), placed him at the same table as Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Joi Ito, and Epstein. Hoffman apologized in September 2019 for his role in the Epstein image-rehabilitation effort. No Epstein victim has made a public allegation against Hoffman.[^2][^3][^5]
The August 2015 dinner that Hoffman hosted in [[Palo Alto]], ostensibly to raise money for the MIT Media Lab (documented in the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] releases, EFTA00344556 and EFTA00344564), placed him at the same table as Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Joi Ito, and Epstein. Hoffman apologized in September 2019 for his role in the Epstein image-rehabilitation effort. No Epstein victim has made a public allegation against Hoffman.[^2][^3][^5]
The dinner took place on Sunday, August 2, 2015, at Baume, a restaurant in Palo Alto. On August 5 Epstein's assistant [[Lesley Groff]] wrote to a member of Mark Zuckerberg's staff, with Zuckerberg on the address line, that "Jeffrey Epstein attended Reid Hoffman/Peter Thiel's dinner party this past Sunday night at Baume Restaurant. At the party Mark requested Jeffrey send his contact details to him," and gave Epstein's cell number and email address. Groff wrote that she had obtained the address from a member of Hoffman's office. The reply on August 6 read: "Noted, with thanks."[^6]
### The Dialog Registration
Hoffman appears on the leaked 2026 Dialog retreat roster, per *WIRED*'s reporting on the leak. Dialog, cofounded in 2006 by Peter Thiel and [[Auren Hoffman]], convenes U.S. officials, foreign government figures, and Silicon Valley executives at off-the-record annual retreats. Hoffman's presence on the roster places a sitting Greylock general partner and a former Microsoft board member inside the same convening network whose 2026 registrants included [[Cory Booker|Senator Cory Booker]], [[Ted Cruz|Senator Ted Cruz]], [[Jared Polis|Governor Jared Polis]], and the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe [[Alexus Grynkewich|General Alexus Grynkewich]].[^1]
Hoffman appears on the leaked 2026 Dialog retreat roster, per *WIRED*'s reporting on the leak. Dialog, cofounded in 2006 by Peter Thiel and [[Auren Hoffman]], convenes U.S. officials, foreign government figures, and Silicon Valley executives at off-the-record annual retreats. Hoffman's presence on the roster places a sitting Greylock general partner and a former Microsoft board member inside the same convening network whose 2026 registrants included [[Cory Booker|Senator Cory Booker]], [[Ted Cruz|Senator Ted Cruz]], [[Jared Polis|Governor Jared Polis]], and the [[NATO]] Supreme Allied Commander Europe [[Alexus Grynkewich|General Alexus Grynkewich]].[^1]
Hoffman's politics diverge from the Thiel network's Republican alignment. Hoffman has been a prominent [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] donor and operative, supporting [[Joe Biden]] and [[Kamala Harris]] and publicly opposing [[Donald Trump]]. He appears on the roster alongside both Democratic and Republican elected officials.[^1]
### The Musk Clash and the Epstein-Files Politics
Musk and Hoffman clashed publicly over their respective Epstein ties in 2025-2026. The [[Anadolu Agency|Anadolu Agency]] reported on the online exchange on [[X (social media)|X]], in which each accused the other of the closer Epstein relationship. Musk, whose 2015 Epstein dinner attendance is documented in the Epstein file releases (EFTA00344556), pointed to Hoffman's apology for the image-rehabilitation work. Hoffman, whose apology is documented in the September 2019 [[Axios|Axios]] exclusive, pointed to the broader pattern of Musk's Epstein contacts.[^6]
Musk and Hoffman clashed publicly over their respective Epstein ties in 2025-2026. The [[Anadolu Agency|Anadolu Agency]] reported on the online exchange on [[X (social media)|X]], in which each accused the other of the closer Epstein relationship. Musk, whose 2015 Epstein dinner attendance is documented in the Epstein file releases (EFTA00344556), pointed to Hoffman's apology for the image-rehabilitation work. Hoffman, whose apology is documented in the September 2019 [[Axios|Axios]] exclusive, pointed to the broader pattern of Musk's Epstein contacts.[^7]
Hoffman subsequently posted on LinkedIn calling for the full release of the Epstein files and pledging to advocate for victim justice. The public clash is part of the broader political dynamics around the 2025-2026 file releases, in which multiple Silicon Valley principals whose Epstein relationships have been documented have positioned themselves on the question of disclosure. [[ABC News|ABC News]] reported that Hoffman's ties to Epstein face a Trump-ordered investigation, though no Epstein victim has made a public allegation against Hoffman.[^5][^6]
Hoffman subsequently posted on LinkedIn calling for the full release of the Epstein files and pledging to advocate for victim justice. The public clash is part of the broader political dynamics around the 2025-2026 file releases, in which multiple Silicon Valley principals whose Epstein relationships have been documented have positioned themselves on the question of disclosure. [[ABC News|ABC News]] reported that Hoffman's ties to Epstein face a Trump-ordered investigation, though no Epstein victim has made a public allegation against Hoffman.[^5][^7]
Hoffman has funded Democratic candidates and opposed Trump, while Musk moved to Republican alignment across 2022 to 2024. Both appear on the leaked 2026 Dialog retreat roster.[^1]
@ -53,4 +55,5 @@ Hoffman has funded Democratic candidates and opposed Trump, while Musk moved to
[^3]: "LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman Apologizes for Helping Jeffrey Epstein." *Business Insider,* September 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-founder-reid-hoffman-apologizes-helping-jeffrey-epstein-2019-9
[^4]: For the Hoffman visit to the Epstein island, see the *Wall Street Journal* 2023 reporting on the Epstein calendars and the SEC shareholder-proposal filing referencing the visit.
[^5]: "LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman's ties to Jeffrey Epstein face Trump-ordered investigation." *ABC News,* 2025. https://abcnews.com/US/linkedin-founder-reid-hoffmans-ties-jeffrey-epstein-face/story?id=127651719
[^6]: "2 tech billionaires clash online about ties to Jeffrey Epstein." *Anadolu Agency,* 2025. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/2-tech-billionaires-clash-online-about-ties-to-jeffrey-epstein/3820174
[^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02074070, DataSet 10, email from Lesley Groff, "Jeffrey Epstein (Hoffman & Thiel Dinner Party)," August 5, 2015; and EFTA00344413, DataSet 9, reply to Lesley Groff, August 6, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02074070.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344413.pdf
[^7]: "2 tech billionaires clash online about ties to Jeffrey Epstein." *Anadolu Agency,* 2025. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/2-tech-billionaires-clash-online-about-ties-to-jeffrey-epstein/3820174

106
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Richard Kahn.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
---
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
tags:
- Person
- RichardKahn
- JeffreyEpstein
- EpsteinEstate
- Accountant
- ShellCompany
- VirginIslands
alias:
- Richard D. Kahn
- Rich Kahn
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein's longtime accountant, treasurer of Southern Trust and co-executor of his estate, named a 25 million dollar beneficiary, sued by victims and the Virgin Islands, and under federal investigation in 2026."
location: "New York, New York"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
role: "in-house accountant"
end: 2019-08-10
fn: 1
- type: director_of
with: "[[Southern Trust Company]]"
role: "treasurer and director"
start: 2013
end: 2019
fn: 2
- type: director_of
with: "[[Maple Inc.]]"
role: "treasurer and director"
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[Denise George]]"
reverse: true
start: 2020
end: 2022-12-01
role: "defendant in the territory's CICO action"
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
reverse: true
start: 2026-09
fn: 4
- type: represented
with: "[[Gordon Rhea]]"
reverse: true
role: "counsel in the territory's estate litigation"
fn: 14
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Richard D. Kahn is an accountant who was [[Jeffrey Epstein]]'s longtime in-house accountant, treasurer and director of [[Southern Trust Company]] and of the Virgin Islands corporations that held Epstein's real estate, and, with the lawyer [[Darren Indyke]], co-executor of Epstein's estate and co-trustee of the 1953 Trust. The trust names Kahn to receive 25 million dollars, third in order of payment. The [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] government sued him personally in 2020, victims sued him and Indyke in a class action the estate agreed in February 2026 to settle for up to 35 million dollars, and in September 2026 federal prosecutors in Manhattan were reported to be investigating both men. Kahn and Indyke deny knowing of Epstein's sex trafficking or knowingly helping him.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
### Treasurer of Southern Trust
According to the Virgin Islands government's Second Amended Complaint of November 2022, Kahn, "as Southern Trust's treasurer, oversaw its accounting, invoicing, and tax reporting," and served on its board with Epstein and Indyke. Southern Trust had obtained a territorial tax-incentive certificate by presenting itself as a "biomedical and financial informatics" business, reported net income of 50.3 million dollars in 2013 and 67.5 million dollars in 2014, and received 158 million dollars from 2013 to 2017 from "a single source," 85 percent of its revenue; the territory alleged it "did not perform the 'informatics' business." Payments from [[Leon Black]] began under a February 13, 2013 service agreement between Black and Southern Trust Company, Inc. and came to 50 million dollars in 2013 and 158 million dollars in total through 2017, according to the law firm [[Dechert]]'s review for [[Apollo Global Management]], which found no evidence Black paid for anything but "legitimate advice." The territory estimated that the Southern Trust certificate let Epstein avoid 80,576,236 dollars in taxes.[^2][^5]
On January 24, 2014, the day the [[Economic Development Commission]] certificate for Southern Trust was signed by the commission's chairman, [[Albert Bryan]], Epstein's office manager [[Cecile de Jongh]], wife of Governor [[John de Jongh]], asked Epstein to give 15,000 dollars toward the governor's final State of the Territory reception. An hour later she emailed Kahn: "Hi Rich, Can you please prepare a check for $15,000 made payable to Governor's Special Events Fund. Thanks."[^6]
### The Tree Entities
Epstein formed [[Cypress Inc.|Cypress, Inc.]], [[Maple Inc.|Maple, Inc.]] and [[Laurel Inc.|Laurel, Inc.]] as Virgin Islands corporations in November 2011 and moved into them the [[Zorro Ranch]] in [[New Mexico]], the [[9 East 71st Street]] townhouse in Manhattan and his house on Brillo Way in [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]]. Kahn was treasurer and a director of each. Their annual reports to the Office of the [[Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands]], signed by Epstein and Kahn under the attestation "ALL STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS APPLICATION, AND ANY ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS, ARE TRUE AND CORRECT," omitted the properties. Maple reported cash of 21,265 dollars and expenses of 300 dollars for 2018 while paying 336,471.87 dollars in [[New York City]] property taxes; Cypress reported 301 dollars in 2018 expenses while paying 106,394.60 dollars in Santa Fe property taxes on November 6, 2018; Laurel reported 300 dollars while paying 196,673.56 dollars in Palm Beach property taxes that day. In 2013, the territory alleged, Kahn directed the outside accountant not to report the properties on the companies' tax returns. The complaint concluded that "Indyke and Kahn knew or should have known that their attestations were false" and that the transfers "were made for the sole purpose of sheltering these assets from collection."[^2]
### Other Entities and Payments
Kahn was the initial manager, with signatory authority, of JSC Interiors, LLC, a New York company formed in November 2014 whose listed sole owner, identified in the complaint only by the initials JSC, was, according to the territory, "forced and coerced to have sex with Epstein." One of its bank accounts was funded entirely from Epstein's personal accounts, and Kahn described its second payroll recipient to the bank once as an interior designer, which the territory said appeared false, and once as a dentist. The same person was also on the Southern Trust payroll in 2019. Kahn and Indyke signed checks of almost 300,000 dollars from LSJE, LLC to young women or to a New York immigration lawyer, and more than 1 million dollars from the Butterfly Trust, of which both men were themselves beneficiaries. The territory alleged that in at least three cases they took part in arranging marriages to obtain immigration status for foreign women and that Kahn "provided a letter of reference for at least one immigration application and tax services to the spouses." On January 17, 2018 Kahn arranged with a bank for 100,000 dollars in cash to be ready for Indyke to collect. Kahn has denied the allegations and was not charged.[^2]
The territory alleged that "from 2011 to 2019, Epstein and Epstein-owned entities paid ... over $10 million net" to Kahn, including loans still outstanding to Kahn-related entities, through HBRK Associates, Inc. and Coatue Enterprises, LLC, which it described as shell companies, and that Epstein entities' tax forms "did not report nearly the full compensation."[^2] Through their lawyers, Kahn and Indyke have said they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.[^1]
### Correspondence in the Epstein Releases
Kahn's emails to Epstein in the Justice Department's releases are signed from HBRK Associates Inc., 575 Lexington Avenue, New York. On December 15, 2014 a correspondent sent him a contact card titled "President Leon Botstein.vcf" under the subject "Leon Botstein/Bard," and Kahn answered "thank you"; in 2016 Epstein's charity [[Gratitude America]] paid [[Leon Botstein]], president of [[Bard College]], 37,500 dollars a quarter by checks drawn on [[Deutsche Bank]] Trust Company Americas.[^7][^8] On October 12, 2018, ten days after the disappearance of [[Jamal Khashoggi]], Kahn sent Epstein a *New York Post* story on [[Richard Branson]] halting a Saudi project over it.[^9]
In March 2019 Kahn took part in the exercise of warrants in the Israeli company [[Carbyne]] by Southern Trust Company. On March 12, 2019 Darren Indyke told Epstein that the Israeli lawyer on the deal wanted a reference letter from "the transferring bank which is DB," and that he had "asked Rich to find out from Stewart Oldfield at DB with whom Rich has a decent relationship if that would even be possible at this point." Deutsche Bank had notified Epstein on December 21, 2018 that it would no longer service his accounts.[^10] On March 15 Kahn forwarded Epstein Carbyne's audited 2017 and draft 2018 financial statements and a three-year projection, noting "i have not yet reviewed..."; on March 27, replying to a further Carbyne email Kahn had forwarded, Epstein wrote: "Have alan do another for haze trust."[^11][^12]
*[[The Daily Beast]]* reported in August 2020 that on the day after Epstein's death Kahn was photographed leaving the Manhattan townhouse with a bag that, according to a source close to him, contained Epstein's funeral clothes.[^13]
### Co-Executor
Kahn and Indyke filed Epstein's will for probate on August 15, 2019, valuing his Virgin Islands property at 577,672,654 dollars, and filed a Certificate of Trust for the 1953 Trust on August 26, 2019. Testifying to the [[House Oversight Committee]] on March 11, 2026, Kahn said: "I believe that Epstein envisioned me taking this role as co-executor and co-agent trustee ... would be many, many years of working. So if I was not in Epstein's Trust and I was a corporate trustee, I probably would have received an executor fee of $12 million for serving as co-executor and serving as co-trustee. So that could be the only reason why he left me such a large bequest." He testified that the estate spends 10 to 15 million dollars a year on legal and other fees and pays the co-executors' legal bills. The estate's assets fell from 655.1 million dollars at the end of 2019 to 107.6 million dollars by September 2026.[^1][^2]
The territory's action against the estate, Kahn, Indyke and the Epstein companies settled on December 1, 2022 for more than 105 million dollars in cash, half the proceeds of the sale of [[Little St. James]] and the return of more than 80 million dollars in tax benefits.[^5] In 2024 Governor Bryan appointed as attorney general [[Gordon Rhea]], who had represented Kahn in that litigation; Rhea said he would recuse himself from Epstein matters.[^14]
### Victim Suits and Federal Investigation
In the 2024 class action Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y.), victims represented by [[Boies Schiller Flexner]] alleged that Kahn and Indyke built "a complex web of corporations and bank accounts" that concealed Epstein's abuse and paid victims and recruiters while they were "richly compensated"; the estate agreed on February 19, 2026 to pay up to 35 million dollars to settle, and Indyke's lawyer, Daniel H. Weiner, said that neither co-executor "has made any admission or concession of misconduct." Victims filed a further suit in August 2026. Kahn's lawyer, Daniel Ruzumna, and Weiner said their clients "emphatically reject" any allegation of complicity in or knowledge of Epstein's crimes, and that any funds from the 1953 Trust would come "only after all claims against the Estate are finally resolved and the Estate is fully probated."[^1][^3]
On September 23, 2026 the [[Washington Examiner]], citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that federal authorities in New York were investigating Kahn and Indyke; the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]], which first reported it, said prosecutors were requesting emails and financial records and asking witnesses about the men's roles in legal entities allegedly used to conceal Epstein's activities. The [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]] declined to comment.[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Em Steck, "Epstein left millions to his closest advisers. A shrinking estate and new lawsuits may stand in the way," *CNN,* September 21, 2026, citing the 1953 Trust, estate court filings, and House Oversight Committee testimony of Kahn (March 11, 2026) and Indyke (March 19, 2026). https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/21/politics/jeffrey-epstein-estate-lawsuit-vis
[^2]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Darren K. Indyke et al., No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint (filed November 30, 2022), paragraphs 11 to 17, 76 to 117, 163, 166 to 175, 177 to 195; reproduced as ECF No. 1-1 in Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y., filed 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
[^3]: Reuters, "Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement in victim class action," *NBC News,* February 20, 2026; Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y., filed February 16, 2024, Judge Arun Subramanian), docket. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-estate-agrees-35-million-settlement-victim-class-action-rcna259863 ; https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68260876/doe-3-v-indyke/
[^4]: 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/
[^5]: 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, pp. 3 to 4, 16 to 17, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management, Inc., Form 8-K (January 25, 2021), https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm ; "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/
[^6]: "V.I. Officials Enabled Epstein to Act With Impunity, JPMorgan Alleges in Latest Salvo," *St. Thomas Source,* June 16, 2023, on the January 24, 2014 certificate and same-day emails. 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/
[^7]: 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
[^8]: 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
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02619942, DataSet 11, email from Richard Kahn to Jeffrey Epstein, October 12, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02619942.pdf
[^10]: 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), paras. 16-58. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank
[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02634615, DataSet 11, email chain "Carbyne warrants" among Tomer Toor, NJF Capital, Darren Indyke and Jeffrey Epstein, February 28 to March 14, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf
[^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01035810, DataSet 9, email from Richard Kahn to Jeffrey Epstein, "Fwd: Carbyne," March 15, 2019; EFTA02636176, DataSet 11, email from Jeffrey Epstein to Richard Kahn, "Re: CARBYNE," March 27, 2019. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01035810.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02636176.pdf
[^13]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00163119, DataSet 9, press printout: Kate Briquelet and William Bredderman, "Jeffrey Epstein's Right-Hand Mystery Men: The Lawyer and the Accountant," *The Daily Beast,* August 30, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00163119.pdf
[^14]: Suzanne Carlson, "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 ; Suzanne Carlson, "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

68
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Ro Khanna.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
---
category: "Political Figure"
tags:
- Person
- RoKhanna
- Congress
- DemocraticParty
- SiliconValley
- EpsteinFilesTransparencyAct
- EpsteinFiles
- DischargePetition
alias:
- Rohit Khanna
- Rep. Ro Khanna
summary: "Democratic congressman for California's Silicon Valley district since 2017, lead author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, who read six redacted names from the files on the House floor in 2026."
born: 1976-09-13
location: "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (born)"
relations:
- type: member_of
with: "[[United States House of Representatives]]"
start: 2017-01-03
role: "representative for California's 17th congressional district"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]]"
role: "committee member"
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Department of Commerce]]"
role: "deputy assistant secretary in the Obama administration"
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Ro Khanna (born Rohit Khanna on September 13, 1976, in [[Philadelphia]]) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician who has represented California's 17th congressional district, in [[Silicon Valley]], since January 2017.[^1] He introduced the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] with the Kentucky Republican [[Thomas Massie]] in July 2025 and, with Massie, forced it to a floor vote by discharge petition.[^2][^3]
### Background
Khanna's parents emigrated from India in the 1970s. He graduated in economics from the [[University of Chicago]], where he canvassed for [[Barack Obama]]'s 1996 campaign for the Illinois Senate, and took a law degree at [[Yale Law School]]. He served as a deputy assistant secretary of commerce in the Obama administration and taught economics at [[Stanford University]]. In the House he sits on the [[House Armed Services Committee]], where he is ranking member of the subcommittee on cyber and innovative technologies, on the [[House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party|Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party]] and on the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], and he is vice chair of the [[Congressional Progressive Caucus]].[^4] On August 13, 2026, he wrote to Commerce Secretary [[Howard Lutnick]] about the [[U.S. AI Safety Institute|Center for AI Standards and Innovation]], stating that the center had reportedly stopped publishing findings on content manipulation in its evaluations of Chinese AI models.[^5]
### The Transparency Act
Khanna introduced H.R. 4405 on July 15, 2025, "for himself and Mr. Massie."[^2] Massie filed the discharge petition on September 2, 2025; it reached 218 signatures on November 12, and the House passed the bill 427 to 1 on November 18, the day before [[Donald Trump]] signed it.[^3][^6] On January 13, 2026, Khanna and Massie moved to appear as amici curiae in the closed criminal case [[United States v. Maxwell]] and asked Judge [[Paul Engelmayer]] to appoint "a special master or independent monitor" over the [[Department of Justice]]'s compliance, telling the court that as of January 5 the department had "publicly released only 12,285 documents" and that "DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act." Engelmayer denied the motion on January 21, holding that the criminal case gave him no authority to supervise compliance with "a civil records-disclosure statute."[^7]
### The Six Names
On February 9, 2026, Khanna and Massie spent about two hours reading less-redacted files at the Justice Department. On the House floor the next day Khanna said that "70 to 80 percent of the files are still redacted" and that "there were six wealthy, powerful men that the DOJ hid for no apparent reason," and read their names: Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, Nicola Caputo, [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem]], chairman and chief executive of [[DP World]], and [[Leslie Wexner]], "who was labeled as a 'co-conspirator' by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]." He asked: "If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those three million files." He said appearing in the files was not evidence of a crime and that "none of this is designed to be a witch hunt."[^8][^9] A department spokesperson said four of the six appear in a single document, that Wexner is referenced nearly 200 times and bin Sulayem more than 4,700 times, and CBS News found that the files it reviewed did not appear to implicate the six in any crime.[^8] Wexner's representative said prosecutors had told his lawyers in 2019 that he was "neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect."[^10] Bin Sulayem, whom Massie had identified as the recipient of a 2009 Epstein email reading "I loved the torture video," did not respond to requests for comment and resigned from DP World on February 13, 2026; he has not been accused of a crime.[^11]
When the department sent Congress its list of about 300 "politically exposed persons" in the files on February 14, 2026, Khanna said it was "purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email."[^12] On March 4, 2026, the Oversight Committee, on which he sits, voted 24 to 19 to subpoena Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]].[^13] After Trump removed her on April 2, Khanna told [[NPR]]: "Thomas Massie and I, with passing the Epstein Transparency Act, basically forced Donald Trump to fire his own attorney general."[^14] On September 1, 2026, he and Massie opened a discharge petition for a second bill giving members of Congress, state officials and survivors standing to sue the department over compliance.[^15]
### Footnotes
[^1]: United States Congress, legislator record for Ro Khanna (bioguide K000389), born 1976-09-13, terms from 2017-01-03, California 17th district, compiled in the congress-legislators dataset. https://unitedstates.github.io/congress-legislators/legislators-current.json
[^2]: H.R. 4405, 119th Congress, Epstein Files Transparency Act, as introduced July 15, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405/text
[^3]: "Epstein discharge petition secures final signature needed to force House vote on releasing files," CBS News, November 12, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-discharge-petition-final-signature-files-adelita-grijalva/ ; "US representative files discharge petition to compel release of Epstein investigation documents," JURIST, September 5, 2025. https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/09/us-representative-files-discharge-petition-to-compel-release-of-epstein-investigation-documents/
[^4]: Office of Representative Ro Khanna, "About Rep. Khanna," official biography, accessed September 2026. https://khanna.house.gov/about/about-rep-khanna
[^5]: Khanna, Ro. Letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the Center for AI Standards and Innovation, August 13, 2026, published by the Democrats of the House Select Committee on the CCP. https://democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/8.13.26-khanna-letter-to-commerce-on-caisi.pdf
[^6]: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 289, H.R. 4405, November 18, 2025. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289
[^7]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y.), motion of Reps. Massie and Khanna, ECF Nos. 837, 838 (January 13, 2026); Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844 (January 21, 2026). https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
[^8]: "Rep. Khanna names 6 men he says were redacted from Epstein files for 'no apparent reason'; DOJ says some had no Epstein ties," CBS News, February 10, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/massie-khanna-epstein-files-6-men/
[^9]: C-SPAN, "Rep. Ro Khanna Reads Names from Redacted Epstein Files," February 10, 2026. https://www.c-span.org/clip/us-house-of-representatives/rep-ro-khanna-reads-names-from-redacted-epstein-files/5192664 ; "Ro Khanna Reads Out Names of Six 'Powerful Men' in Epstein Files," The New Republic, February 10, 2026. https://newrepublic.com/post/206411/ro-khanna-reads-redacted-names-epstein-files-house-floor
[^10]: 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
[^11]: "Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, 'Close Personal Friend' Of Epstein, Resigns As CEO Of DP World," Forbes, February 13, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestunson/2026/02/13/dubai-ceo-resigns-after-released-email-showed-epstein-thanking-him-for-torture-video/ ; "Emirati billionaire resigns as CEO of logistics firm following Epstein revelations," ABC News, February 13, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/emirati-billionaire-resigns-ceo-logistics-firm-epstein-revelations/story?id=130136386
[^12]: "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
[^13]: 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
[^14]: 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
[^15]: Erin Kelly, "Massie seeks signatures to force vote on second Epstein files bill," Spectrum News 1, September 1, 2026. https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/09/01/massie-discharge-petition-epstein

121
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Robert Maxwell.md
View file

@ -18,95 +18,134 @@ alias:
- Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch
- Jan Ludvik Hoch
- Ian Robert Maxwell
summary: "Robert Maxwell was a British publishing magnate, Labour MP, and alleged simultaneous asset of Mossad, British, and Soviet intelligence whose empire collapsed after he looted the Mirror Group pension funds, who was alleged to be the international distributor of backdoored PROMIS software, and who died at sea off the Canary Islands in 1991 amid contested allegations of foul play."
summary: "Robert Maxwell was a British publisher and Labour MP, alleged to have served Israeli, British, and Soviet intelligence, who looted the Mirror Group pension funds and died at sea in 1991."
born: 1923-06-10
died: 1991-11-05
location: "London, United Kingdom"
created: 2024-04-25
updated: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: founded
with: "[[Pergamon Press]]"
start: 1951
fn: 1
- type: owned
with: "[[Mirror Group Newspapers]]"
role: "acquired from Reed International for about 113 million pounds"
start: 1984-07
end: 1991
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Ghislaine Maxwell]]"
role: "father"
fn: 14
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Kevin Maxwell]]"
role: "father"
fn: 13
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Ian Maxwell]]"
role: "father"
fn: 13
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[Elisabeth Maxwell]]"
role: "husband"
start: 1945
fn: 3
---
Robert Maxwell was a British publishing magnate, Member of Parliament, and proprietor of [[Mirror Group Newspapers]] who built and lost a sprawling media and finance empire before drowning off his yacht near the [[Canary Islands]] in 1991. He was born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch on June 10, 1923, in Slatinské Doly, Carpathian Ruthenia, then part of Czechoslovakia and now Solotvyno, [[Ukraine]].[^1] After his death, investigators found he had misappropriated hundreds of millions of pounds from his companies' pension funds, and journalists and a self-described former Israeli intelligence officer alleged he had served Israeli, British, and Soviet intelligence services.[^2]
### Origins and War Service
Maxwell came from a poor Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish family in the Carpathian region. His father was Mehel (Mechel) Hoch and his mother Hannah Slomowitz, and Maxwell was one of seven or more children.[^14] After Hungary occupied the region and Nazi Germany took control in 1944, his parents, his grandfather, and three of his siblings were deported to [[Auschwitz]] and murdered there; only Maxwell and two sisters survived the [[Holocaust]].[^14] One sister, Sylvia, was reportedly pulled from a deportation transport in [[Budapest]] by the Swedish diplomat [[Raoul Wallenberg]], who issued her protective papers.[^14] Maxwell himself had left the region in 1939, around age fifteen or sixteen, before the deportations.[^14]
Maxwell came from a poor Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish family in the Carpathian region. His father was Mehel (Mechel) Hoch and his mother Hannah Slomowitz, and Maxwell was one of seven or more children.[^3] After Hungary occupied the region and [[Nazi Germany]] took control in 1944, his parents, his grandfather, and three of his siblings were deported to [[Auschwitz]] and murdered there; only Maxwell and two sisters survived the [[Holocaust]].[^3] One sister, Sylvia, was reportedly pulled from a deportation transport in [[Budapest]] by the Swedish diplomat [[Raoul Wallenberg]], who issued her protective papers.[^3] Maxwell himself had left the region in 1939, around age fifteen or sixteen, before the deportations.[^3]
He fled westward after the German occupation, joined the Czechoslovak Army in exile in May 1940, and transferred to the British Army, where he rose from private to sergeant before being commissioned.[^1] He served across North West Europe from the [[Normandy]] landings onward, was commissioned into the [[Queen's Royal Regiment]] in January 1945, and on January 29, 1945, while leading his platoon toward Paarlo in the [[Netherlands]], captured a German machine-gun position; for that action he was awarded the [[Military Cross]] and promoted to captain.[^15] Field Marshal [[Bernard Montgomery]] pinned the decoration on him.[^15] In 1945 he married the Frenchwoman Élisabeth Meynard, with whom he had nine children.[^14]
He fled westward after the German occupation, joined the Czechoslovak Army in exile in May 1940, and transferred to the British Army, where he rose from private to sergeant before being commissioned.[^1] He served across North West Europe from the [[Normandy]] landings onward, was commissioned into the [[Queen's Royal Regiment]] in January 1945, and on January 29, 1945, while leading his platoon toward Paarlo in the [[Netherlands]], captured a German machine-gun position; for that action he was awarded the [[Military Cross]] and promoted to captain.[^4] Field Marshal [[Bernard Montgomery]] pinned the decoration on him.[^4] In 1945 he married the Frenchwoman Élisabeth Meynard, with whom he had nine children.[^3]
He became a naturalized British subject on June 19, 1946, and legally changed his name to Ian Robert Maxwell on June 30, 1948.[^1] During the immediate postwar period he served in the Berlin Information Control Unit of the British occupation authorities, and in 1947 he made contact with [[Ferdinand Springer]] of [[Springer-Verlag]], Germany's leading prewar scientific publisher, who had retained large stocks of valuable journal back numbers.[^16] Maxwell agreed to act as Springer's distributor outside Germany through his new British firm, the European Periodicals, Publicity and Advertising Corporation (EPPAC), and in 1949 helped form a joint distribution company, Lange, Maxwell & Springer, in which the Springer interests held a 49 percent stake.[^16]
He became a naturalized British subject on June 19, 1946, and legally changed his name to Ian Robert Maxwell on June 30, 1948.[^1] During the immediate postwar period he served in the Berlin Information Control Unit of the British occupation authorities, and in 1947 he made contact with [[Ferdinand Springer]] of [[Springer-Verlag]], Germany's leading prewar scientific publisher, who had retained large stocks of valuable journal back numbers.[^5] Maxwell agreed to act as Springer's distributor outside Germany through his new British firm, the European Periodicals, Publicity and Advertising Corporation (EPPAC), and in 1949 helped form a joint distribution company, Lange, Maxwell & Springer, in which the Springer interests held a 49 percent stake.[^5]
### Czechoslovak Arms to Israel
Maxwell has been described in several accounts as having used his contacts among the Czechoslovak Communist leadership to help arrange the supply of arms to the [[Jewish Agency]] and the emerging state of [[Israel]] during the 1947-1949 period, when an international embargo otherwise restricted weapons reaching the Zionist forces.[^17] The clandestine Czechoslovak sales, authorized by foreign minister [[Jan Masaryk]] and beginning with a contract in January 1948, delivered rifles, machine guns, ammunition, and Avia S-199 fighter aircraft to the [[Haganah]], and [[Yitzhak Rabin]] later said that without the Czech arms it was doubtful the war could have been won.[^17]
Maxwell has been described in several accounts as having used his contacts among the Czechoslovak Communist leadership to help arrange the supply of arms to the [[Jewish Agency]] and the emerging state of [[Israel]] during the 1947-1949 period, when an international embargo otherwise restricted weapons reaching the Zionist forces.[^6] The clandestine Czechoslovak sales, authorized by foreign minister [[Jan Masaryk]] and beginning with a contract in January 1948, delivered rifles, machine guns, ammunition, and Avia S-199 fighter aircraft to the [[Haganah]], and [[Yitzhak Rabin]] later said that without the Czech arms it was doubtful the war could have been won.[^6]
The specifics of Maxwell's personal role rest largely on later biographical and journalistic accounts rather than contemporaneous documentation, and the principal sources, including the writers John Loftus and Mark Aarons and the author [[Gordon Thomas]], place him as a facilitator and shipper of materiel and aircraft parts rather than a signatory to the state-level contracts.[^17][^9] No declassified Czechoslovak or Israeli record has been published that fixes the precise scope of his involvement, and the claim is therefore reported but not independently confirmed.[^17] His Eastern European Communist contacts from this period, together with the trading relationships his publishing businesses later built across the [[Eastern Bloc]], formed part of the basis on which writers afterward speculated about ties to Soviet and Israeli services.[^2]
The specifics of Maxwell's personal role rest largely on later biographical and journalistic accounts rather than contemporaneous documentation, and the principal sources, including the writers John Loftus and Mark Aarons and the author [[Gordon Thomas]], place him as a facilitator and shipper of materiel and aircraft parts rather than a signatory to the state-level contracts.[^6][^7] No declassified Czechoslovak or Israeli record has been published that fixes the precise scope of his involvement, and the claim is therefore reported but not independently confirmed.[^6] His Eastern European Communist contacts from this period, together with the trading relationships his publishing businesses later built across the [[Eastern Bloc]], formed part of the basis on which writers afterward speculated about ties to Soviet and Israeli services.[^2]
### Pergamon Press and Mirror Group
Maxwell founded [[Pergamon Press]] in 1951, buying three-quarters of the science publisher Butterworth-Springer, and built it into a major international scientific and academic publishing house issuing journals across the sciences.[^1] In 1969 the American financier [[Saul Steinberg]] of [[Leasco]] launched a takeover bid for Pergamon that collapsed amid a dispute over the profitability of an encyclopedia-publishing subsidiary, and Maxwell lost control of Pergamon and was expelled from its board in October 1969 before reacquiring the company in 1974.[^1] A [[Department of Trade and Industry]] inspectors' inquiry into the Leasco affair concluded in 1971 with the finding that, "notwithstanding Mr Maxwell's acknowledged abilities and energy, he is not in our opinion a person who can be relied on to exercise proper stewardship of a publicly quoted company."[^1]
He sat as the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Buckingham]] from 1964 to 1970.[^1] In July 1984 he acquired Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of the [[Daily Mirror]] and other titles, for about 113 million pounds from [[Reed International]].[^1] He expanded into the United States, completing a tender offer of about 2.6 billion dollars for the publisher [[Macmillan]] in November 1988, acquiring the language-school chain [[Berlitz]] and [[Official Airline Guides]], and buying the [[New York Daily News]] in 1991, financing the acquisitions through an increasingly opaque web of public companies and private trusts that left his group heavily indebted.[^3][^18]
He sat as the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Buckingham]] from 1964 to 1970.[^1] In July 1984 he acquired Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of the [[Daily Mirror]] and other titles, for about 113 million pounds from [[Reed International]].[^1] He expanded into the [[United States]], completing a tender offer of about 2.6 billion dollars for the publisher [[Macmillan]] in November 1988, acquiring the language-school chain [[Berlitz]] and [[Official Airline Guides]], and buying the [[New York Daily News]] in 1991, financing the acquisitions through an increasingly opaque web of public companies and private trusts that left his group heavily indebted.[^8][^9]
### Collapse and the Pension Theft
By 1991 Maxwell's empire was carrying unsustainable debt, and he was secretly transferring assets among his public companies, [[Maxwell Communication Corporation]] and Mirror Group Newspapers, and his private interests to prop up share prices and service borrowing.[^3] The pension assets of the various Maxwell schemes, covering more than 32,000 members, were largely pooled in a Common Investment Fund managed by a Maxwell-controlled subsidiary, [[Bishopsgate Investment Management]] (BIM), and Maxwell used those assets as collateral for loans to his private companies, pledging pension-fund securities to banks and transferring them to private Maxwell entities for little or no consideration.[^19]
By 1991 Maxwell's empire was carrying unsustainable debt, and he was secretly transferring assets among his public companies, [[Maxwell Communication Corporation]] and Mirror Group Newspapers, and his private interests to prop up share prices and service borrowing.[^8] The pension assets of the various Maxwell schemes, covering more than 32,000 members, were largely pooled in a Common Investment Fund managed by a Maxwell-controlled subsidiary, [[Bishopsgate Investment Management]] (BIM), and Maxwell used those assets as collateral for loans to his private companies, pledging pension-fund securities to banks and transferring them to private Maxwell entities for little or no consideration.[^10]
After his death, administrators and the [[Serious Fraud Office]] concluded that roughly 450 to 460 million pounds had been taken from the group's pension funds.[^4][^19] [[Goldman Sachs]], acting on Maxwell's instructions, sold blocks of Mirror Group shares that had been marked as pension-fund property, and BIM went into liquidation in March 1992, with many Mirror Group pensioners facing sharp reductions until a partial rescue was arranged.[^19] A long Department of Trade and Industry inspectors' report published in 2001 catalogued the abuses and criticized City advisers, trustees, and the auditors [[Coopers & Lybrand]] Deloitte; the eventual recovery came through out-of-court settlements, including a March 1995 settlement of about 276 million pounds to the pension schemes.[^20]
After his death, administrators and the [[Serious Fraud Office]] concluded that roughly 450 to 460 million pounds had been taken from the group's pension funds.[^10][^11] [[Goldman Sachs]], acting on Maxwell's instructions, sold blocks of Mirror Group shares that had been marked as pension-fund property, and BIM went into liquidation in March 1992, with many Mirror Group pensioners facing sharp reductions until a partial rescue was arranged.[^10] A long Department of Trade and Industry inspectors' report published in 2001 catalogued the abuses and criticized City advisers, trustees, and the auditors [[Coopers & Lybrand]] Deloitte; the eventual recovery came through out-of-court settlements, including a March 1995 settlement of about 276 million pounds to the pension schemes.[^12]
His sons [[Kevin Maxwell]] and [[Ian Maxwell]], the latter a BIM director who had signed pension-fund share transfers to the private Maxwell Group, were prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office and tried at the [[Old Bailey]]; in January 1996, after a trial lasting roughly eight months, a jury acquitted both brothers of conspiracy to defraud the pension funds, and in September 1996 prosecutors decided not to pursue a second trial against Kevin Maxwell.[^5][^19] His daughter [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] later moved to the United States and was convicted in 2021 on federal sex-trafficking charges connected to [[Jeffrey Epstein]].[^6]
His sons [[Kevin Maxwell]] and [[Ian Maxwell]], the latter a BIM director who had signed pension-fund share transfers to the private Maxwell Group, were prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office and tried at the [[Old Bailey]]; in January 1996, after a trial lasting roughly eight months, a jury acquitted both brothers of conspiracy to defraud the pension funds, and in September 1996 prosecutors decided not to pursue a second trial against Kevin Maxwell.[^10][^13] His daughter [[Ghislaine Maxwell]] later moved to the United States and was convicted in 2021 on federal sex-trafficking charges connected to [[Jeffrey Epstein]].[^14]
### Death off the Lady Ghislaine
Maxwell disappeared from his motor yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, during a cruise off the Canary Islands and was found dead in the Atlantic on November 5, 1991, his body recovered about 20 miles southwest of [[Gran Canaria]] and taken to [[Las Palmas]] for examination.[^7] In the hours before his disappearance he had reportedly been under acute pressure, including an argument by telephone with his son Kevin over loan defaults, and the last contact with crew was logged in the early hours of November 5.[^21] An autopsy noted heart and lung disease and a graze on his left shoulder, with no other significant wounds.[^7][^21]
Maxwell disappeared from his motor yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, during a cruise off the Canary Islands and was found dead in the Atlantic on November 5, 1991, his body recovered about 20 miles southwest of [[Gran Canaria]] and taken to [[Las Palmas]] for examination.[^15] In the hours before his disappearance he had reportedly been under acute pressure, including an argument by telephone with his son Kevin over loan defaults, and the last contact with crew was logged in the early hours of November 5.[^16] An autopsy noted heart and lung disease and a graze on his left shoulder, with no other significant wounds.[^15][^16]
Three pathologists examining the body reached differing conclusions, one favoring a heart attack alone, another a heart attack followed by drowning, and a third a fall and drowning.[^21] A Spanish judicial proceeding under Judge Isabel Oliva of the Granadilla district court closed the case as most probably accidental, attributing death to "the association of a double mechanism consisting of a previous causal factor of an ischemic heart attack, followed by a concomitant factor of drowning," and a separate inquest in [[England]] in December 1991 likewise returned a verdict of death by heart attack combined with accidental drowning.[^21][^7] The circumstances remained disputed, with competing theories of accident, suicide given the impending exposure of his frauds, and foul play.[^7]
Three pathologists examining the body reached differing conclusions, one favoring a heart attack alone, another a heart attack followed by drowning, and a third a fall and drowning.[^16] A Spanish judicial proceeding under Judge Isabel Oliva of the Granadilla district court closed the case as most probably accidental, attributing death to "the association of a double mechanism consisting of a previous causal factor of an ischemic heart attack, followed by a concomitant factor of drowning," and a separate inquest in [[England]] in December 1991 likewise returned a verdict of death by heart attack combined with accidental drowning.[^15][^16] The circumstances remained disputed, with competing theories of accident, suicide given the impending exposure of his frauds, and foul play.[^15]
### Intelligence Allegations
Allegations that Maxwell worked for Israeli intelligence were aired publicly in October 1991, shortly before his death, when [[Seymour Hersh]] discussed his book [[The Samson Option]] at a London press conference, asserting that Maxwell and his Daily Mirror foreign editor [[Nicholas Davies]] had links to Israeli intelligence and that Davies was involved in Israeli arms dealing.[^8] Hersh further alleged that Maxwell had relayed information to the Israeli embassy in London that led to the capture of the nuclear whistleblower [[Mordechai Vanunu]], a claim Maxwell denounced as a total invention.[^8] Labour MP [[George Galloway]] and Conservative MP [[Rupert Allason]] raised the espionage claims in the [[House of Commons]] under parliamentary privilege on October 21, 1991, and Maxwell sued Hersh and his British publisher for libel; after Maxwell's death the action lapsed, and the Mirror Group later apologized to Hersh and paid damages.[^8]
Allegations that Maxwell worked for Israeli intelligence were aired publicly in October 1991, shortly before his death, when [[Seymour Hersh]] discussed his book [[The Samson Option]] at a London press conference, asserting that Maxwell and his Daily Mirror foreign editor [[Nicholas Davies]] had links to Israeli intelligence and that Davies was involved in Israeli arms dealing.[^17] Hersh further alleged that Maxwell had relayed information to the Israeli embassy in London that led to the capture of the nuclear whistleblower [[Mordechai Vanunu]], a claim Maxwell denounced as a total invention.[^17] Labour MP [[George Galloway]] and Conservative MP [[Rupert Allason]] raised the espionage claims in the [[House of Commons]] under parliamentary privilege on October 21, 1991, and Maxwell sued Hersh and his British publisher for libel; after Maxwell's death the action lapsed, and the Mirror Group later apologized to Hersh and paid damages.[^17] The allegations against Davies were also the subject of an Early Day Motion in the Commons, EDM 2134, "Mirror Group Newspapers and Israeli Intelligence."[^18] Galloway used parliamentary privilege again in January 1996, in a debate on [[Saudi Arabia]], to allege that commissions on the [[Al-Yamamah]] arms sales had been paid through middlemen including [[Mark Thatcher]] and the defense contractor [[Douglas Leese]], whom [[Steven Hoffenberg]] later credited with introducing him to Jeffrey Epstein.[^19][^20]
The most detailed espionage account came from [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-described former employee of the Israeli [[Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)|Military Intelligence Directorate]], who claimed in his 1992 book [[Profits of War]] that Maxwell and Davies were long-time [[Mossad]] assets, and that Davies had tipped him to Vanunu's 1986 approach to the [[Sunday Mirror]] over the photographs Vanunu had taken at [[Dimona]], introducing him to Vanunu's intermediary [[Oscar Guerrero]]; Vanunu was subsequently lured from London to [[Rome]], seized by Israeli operatives, and convicted in Israel.[^10][^22] His maternal relationship to the prime minister's office began, by his own account, through a meeting arranged with [[Yitzhak Shamir]] in the early 1960s.[^10]
The most detailed espionage account came from [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-described former employee of the Israeli [[Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)|Military Intelligence Directorate]], who claimed in his 1992 book [[Profits of War]] that Maxwell and Davies were long-time [[Mossad]] assets, and that Davies had tipped him to Vanunu's 1986 approach to the [[Sunday Mirror]] over the photographs Vanunu had taken at [[Dimona]], introducing him to Vanunu's intermediary [[Oscar Guerrero]]; Vanunu was subsequently lured from London to [[Rome]], seized by Israeli operatives, and convicted in Israel.[^21][^22]
The Welsh author Gordon Thomas, in [[Gideon's Spies]] (1999) and the later book Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy (2002), drew partly on Ben-Menashe and on the Israeli operative [[Rafi Eitan]] to allege that Maxwell helped distribute a version of the [[PROMIS]] case-management software that Israeli technicians had fitted with a hidden "trapdoor," enabling Israel to monitor the foreign agencies that bought it, marketing it through the Tel Aviv firm [[Degem|Degem Computers]].[^9][^23] In these accounts Maxwell received a flat fee of about 8 million dollars plus a percentage of revenues, and the agencies said to have received the software through his network included those of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Poland, the Soviet Union, South Africa, Jordan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Nicaragua, with an abridged version said to have been sold to [[Credit Suisse]] in 1985 and a Soviet sale in the late 1980s facilitated by the lifting of [[IBM]] export restrictions.[^10][^9] INSLAW separately alleged that Maxwell contributed 600,000 dollars from a joint U.S.-Israeli intelligence slush fund to secure the removal of its lead litigation counsel [[Leigh Ratiner]], and that the former senator [[John Tower]] had approached Maxwell in 1984 on behalf of a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-connected group to formalize his role as the PROMIS marketing intermediary; the [[Nicholas J. Bua|Bua Report]] found no credible evidence for these claims.[^10][^25]
The Welsh author Gordon Thomas, in [[Gideon's Spies]] (1999) and the later book Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy (2002), drew partly on Ben-Menashe and on the Israeli operative [[Rafi Eitan]] to allege that Maxwell helped distribute a version of the [[PROMIS]] case-management software that Israeli technicians had fitted with a hidden "trapdoor," enabling Israel to monitor the foreign agencies that bought it, marketing it through the [[Tel Aviv]] firm [[Degem|Degem Computers]].[^7][^23] In these accounts Maxwell received a flat fee of about 8 million dollars plus a percentage of revenues, and the agencies said to have received the software through his network included those of the [[United Kingdom]], Australia, Canada, South Korea, Poland, the [[Soviet Union]], [[South Africa]], Jordan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Nicaragua, with an abridged version said to have been sold to [[Credit Suisse]] in 1985 and a Soviet sale in the late 1980s facilitated by the lifting of [[IBM]] export restrictions.[^7][^21] [[INSLAW]] separately alleged that Maxwell contributed 600,000 dollars from a joint U.S.-Israeli intelligence slush fund to secure the removal of its lead litigation counsel [[Leigh Ratiner]], and that the former senator [[John Tower]] had approached Maxwell in 1984 on behalf of a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-connected group to formalize his role as the PROMIS marketing intermediary; the [[Nicholas J. Bua|Bua Report]] found no credible evidence for these claims.[^21][^24]
Ben-Menashe's reliability has been repeatedly questioned, including by a 1993 congressional task force, and no declassified record has substantiated the PROMIS-distribution or recruitment allegations; an Israeli prime minister's spokesman dismissed Thomas's claims as "unmitigated drivel."[^9][^11] In February 1994 INSLAW argued that twenty pages the FBI had released under the Freedom of Information Act showed its Albuquerque office had run a foreign counterintelligence investigation of Maxwell and one of his companies, and that this must concern a PROMIS sale to a defense installation in [[New Mexico]]; the Justice Department's reviewers, having read the unredacted documents, called the inference "a remarkable leap" and wrote that "none of the documents in question even mentioned INSLAW or PROMIS... In short, there is nothing of which we are aware that links Mr. Maxwell to PROMIS."[^26] Maxwell was also long rumored to have had contacts with British intelligence and, given his Eastern European origins and trading ties, with the Soviet [[KGB]], though these characterizations rest on journalistic sourcing rather than disclosed files, and no archive of any of the three services has been released that confirms a formal agent relationship.[^2][^9]
Ben-Menashe's reliability has been repeatedly questioned, including by a 1993 congressional task force, and no declassified record has substantiated the PROMIS-distribution or recruitment allegations; an Israeli prime minister's spokesman dismissed Thomas's claims as "unmitigated drivel."[^7][^25] In February 1994 INSLAW argued that twenty pages the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] had released under the [[Freedom of Information Act]] showed its Albuquerque office had run a foreign counterintelligence investigation of Maxwell and one of his companies, and that this must concern a PROMIS sale to a defense installation in [[New Mexico]]; the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s reviewers, having read the unredacted documents, called the inference "a remarkable leap" and wrote that "none of the documents in question even mentioned INSLAW or PROMIS... In short, there is nothing of which we are aware that links Mr. Maxwell to PROMIS."[^26] Maxwell was also long rumored to have had contacts with British intelligence and, given his Eastern European origins and trading ties, with the Soviet [[KGB]], though these characterizations rest on journalistic sourcing rather than disclosed files, and no archive of any of the three services has been released that confirms a formal agent relationship.[^2][^7]
### Murder Allegations
Two former Israeli intelligence figures alleged that Maxwell was killed on Mossad orders. The former case officer [[Victor Ostrovsky]], in his 1994 memoir *The Other Side of Deception*, wrote that Maxwell had become a liability once his empire began collapsing and had threatened to expose Mossad operations unless the agency rescued him financially, ending the passage with the line, "On that cold night Mossad's problems with Robert Maxwell were over."[^24] Gordon Thomas and Martin Dillon, in *Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy* (2002), identified Rafi Eitan as having overseen an assassination and named the operative they said carried it out only by the pseudonym "Efraim," describing the killing as having occurred on the aft deck of the Lady Ghislaine before the body entered the water.[^23] Maxwell's family and the Spanish judicial finding rejected all foul-play theories, and no official inquiry has substantiated them; the proximity of Maxwell's death to that of the journalist [[Danny Casolaro]] 87 days earlier, whose "[[The Octopus]]" investigation had encompassed the PROMIS distribution network, was noted by INSLAW and congressional investigators.[^25][^9]
Two former Israeli intelligence figures alleged that Maxwell was killed on Mossad orders. The former case officer [[Victor Ostrovsky]], in his 1994 memoir *The Other Side of Deception*, wrote that Maxwell had become a liability once his empire began collapsing and had threatened to expose Mossad operations unless the agency rescued him financially, ending the passage with the line, "On that cold night Mossad's problems with Robert Maxwell were over."[^27] Gordon Thomas and Martin Dillon, in *Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy* (2002), identified [[Rafael Eitan|Rafi Eitan]] as having overseen an assassination and named the operative they said carried it out only by the pseudonym "Efraim," describing the killing as having occurred on the aft deck of the Lady Ghislaine before the body entered the water.[^23] Maxwell's family and the Spanish judicial finding rejected all foul-play theories, and no official inquiry has substantiated them; the proximity of Maxwell's death to that of the journalist [[Danny Casolaro]] 87 days earlier, whose "[[The Octopus]]" investigation had encompassed the PROMIS distribution network, was noted by INSLAW and congressional investigators.[^7][^24]
### The Allegations in JPMorgan's Files and Epstein's Email
The Mossad allegations entered the compliance record of [[JPMorgan Chase|JPMorgan]]. On December 6, 2013 the Reputation Risk Committee of the bank's asset management division met in the office of its chair, John Duffy, to review the account of Ghislaine Maxwell, which the summary said had been "originally referred to the PB by Jes Staley," referring to [[Jes Staley]] and the private bank. The summary described her as "the daughter of the late Robert Maxwell," recounted the collapse of his companies and the theft from their pension funds, and stated: "Shortly before Maxwell's death, a former employee of Israel's [[Aman|Military Intelligence Directorate]] intelligence agency Ari Ben-Menashe, had approached a number of news organizations in Britain and the United States with the allegation that Maxwell and the Daily Mirror's foreign editor, Nicholas [surname omitted in the document] were both long-time agents for Mossad. Ben-Menashe also claimed that in 1986 Maxwell had told the Israeli Embassy in London that [[Mordecai Vanunu|Mordechai Vanunu]] had given information about Israel's nuclear capability to [[The Sunday Times]], then to the Daily Mirror. Vanunu was subsequently kidnapped by Mossad and smuggled to Israel, convicted of treason and imprisoned for 18 years." Under negative news it listed 2011 reports "alleging Maxwell solicited young girls for then boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein" and noted that Epstein "is currently being exited from the Bank." The committee's decision was "Exit client," for the reason "Negative media."[^28] The summary was filed as an exhibit in the [[United States Virgin Islands]]' 2023 suit against the bank.[^28]
On March 15, 2018 Epstein sent an email with the subject line "he was passed away" to a recipient whose name is redacted. It consisted of quoted passages, their source not shown, stating that "Robert Maxwell 'threatened Mossad," that he told the agency "unless they gave him £400million to save his crumbling empire, he would expose all he had done for them," that "he had free access to [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s Downing Street, to [[Ronald Reagan]]'s [[White House]], to the Kremlin and to the corridors of power throughout Europe," that "Maxwell passed on all the secrets he learned to Mossad in Tel Aviv," and that "He appointed himself as Israel's unofficial ambassador to the Soviet Bloc."[^29]
### Funeral in Jerusalem
Maxwell's body was flown to Israel, and on November 10, 1991, he was given a state-style funeral and buried on the [[Mount of Olives]] in [[Jerusalem]], one of Judaism's most revered burial grounds.[^12] The ceremony at Jerusalem's convention center drew President [[Chaim Herzog]], Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, and much of the Israeli political establishment, with reporting that at least six serving and former heads of Israeli intelligence were present.[^12][^9] His friend and longtime attorney [[Samuel Pisar]], a Holocaust survivor, recited the Kaddish.[^1]
Maxwell's body was flown to Israel, and on November 10, 1991, he was given a state-style funeral and buried on the [[Mount of Olives]] in [[Jerusalem]], one of Judaism's most revered burial grounds.[^30] The ceremony at Jerusalem's convention center drew President [[Chaim Herzog]], Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Shamir]], and much of the Israeli political establishment, with reporting that at least six serving and former heads of Israeli intelligence were present.[^7][^30] His friend and longtime attorney [[Samuel Pisar]], a Holocaust survivor, recited the Kaddish.[^1]
Herzog eulogized him with the words, "He scaled the heights of human endeavor. Kings and princes waited on him."[^12] Shamir praised the connections and investment Maxwell had brought to Israel during the 1980s, reportedly saying that Maxwell had done more for Israel than could then be told.[^13] The scale of the official Israeli observance was later cited by writers who argued it reflected an intelligence relationship, though attendance at a prominent Jewish philanthropist's funeral is not itself evidence of espionage, and no Israeli official has confirmed that Maxwell was an agent.[^12][^9]
Herzog eulogized him with the words, "He scaled the heights of human endeavor. Kings and princes waited on him."[^30] Shamir praised the connections and investment Maxwell had brought to Israel during the 1980s, reportedly saying that Maxwell had done more for Israel than could then be told.[^31] The scale of the official Israeli observance was later cited by writers who argued it reflected an intelligence relationship, though attendance at a prominent Jewish philanthropist's funeral is not itself evidence of espionage, and no Israeli official has confirmed that Maxwell was an agent.[^7][^30]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Robert Maxwell," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Maxwell
[^2]: "Robert Maxwell's alleged ties to intelligence agencies," *Factually,* 2025. https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/robert-maxwell-intelligence-ties-evidence-9493b2
[^3]: "Great frauds in history: Robert Maxwell," *MoneyWeek,* 2018. https://moneyweek.com/505757/great-frauds-in-history-robert-maxwell
[^4]: "Maxwell - the fallout," *Association of Mirror Pensioners.* https://www.mirrorpensioners.co.uk/news/maxwell-the-fallout/
[^5]: "Media Magnate Maxwell's Sons Acquitted of Charges They Raided Pension Fund," *The Washington Post,* 1996. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/01/20/media-magnate-maxwells-sons-acquitted-of-charges-they-raided-pension-fund/1841c6cf-8340-4e9e-876c-9f862b4685b5/
[^6]: "Ghislaine Maxwell," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ghislaine-Maxwell
[^7]: "What caused Robert Maxwell's mysterious death in 1991?," *Factually,* 2025. https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/robert-maxwell-mysterious-death-1991-cause-932d42
[^8]: "Media Baron Sues Seymour Hersh," *The Washington Post,* 1991. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/10/25/media-baron-sues-seymour-hersh/c16c29e2-04ba-4038-9fff-08113fa33b77/
[^9]: Pipes, Daniel. "Gideon's Spies by Gordon Thomas," *Commentary,* 1999. https://www.commentary.org/articles/daniel-pipes/gideons-spies-by-gordon-thomas/
[^10]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network.* Sheridan Square Press, 1992.
[^11]: "Probe by House finds no 'October surprise,'" *The Baltimore Sun,* 1993. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-01-13-1993013111-story.html
[^12]: "Maxwell, Colossus Even in Death, Laid to Rest on Mount of Olives," *Jewish Telegraphic Agency,* 1991. https://www.jta.org/archive/maxwell-colossus-even-in-death-laid-to-rest-on-mount-of-olives
[^13]: "Maxwell buried on Mount of Olives," *UPI,* 1991. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/11/10/Maxwell-buried-on-Mount-of-Olives/4340689749200/
[^14]: "Elisabeth Maxwell," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elisabeth-Maxwell
[^15]: "The Second World War medals and orders awarded to Robert Maxwell," *Noonans Mayfair.* https://www.noonans.co.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/502/
[^16]: "Maxwell Communication Corp. Plc," *Encyclopedia.com.* https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/businesses-and-occupations/maxwell-communication-corp-plc
[^17]: "During Israel's Dire Need: Arming Israel in 1948," *Aish,* on the Czechoslovak arms shipments to the Haganah authorized by Jan Masaryk and the Avia S-199 aircraft. https://aish.com/during-israels-dire-need-arming-israel-in-1948/
[^18]: "Robert Maxwell, who completed a $2.5 billion tender offer," *UPI,* 1988. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/11/04/Robert-Maxwell-who-completed-a-25-billion-tender-offer/2052594622800/
[^19]: "Unravelling the Web," *Pensions Archive Trust,* 2021, on Bishopsgate Investment Management, the Common Investment Fund, the roughly 450 to 460 million pounds taken, the Goldman Sachs share sales, and the 1995 settlement. https://pensionsarchive.org.uk/2021/11/03/unravelling-the-web/
[^20]: "Maxwell report: All the publisher's men," *The CFO,* 2001, on the Department of Trade and Industry inspectors' report and the criticism of Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte. https://the-cfo.io/2001/05/09/maxwell-report-all-the-publishers-men/
[^21]: "What caused Robert Maxwell's mysterious death in 1991?," *Factually,* 2025, on the differing pathologists' conclusions and the Judge Oliva ruling. https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/robert-maxwell-mysterious-death-1991-cause-932d42
[^3]: "Elisabeth Maxwell," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elisabeth-Maxwell
[^4]: "The Second World War medals and orders awarded to Robert Maxwell," *Noonans Mayfair.* https://www.noonans.co.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/502/
[^5]: "Maxwell Communication Corp. Plc," *Encyclopedia.com.* https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/businesses-and-occupations/maxwell-communication-corp-plc
[^6]: "During Israel's Dire Need: Arming Israel in 1948," *Aish,* on the Czechoslovak arms shipments to the Haganah authorized by Jan Masaryk and the Avia S-199 aircraft. https://aish.com/during-israels-dire-need-arming-israel-in-1948/
[^7]: Pipes, Daniel. "Gideon's Spies by Gordon Thomas," *Commentary,* 1999. https://www.commentary.org/articles/daniel-pipes/gideons-spies-by-gordon-thomas/
[^8]: "Great frauds in history: Robert Maxwell," *MoneyWeek,* 2018. https://moneyweek.com/505757/great-frauds-in-history-robert-maxwell
[^9]: "Robert Maxwell, who completed a $2.5 billion tender offer," *UPI,* 1988. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/11/04/Robert-Maxwell-who-completed-a-25-billion-tender-offer/2052594622800/
[^10]: "Unravelling the Web," *Pensions Archive Trust,* 2021, on Bishopsgate Investment Management, the Common Investment Fund, the roughly 450 to 460 million pounds taken, the Goldman Sachs share sales, and the 1995 settlement. https://pensionsarchive.org.uk/2021/11/03/unravelling-the-web/
[^11]: "Maxwell - the fallout," *Association of Mirror Pensioners.* https://www.mirrorpensioners.co.uk/news/maxwell-the-fallout/
[^12]: "Maxwell report: All the publisher's men," *The CFO,* 2001, on the Department of Trade and Industry inspectors' report and the criticism of Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte. https://the-cfo.io/2001/05/09/maxwell-report-all-the-publishers-men/
[^13]: "Media Magnate Maxwell's Sons Acquitted of Charges They Raided Pension Fund," *The Washington Post,* 1996. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/01/20/media-magnate-maxwells-sons-acquitted-of-charges-they-raided-pension-fund/1841c6cf-8340-4e9e-876c-9f862b4685b5/
[^14]: "Ghislaine Maxwell," *Encyclopaedia Britannica.* https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ghislaine-Maxwell
[^15]: "What caused Robert Maxwell's mysterious death in 1991?," *Factually,* 2025. https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/robert-maxwell-mysterious-death-1991-cause-932d42
[^16]: "What caused Robert Maxwell's mysterious death in 1991?," *Factually,* 2025, on the differing pathologists' conclusions and the Judge Oliva ruling. https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/robert-maxwell-mysterious-death-1991-cause-932d42
[^17]: "Media Baron Sues Seymour Hersh," *The Washington Post,* 1991. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/10/25/media-baron-sues-seymour-hersh/c16c29e2-04ba-4038-9fff-08113fa33b77/
[^18]: UK Parliament, Early Day Motion 2134, "Mirror Group Newspapers and Israeli Intelligence." https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/2134/mirror-group-newspapers-and-israeli-intelligence
[^19]: 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
[^20]: Ward, Vicky. "The Talented Mr. Epstein." *Vanity Fair,* March 2003. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303
[^21]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network.* Sheridan Square Press, 1992.
[^22]: Contemporaneous press reporting on the 1986 Mordechai Vanunu affair and the Sunday Mirror's handling of his Dimona account, on which Ben-Menashe's claims about Nicholas Davies and Oscar Guerrero rest.
[^23]: Thomas, Gordon, and Martin Dillon. *Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy: The Life and Murder of a Media Mogul.* Carroll & Graf, 2002.
[^24]: Ostrovsky, Victor. *The Other Side of Deception: A Rogue Agent Exposes the Mossad's Secret Agenda.* HarperCollins, 1994, on the alleged Mossad motive to eliminate Maxwell as a collapsing liability.
[^25]: U.S. Department of Justice. *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of Inslaw, Inc.* March 1993, on the rejection of the Leigh Ratiner and PROMIS-distribution allegations and the proximity of the Casolaro and Maxwell deaths.
[^24]: U.S. Department of Justice. *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of Inslaw, Inc.* March 1993, on the rejection of the Leigh Ratiner and PROMIS-distribution allegations and the proximity of the Casolaro and Maxwell deaths.
[^25]: "Probe by House finds no 'October surprise,'" *The Baltimore Sun,* 1993. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-01-13-1993013111-story.html
[^26]: U.S. Department of Justice. *Report on the Review of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua's Report on the Allegations of INSLAW, Inc.,* September 27, 1994, section on the INSLAW addendum of February 1994. https://archive.org/details/InslawPROMISBuaReport
[^27]: Ostrovsky, Victor. *The Other Side of Deception: A Rogue Agent Exposes the Mossad's Secret Agenda.* HarperCollins, 1994, on the alleged Mossad motive to eliminate Maxwell as a collapsing liability.
[^28]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02816127, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 285-12, Exhibit 55, filed August 15, 2023, "AM Reputation Risk Committee Meeting Summary," meeting of December 6, 2013. 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)/EFTA02816127.pdf
[^29]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02507843, DataSet 11, email from Jeffrey Epstein, "he was passed away," March 15, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02507843.pdf
[^30]: "Maxwell, Colossus Even in Death, Laid to Rest on Mount of Olives," *Jewish Telegraphic Agency,* 1991. https://www.jta.org/archive/maxwell-colossus-even-in-death-laid-to-rest-on-mount-of-olives
[^31]: "Maxwell buried on Mount of Olives," *UPI,* 1991. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/11/10/Maxwell-buried-on-Mount-of-Olives/4340689749200/

75
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Sarah Kellen.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
---
category: "Crime & Abuse Networks"
tags:
- Person
- SarahKellen
- JeffreyEpstein
- GhislaineMaxwell
- NonProsecutionAgreement
- Immunity
- HouseOversightCommittee
alias:
- Sarah Kensington
summary: "Jeffrey Epstein's personal assistant from 2001, named and immunized as a potential co-conspirator in his 2007 non-prosecution agreement, never charged, who told Congress in 2026 that she was herself his victim."
location: "New York, New York"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Jeffrey Epstein]]"
role: "personal assistant and scheduler"
start: 2001
fn: 3
- type: subject_of
with: "[[Epstein non-prosecution agreement]]"
role: "named potential co-conspirator, immunized"
start: 2007-09-24
fn: 1
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[Brian Vickers]]"
role: "wife"
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]"
reverse: true
start: 2019-07-06
end: 2019-12
fn: 3
- type: investigated
with: "[[House Oversight Committee]]"
reverse: true
role: "deponent"
start: 2026-05-21
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Sarah Kellen is an American former personal assistant to [[Jeffrey Epstein]], employed by him from 2001 for more than a decade to manage his schedule, including the "massage" appointments through which girls were brought to his [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] house. She is the first 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]], under which the [[United States]] agreed not to charge "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to Sarah Kellen, [[Adriana Ross]], [[Lesley Groff]], or [[Nadia Marcinkova]]." She has never been charged. She later married the racing driver [[Brian Vickers]], took the name Sarah Kensington, and in May 2026 testified to the [[House Oversight Committee]] that Epstein had abused her.[^1][^2][^3][^4]
### Role in the Epstein Household
Victims described Kellen as the assistant who telephoned them to schedule appointments with Epstein. At [[Ghislaine Maxwell]]'s 2022 sentencing, Judge [[Alison Nathan|Alison J. Nathan]] applied a four-level leadership enhancement on the finding that Maxwell "supervised" Kellen, relying on testimony from two of Epstein's pilots that Kellen was Maxwell's assistant, corroborated by testimony that Maxwell was Epstein's "number two and the lady of the house" in Palm Beach, "where much of the abuse occurred and where Kellen worked." The [[Second Circuit]] upheld the enhancement in 2024.[^1][^2]
According to flight-log data compiled by the Daily Beast, Kellen flew with [[Bill Clinton]] on at least eleven flights in 2002 and 2003. Her later interior-design firm, SLK Designs, operated for a time from a building in Midtown Manhattan owned by Epstein's brother, the property manager [[Mark Epstein]].[^2]
### The Immunity Clause
The clause naming Kellen was negotiated between Epstein's lawyers and the Southern District of Florida under U.S. Attorney [[Alexander Acosta|R. Alexander Acosta]] and was signed in September 2007. When Maxwell invoked it in 2021, the Second Circuit held under United States v. Annabi (1985) that it bound only the Florida office, since nothing in its text or negotiation history showed an intent to bind other districts and the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s own manual required written approval from any other district to be bound. None of the four has been charged by any federal district.[^1] The Justice Department's [[Office of Professional Responsibility]] concluded in November 2020 that Acosta had "agreed to several unusual and problematic terms in the NPA without the consideration required under the circumstances," and characterized his decision to resolve the case through the agreement as "poor judgment" rather than misconduct.[^5]
Kellen was also a named defendant, with Epstein, Maxwell, and Groff, in the federal sex-trafficking suit brought in 2017 by [[Sarah Ransome]], who alleged that the four told her Epstein would use his influence to 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.[^6]
### 2019 Investigation
On July 6, 2019, the day Epstein was arrested in [[New Jersey]], agents of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] approached Kellen; when she asked to have lawyers present, she was served with a grand jury subpoena. Her lawyers first met prosecutors and the FBI in November 2019, and the meetings continued into December. In Justice Department records of those meetings, Kellen described Epstein abusing her "pretty often" and, on one occasion, having "aggressively raped" her. Her attorney Kathleen Cassidy stated: "After Sarah was able to disclose her abuse at Epstein's hands, prosecutors recognized her as a victim and declined to prosecute." The Epstein survivor [[Teresa Helm]] has said Kellen groomed her for abuse; Kellen's lawyers say Kellen never met Helm.[^3]
### Congressional Testimony
Kellen gave a closed-door deposition to the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]] on May 21, 2026. Her prepared statement read in part: "I was trapped inside Jeffrey Epstein's world," "I was a literal indentured slave," and "The federal government of the United States branded me a criminal in a secret deal," adding, "I have spent every year since trying to live underneath that piece of paper." She called the description of her as "Ghislaine's lieutenant" a "gross misrepresentation" and said Maxwell had called her a "slave" and a "minion." According to the [[Miami Herald]], citing people in the room, she named three other men who she said had sexually abused her. Committee Chairman [[James Comer]] said beforehand, "Out of all the interviews we've done, this is going to be the toughest one," and afterward that the Justice Department did not appear to have regarded her as a co-conspirator but as someone who had aided Epstein's prosecution.[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 22-1426-cr, slip op. at 6, 9-12, 24-25 (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]: "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/
[^3]: "Set to appear before Congress, an Epstein 'potential co-conspirator' says she, too, was a victim," *MS NOW,* May 2026. https://www.ms.now/news/set-to-appear-before-congress-an-epstein-potential-co-conspirator-says-she-too-was-a-victim
[^4]: "Former Epstein assistant Sarah Kellen testified before the House committee. Here's what we know," *PBS News,* May 22, 2026 (updated June 4, 2026). https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/former-epstein-assistant-sarah-kellen-testified-before-the-house-committee-heres-what-we-know
[^5]: 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
[^6]: 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/

79
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Steven Hoffenberg.md
View file

@ -1,48 +1,87 @@
---
category: "Organized Crime"
tags: [Person, StevenHoffenberg, TowersFinancial, JeffreyEpstein, PonziScheme, Finance, Fraud, SEC]
alias: ["Steven Jude Hoffenberg", "Stephen Hoffenberg"]
tags:
- Person
- StevenHoffenberg
- TowersFinancial
- JeffreyEpstein
- PonziScheme
- Finance
- Fraud
- SEC
alias:
- Steven Jude Hoffenberg
- Stephen Hoffenberg
- Steven J. Hoffenberg
summary: "Founder of Towers Financial Corporation who pleaded guilty in 1995 to a roughly 475 million dollar Ponzi scheme and later claimed Jeffrey Epstein helped architect the fraud, a claim for which Epstein was never charged."
born: 1945-01-12
died: 2022-08
location: Derby, Connecticut
created: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-09-25
relations:
- type: investigated
with: "[[Securities and Exchange Commission]]"
reverse: true
start: 1993-02
fn: 5
- type: prosecuted
with: "[[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]"
reverse: true
start: 1994-04-20
end: 1997-03-07
fn: 2
---
Steven Jude Hoffenberg founded and ran [[Towers Financial Corporation]], a Manhattan debt-collection and securities firm that collapsed in 1993 and was later found to be one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history before that of [[Bernard Madoff]]. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to defrauding investors of about 475 million dollars and served roughly 18 years in federal prison. He hired [[Jeffrey Epstein]] as a consultant in the late 1980s and later publicly claimed Epstein had been a co-architect of the Towers fraud.
Steven Jude Hoffenberg founded and ran [[Towers Financial Corporation]], a Manhattan debt-collection and securities firm that collapsed in 1993 and was later found to be one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history before that of [[Bernard Madoff]]. He pleaded guilty in 1995, was ordered to pay 475,157,340 dollars in restitution, and served roughly 18 years in federal prison. He hired [[Jeffrey Epstein]] as a consultant in 1987, declined an offer of a reduced sentence in exchange for information about Epstein, and after his release claimed in court filings that Epstein had been a co-architect of the Towers fraud; the suits he brought and inspired ended within weeks.[^1][^2] He was found dead in his Connecticut apartment in August 2022.[^3]
### Early Career
Hoffenberg was born in Brooklyn in 1945 and entered the debt-collection business in New York in the 1970s, reportedly starting with a small initial investment after dropping out of college.[^6] He built Towers Financial Corporation around the practice of buying delinquent debts, including unpaid hospital bills, bank loans and telephone charges, at steep discounts and pursuing the full balances through aggressive collection.[^6] He briefly held a controlling interest in the [[New York Post]] in the early 1990s during the paper's ownership turmoil.[^6]
Hoffenberg was born in Brooklyn in 1945 and entered the debt-collection business in New York in the 1970s, reportedly starting with a small initial investment after dropping out of college.[^4] He built Towers Financial Corporation around the practice of buying delinquent debts, including unpaid hospital bills, bank loans and telephone charges, at steep discounts and pursuing the full balances through aggressive collection.[^4] He served as chief executive of Towers from 1975 to April 1993.[^2] He briefly held a controlling interest in the [[New York Post]] in the early 1990s during the paper's ownership turmoil: he took over the Post in 1993 while bidding to own it and funded it for three months, and his bid was derailed by the civil fraud charges the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] brought against Towers.[^3][^4]
### Towers Financial and the Ponzi Scheme
Towers Financial Corporation operated as a debt-collection business that bought portfolios of distressed receivables, including debts owed to hospitals and telephone companies, for fractions of their face value, while raising money from thousands of investors through unsecured promissory notes and bonds.[^1] Prosecutors and the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] determined that the company functioned as a Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to pay returns to earlier ones while Hoffenberg diverted proceeds.[^1]
Towers Financial Corporation operated as a debt-collection business that bought portfolios of distressed receivables, including debts owed to hospitals and telephone companies, for fractions of their face value, while raising money from thousands of investors through unsecured promissory notes and bonds.[^5][^6] Prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission determined that the company functioned as a Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to pay returns to earlier ones while Hoffenberg diverted proceeds to, among other things, a mansion on Long Island, homes on Sutton Place and in Florida, and a fleet of cars and planes.[^5][^6]
To finance attempted corporate takeovers, Hoffenberg directed Towers to acquire two Illinois insurance companies, United Fire Insurance Co. and Associated Life Insurance Co., in 1987, and prosecutors later found their reserves were looted in the broader fraud.[^3] The Illinois Department of Insurance, then directed by [[James Schacht]], placed the insurers into liquidation and brought a 1991 civil suit that named Jeffrey Epstein in connection with checks drawn on the companies' accounts.[^3]
To finance attempted corporate takeovers, Hoffenberg directed Towers to acquire, through a controlling interest in [[United Diversified Corporation]], two Illinois insurance companies, United Fire Insurance Co. and Associated Life Insurance Co., in 1987, and prosecutors later found their reserves were looted in the broader fraud.[^1][^2] The Illinois Department of Insurance, then directed by [[James Schacht]], placed the insurers into liquidation and brought a 1991 civil suit that named Jeffrey Epstein in connection with checks drawn on the companies' accounts.[^1]
The scheme operated between roughly 1988 and 1993, with claimed annual revenues approaching one billion dollars by the time of its collapse.[^1] The SEC charged Towers in February 1993, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 1993.[^2] Hoffenberg pleaded guilty in April 1995 to five criminal charges of defrauding investors of roughly 462 to 475 million dollars; in 1997 Judge [[Robert W. Sweet]] sentenced him to 20 years in prison, a one million dollar fine and roughly 463 million dollars in restitution, and he settled a related SEC civil suit for 60 million dollars.[^2] He served about 18 years and was released from federal custody in 2013.[^2]
The scheme operated between roughly 1988 and 1993; Hoffenberg later described it to CBS News as "a billion dollars in raising money. And it was criminal."[^1] The SEC charged Towers, Hoffenberg, [[Mitchell Brater]] and [[Arthur J. Ferro]] in February 1993 (93 Civ. 0744 (WK), S.D.N.Y.), later obtaining a consent judgment against Hoffenberg, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 1993.[^3][^5] He was indicted in the Northern District of Illinois on April 19, 1994 and in the Southern District of New York on April 20, 1994, and on April 20, 1995 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and tax evasion (94 Cr. 213 (RWS), 95 Cr. 321 (RWS)). Judge [[Robert W. Sweet]] issued his sentencing opinion on March 4, 1997 and entered judgment on March 7, 1997: 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a one million dollar fine and restitution of 475,157,340 dollars, the total of noteholder and bondholder claims the Bankruptcy Court had validated in April 1996.[^2][^7] The prosecution was led by Daniel Nardello, who went into private practice soon afterward.[^1] He served about 18 years and was released from federal custody on October 11, 2013.[^3][^7]
Hoffenberg swore in 2018 that "during the course of my criminal trial, Prosecutors offered me a reduced sentence in exchange for information about Epstein's role. However, I did not disclose any details about Epstein's involvement." His lawyer [[Gary Baise]] said Sweet asked him, "Why did he not give up Epstein?", and told the [[The Philadelphia Inquirer|Philadelphia Inquirer]], "The judge asked me the same question. I couldn't answer that." Epstein's lawyers wrote in 2016 that at a December 2013 conference in the criminal case "Judge Sweet stated he was unaware of Epstein." Hoffenberg told CBS News in 2019: "I didn't take that opportunity and I was wrong," saying he had not wanted to fight Epstein because of his powerful relationships and political connections.[^1][^2][^8][^9]
### Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein
Hoffenberg said he hired Jeffrey Epstein around 1987 as a paid consultant, with reporting citing a salary of about 25,000 dollars per month and, in 1988, a two million dollar non-repayable loan, and he set Epstein up in offices at the [[Villard Houses]] in Manhattan.[^2] At the time Epstein was running his own consulting firm, [[International Assets Group]], from his New York apartment after leaving [[Bear Stearns]].[^3] A Towers attorney confirmed Epstein worked at the firm and recalled drafting a consulting agreement, and [[Terrence Corrigan]], a lawyer for an investor-recovery committee, said Epstein appeared on organizational charts as potentially "the number two or number three person at the firm," though the characterization was disputed.[^3] Court records and the 1991 [[Illinois Department of Insurance]] lawsuit referenced a series of checks payable to "Jeff Epstein" or "Jeff Epstein & Co." drawn on the United Fire and United Diversified accounts and totaling about 215,000 dollars.[^3]
Hoffenberg met Epstein in London in the 1980s. He said they were introduced by the defense contractor [[Douglas Leese]]; Epstein said the introduction came from the former attorney general [[John Mitchell]].[^6] Hoffenberg said he hired Jeffrey Epstein around 1987 as a paid consultant, with reporting citing a salary of about 25,000 dollars per month and, in 1988, a two million dollar non-repayable loan, and he set Epstein up in offices at the [[Villard Houses]] in Manhattan.[^3] At the time Epstein was running his own consulting firm, [[International Assets Group]], from his New York apartment after leaving [[Bear Stearns]].[^1] A Towers attorney confirmed Epstein worked at the firm and recalled drafting a consulting agreement, and [[Terrence Corrigan]], a lawyer for an investor-recovery committee, said Epstein appeared on organizational charts as potentially "the number two or number three person at the firm," though the characterization was disputed.[^1] Court records and the 1991 [[Illinois Department of Insurance]] lawsuit referenced a series of checks payable to "Jeff Epstein" or "[[J. Epstein & Co.|Jeff Epstein & Co.]]" drawn on the United Fire and United Diversified accounts and totaling about 215,000 dollars.[^1]
Hoffenberg and Epstein partnered on attempted corporate takeovers in 1988, using Towers and the captive Illinois insurers as the financing vehicles, including an unsuccessful bid involving [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] and an attempt targeting [[Emery Air Freight]].[^2] A Towers press release identified Epstein as "chairman of the board of directors of Intercontinental Asset Group" and a financial adviser to Towers management in connection with the Pan Am financing.[^3] The Illinois suit alleged Epstein manipulated the price of Emery stock through multiple brokerage accounts he controlled and traded without a broker's license.[^3] Epstein and Hoffenberg traveled together on Hoffenberg's private jet during this period, and Epstein left Towers before its collapse and was never charged in connection with the fraud.[^3]
Hoffenberg and Epstein partnered on attempted corporate takeovers in 1988, using Towers and the captive Illinois insurers as the financing vehicles, including an unsuccessful bid involving [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] and an attempt targeting [[Emery Air Freight]].[^3] A Towers press release identified Epstein as "chairman of the board of directors of Intercontinental Asset Group" and a financial adviser to Towers management in connection with the Pan Am financing.[^1] The Illinois suit alleged Epstein manipulated the price of Emery stock through multiple brokerage accounts he controlled and traded without a broker's license.[^1] Epstein and Hoffenberg traveled together on Hoffenberg's private jet during this period, and Epstein left Towers before its collapse and was never charged in connection with the fraud.[^1] Hoffenberg claimed that Epstein told him he had left Bear Stearns in 1981 after being discovered executing "illegal operations."[^6]
Before an Illinois grand jury in 1993 Hoffenberg testified that Epstein proposed financing the bids through the insurers and that he, Brater and Epstein arranged to use 3 million dollars of the insurers' bonds as collateral for Pan Am and Emery stock; "Epstein was the person in charge of the transactions," he said. He also alleged that Epstein "created a great scheme to purchase a $500,000 treasury bond that would not be shown ... (as) margined or collateralized," and later claimed that he secretly funded part of Epstein's stakes in [[Riddell Sports]] and a position in the chemical company [[Pennwalt]] taken around the same time, and that the [[Simon & Schuster]] chief executive [[Richard E. Snyder|Dick Snyder]], whom Epstein had brought into the Pennwalt deal, bought part of his investment through him; a source close to Hoffenberg said Hoffenberg later paid Snyder off. Former United Fire officers Daniel Payton and Richard Allen said they had dealt with Epstein about the missing bonds. Epstein denied any dealings with the insurers, and Vanity Fair noted that much of Hoffenberg's testimony in his criminal case "has proven to be false."[^6]
### Later Claims and Death
After his release, Hoffenberg publicly asserted that Jeffrey Epstein had been central to the Towers fraud, telling CBS News that Epstein was "my partner in what we did raising the billion dollars" and describing him as his "wingman."[^3] He claimed in interviews that Epstein had devised the failed Pan Am and Emery takeover schemes and had misappropriated proceeds from the insurance companies for personal use.[^3] Court documents filed by Hoffenberg alleged Epstein was an "architect" of the scheme, but no charges were ever brought against Epstein over Towers, and investigators said no concrete evidence directly tied him to the criminal conspiracy.[^1] Hoffenberg sued Epstein over the fraud's proceeds in 2019.[^4]
After his release, Hoffenberg publicly asserted that Jeffrey Epstein had been central to the Towers fraud, telling CBS News that Epstein was "my partner in what we did raising the billion dollars" and describing him as his "wingman."[^1] He claimed in interviews that Epstein had devised the failed Pan Am and Emery takeover schemes and had misappropriated proceeds from the insurance companies for personal use.[^1] Court documents filed by Hoffenberg alleged Epstein was an "architect" of the scheme, but no charges were ever brought against Epstein over Towers, and investigators said no concrete evidence directly tied him to the criminal conspiracy.[^1]
Hoffenberg involved himself in politics in his later years, including reported backing of a super PAC associated with the 2016 presidential campaign of [[Bernie Sanders]].[^5] He gave numerous media interviews after Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, presenting himself as a witness to Epstein's origins while acknowledging his own criminal history.[^3]
### Litigation Against Epstein
On August 23, 2022 his body was found in advanced decomposition at his apartment in [[Derby, Connecticut]] after a welfare check, prompted when Jeffrey Epstein accuser [[Maria Farmer]] was unable to reach him and contacted police; he was 77.[^2] Farmer told authorities Hoffenberg had recently contracted COVID-19 and had been unable to recover, and investigators estimated he had been dead for at least a week.[^7] An initial autopsy by the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found no signs of trauma or foul play, and police said they believed he died of natural causes pending toxicology results.[^7]
Hoffenberg's litigation from prison had drawn warnings before he turned to Epstein. In Hoffenberg v. Hoffman & Pollok (2003), Sweet warned that he would be enjoined from further litigation without prior approval, and in 2013 Judge [[P. Kevin Castel]] ordered Hoffenberg and his lawyer Alan Fraade to show cause why a petition on behalf of "200,000 Towers Investors" (No. 1:13-cv-08563) should not be dismissed as frivolous and sanctioned; Fraade withdrew it.[^9] A June 11, 2015 verified petition in his criminal case named Epstein as the unnamed co-conspirator.[^8][^10]
On May 27, 2016 Hoffenberg, represented by Fraade's firm Mintz & Fraade, sued Epstein and [[Financial Trust Company]] (No. 1:16-cv-03989) "individually, and as constructive trustee of the Noteholders and Bondholders of Towers Financial Corporation." Epstein's lawyer, Bennet J. Moskowitz of [[Troutman Sanders]], wrote to Judge [[Richard J. Sullivan]] on June 28, 2016 that Hoffenberg lacked standing, that his claims "expired at least 15 years ago," that he was barred by in pari delicto, and that he failed to state a claim. Hoffenberg withdrew the complaint with prejudice by letter of July 1, and Sullivan dismissed the case on July 5, 2016, five weeks after filing.[^9][^11] On August 17, 2018 Hoffenberg swore an affidavit that "Epstein and the corporations he formed were my co-conspirators" and that the 2016 suit "was eventually withdrawn with prejudice and the full extent of Epstein's involvement in my crimes and the related frauds was never exposed." It was filed with a class action by two Towers noteholders against Epstein and Financial Trust, which was terminated on October 5, 2018 after Epstein's lawyers moved to dismiss and called it "Hoffenberg's rehashing of several of his prior lawsuits."[^2][^8][^10] Hoffenberg told CBS News in 2019 that the limitations period had barred the suits and that he was waiting to refile if a government agency acted against Epstein's estate.[^1]
Hoffenberg involved himself in politics in his later years, including reported backing of a super PAC associated with the 2016 presidential campaign of [[Bernie Sanders]].[^12] He gave numerous media interviews after Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, presenting himself as a witness to Epstein's origins while acknowledging his own criminal history.[^1]
On August 23, 2022 his body was found in advanced decomposition at his apartment in a multifamily house in [[Derby, Connecticut]] after a welfare check; he was 77. Derby police said the check was requested by a private investigator acting for a woman who identified herself as close to Hoffenberg and as a sexual abuse victim of Epstein, and who had not heard from him for five days. He was identified through dental records and was believed to have died at least seven days earlier. The autopsy showed no signs of trauma, there were no indications of a struggle or forced entry, and the cause of death was left pending toxicology results. Baise said he was not surprised because Hoffenberg did not appear to be taking care of himself.[^3]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Towers Financial Corporation," summarizing SEC findings and contemporaneous reporting on the Ponzi scheme and Epstein's disputed role. https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/lr15053.txt
[^2]: "Jeffrey Epstein's mentor, who once ran a Ponzi scheme, was found dead. He was 77," *NPR,* 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/26/1119746511/jeffrey-epstein-mentor-steven-hoffenberg-dead
[^3]: "Jeffrey Epstein worked at Towers Financial with Steven Hoffenberg, who committed Ponzi scheme crimes," *CBS News,* 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-worked-at-towers-financial-with-stephen-hoffenberg-who-committed-ponzi-scheme-crimes/
[^4]: "Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's old boss says he knows where the mystery millions came from," *Philadelphia Inquirer,* 2019. https://www.inquirer.com/business/jeffrey-epstein-hoffenberg-trump-clinton-20190711.html
[^5]: "Bernie Sanders Attracts Big Campaign Money Despite Rhetoric," *Time,* 2016. https://time.com/4141201/bernie-sanders-superpac-money/
[^6]: "Steven Hoffenberg: Who is the former Epstein associate and New York Post owner?," *Yahoo News,* 2019, summarizing his Brooklyn origins, the 1970s debt-collection start and the New York Post stake. https://www.yahoo.com/news/steven-hoffenberg-former-epstein-associate-230443969.html
[^7]: "Who was Steven Hoffenberg? Jeffrey Epstein associate found dead in Connecticut apartment," summarizing the August 2022 welfare check, Maria Farmer's call, and the medical examiner's findings. https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/news-who-steven-hoffenberg-jeffrey-epstein-associate-found-dead-connecticut-apartment
[^1]: 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/
[^2]: Marvin Gerber and Kalma Koenig v. The Financial Trust Company, XYZ Corp., ABC, Inc., and Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO (S.D.N.Y.), Complaint, ECF No. 7 (filed August 21, 2018), paragraphs 15 to 58 (citing United States v. Hoffenberg, 94 Cr. 213 (RWS), 95 Cr. 321 (RWS), 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2394 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 4, 1997)), with Exhibit B, Affidavit of Steven J. Hoffenberg sworn August 17, 2018, ECF No. 7-2, paragraphs 2, 36 to 45. https://truthinadvertising.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Gerber-v-The-Financial-Trust-Co-complaint.pdf
[^3]: Associated Press, "Jeffrey Epstein's mentor, who once ran a Ponzi scheme, was found dead. He was 77," *NPR,* August 26, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/26/1119746511/jeffrey-epstein-mentor-steven-hoffenberg-dead
[^4]: "Steven Hoffenberg: Who is the former Epstein associate and New York Post owner?," *Yahoo News,* 2019, summarizing his Brooklyn origins, the 1970s debt-collection start and the New York Post stake. https://www.yahoo.com/news/steven-hoffenberg-former-epstein-associate-230443969.html
[^5]: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Litigation Release No. 15053, SEC v. Michael Rosoff, 96 Civ. 7064 (WK) (S.D.N.Y.), September 17, 1996, describing the Towers scheme and cross-referencing Litigation Release No. 13514 (SEC v. Towers Financial Corporation, Steven Hoffenberg, Mitchell Brater, and Arthur J. Ferro, 93 Civ. 0744 (WK) (S.D.N.Y.)), Litigation Release No. 13550 (amended complaint) and Litigation Release No. 14317 (consent judgment against Hoffenberg); releases 13514 and 13550 are not posted on the SEC website. https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/lr15053.txt
[^6]: Vicky Ward, "The Talented Mr. Epstein," *Vanity Fair,* March 2003, as republished by the author, on Hoffenberg's lifestyle, the Leese and Mitchell accounts, the 1993 Illinois grand jury testimony, the Riddell, Pennwalt and Snyder claims, the Payton and Allen accounts, and Epstein's denials. https://vickyward.com/article/the-talented-mr-epstein/
[^7]: Transcript of conference, United States v. Steven Hoffenberg, 94 Cr. 213 (RWS) (S.D.N.Y.), December 5, 2013, before Judge Robert W. Sweet, filed as Exhibit L, ECF No. 16-12, in No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.12.pdf
[^8]: Joseph N. DiStefano, "Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's old boss says he knows where the mystery millions came from," *Philadelphia Inquirer,* July 11, 2019. https://www.inquirer.com/business/jeffrey-epstein-hoffenberg-trump-clinton-20190711.html
[^9]: Letter of Bennet J. Moskowitz, Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for Jeffrey E. Epstein and The Financial Trust Company, to Hon. Richard J. Sullivan, June 28, 2016, Hoffenberg v. Epstein, No. 1:16-cv-03989-RJS (S.D.N.Y.), citing 200,000 Towers Inv'rs v. U.S., 13-cv-8563, 2013 WL 6673612 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 18, 2013), Hoffenberg v. Hoffman & Pollok, 288 F. Supp. 2d 527, 540 (S.D.N.Y. 2003), and 94-cr-213, ECF No. 150; filed as Exhibit G, ECF No. 16-7, in No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.7.pdf
[^10]: Gerber v. The Financial Trust Company, No. 1:18-cv-07580 (S.D.N.Y.), docket (filed August 20, 2018; terminated October 5, 2018; Judge J. Paul Oetken), listing among the defendants' exhibits the Verified Petition to Perpetuate Testimony dated June 11, 2015 filed in United States v. Hoffenberg. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7698990/gerber-v-the-financial-trust-company/
[^11]: Hoffenberg v. Epstein, No. 1:16-cv-03989 (RJS) (S.D.N.Y.), docket (filed May 27, 2016; terminated July 5, 2016; counsel Mintz & Fraade, P.C. and Troutman Sanders LLP), and Order of Judge Richard J. Sullivan, July 5, 2016, filed as Exhibit I, ECF No. 16-9, in No. 1:18-cv-07580-JPO. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13248845/hoffenberg-v-epstein/ ; https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593/gov.uscourts.nysd.499593.16.9.pdf
[^12]: "Bernie Sanders Attracts Big Campaign Money Despite Rhetoric," *Time,* 2016. https://time.com/4141201/bernie-sanders-superpac-money/

84
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Thomas Massie.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
---
category: "Political Figure"
tags:
- Person
- ThomasMassie
- Congress
- RepublicanParty
- Kentucky
- EpsteinFilesTransparencyAct
- DischargePetition
- SuperPAC
- MIT
alias:
- Thomas Harold Massie
- Rep. Thomas Massie
summary: "MIT-trained engineer and Republican congressman from Kentucky who forced the 2025 House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act and lost his 2026 primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger after record super PAC spending."
born: 1971-01-13
location: "Huntington, West Virginia (born)"
relations:
- type: founded
with: "[[SensAble Technologies]]"
start: 1993
end: 2003
role: "co-founder"
fn: 4
- type: member_of
with: "[[United States House of Representatives]]"
start: 2012-11-13
end: 2027-01-03
role: "representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district"
fn: 1
- type: spouse_of
with: "[[Rhonda Massie]]"
fn: 4
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
---
Thomas Massie (born January 13, 1971, in [[Huntington, West Virginia]]) is an American engineer and Republican politician who has represented [[Kentucky]]'s 4th congressional district since November 2012.[^1] With [[Ro Khanna]] he wrote the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] and filed the discharge petition that forced it to a floor vote over the opposition of the House leadership and the [[White House]]. [[Donald Trump]] endorsed a challenger against him, and on May 19, 2026, he lost the Republican primary after the most expensive House primary on record.[^2][^3]
### Engineering and SensAble
Massie earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1993 and a master's in mechanical engineering in 1996 at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. Working with [[Kenneth Salisbury]] at the MIT [[MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory|Artificial Intelligence Laboratory]], he built the PHANToM, a force-feedback interface that lets a user feel the shape and consistency of objects on a computer screen. In 1993 he and his wife, [[Rhonda Massie]], founded SensAble Devices from his dormitory room; it was reincorporated in 1996 as [[SensAble Technologies]] when MIT's Bill Aulet joined. He won the first Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, of 30,000 dollars, and the MIT 10K business plan competition in 1995. The company raised 32 million dollars in venture capital, employed 70 people and held 24 patents; its customers included [[Disney]], [[Boeing]] and [[Adidas]]. Massie left in 2003 and returned to Kentucky.[^4] [[Geomagic]] acquired SensAble's design and haptics businesses in April 2012.[^5]
### Congress
Massie won a special election for the 4th district in November 2012 and was seated on November 13 of that year.[^1] When Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, Massie posted, "This is not Constitutional," and argued that the executive branch cannot "unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that hasn't attacked the [[United States]]." On June 22, 2025, Trump's senior political adviser [[Chris LaCivita]] confirmed that he and the pollster [[Tony Fabrizio]] would run a super PAC to unseat Massie.[^6]
### The Epstein Files
On July 15, 2025, Khanna introduced H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, "for himself and Mr. Massie."[^7] On September 2, 2025, Massie filed a discharge petition to force a vote. It reached 218 signatures on November 12, when [[Adelita Grijalva]] was sworn in after a delay of more than seven weeks; Massie, [[Marjorie Taylor Greene]], [[Lauren Boebert]] and [[Nancy Mace]] were the only Republicans to sign, and White House officials pressed Boebert and Mace to withdraw.[^8] The House passed the bill 427 to 1 on November 18, and Trump signed it on November 19.[^9] On January 13, 2026, Massie and Khanna asked the court in [[United States v. Maxwell]] to appoint "a special master or independent monitor" over the department's compliance, stating that it had "publicly released only 12,285 documents" by January 5; Judge [[Paul Engelmayer]] denied the motion on January 21 for lack of authority.[^10]
On February 9, 2026, Massie and Khanna reviewed less-redacted files at the [[Department of Justice]]. Massie reported that an [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] document listing co-conspirators had the name of a "well known retired CEO" redacted; Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]] identified the man as [[Leslie Wexner]], unredacted the name and told Massie to "stop grandstanding." Wexner's representative said prosecutors had told his lawyers in 2019 that he was "neither a co-conspirator nor target."[^11][^12] Massie posted a 2009 email exchange in which Epstein wrote to a redacted correspondent, "where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video," and the correspondent replied that he was in China; the unredacted files identified the correspondent as [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem]], chairman and chief executive of [[DP World]]. Bin Sulayem, who has not been accused of a crime, did not respond to requests for comment and resigned from DP World on February 13, 2026; Massie wrote, "Today he resigns."[^13][^14] At a [[House Committee on the Judiciary|House Judiciary Committee]] hearing on February 11, Massie told Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]], "Literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors, you did," and when she testified that Wexner's name had been restored within 40 minutes, answered, "Within 40 minutes of me catching you red-handed." Bondi called him "a failed politician" with "Trump derangement syndrome."[^15]
On September 1, 2026, Massie and Khanna opened a discharge petition for an Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would let members of Congress, state officials and survivors sue the department for noncompliance. Massie said the government "continues to withhold over three million files."[^16]
### The 2026 Primary
MAGA KY, the super PAC run by LaCivita and Fabrizio, registered with the [[Federal Election Commission]] on June 19, 2025, with Charles Gantt as treasurer. Its first large receipts were 250,000 dollars from [[John Paulson]] on June 26, 2025, and on June 27 one million dollars from [[Paul Singer]] of [[Elliott Management]] and 750,000 dollars from Preserve America PAC, which is associated with [[Miriam Adelson]]. From December 2025 through May 2026 it received transfers from America 21 PAC totaling about 4.4 million dollars; America 21's donors in the same period included Singer (one million dollars each on November 14, 2025, April 8 and May 7, 2026), the Elliott executive [[Jonathan Pollock]] (one million dollars), [[Stephen Schwarzman]] of [[Blackstone]] (400,000 dollars) and Paulson. [[MAGA Inc.]], Trump's principal super PAC, gave MAGA KY 500,000 dollars on May 14, 2026. By July 15, 2026, MAGA KY had raised 7,984,000 dollars and reported 7.48 million dollars in independent expenditures.[^17][^18] The [[United Democracy Project]], the super PAC of [[AIPAC]], spent 4.1 million dollars, mostly on advertising against Massie, and the Republican Jewish Coalition's Victory Fund 3.9 million dollars, mostly for his opponent. A further committee, Kentucky 4th PAC, was funded by a single donor, Tamarack Aspen Inc., whose owners were not disclosed.[^18]
Trump endorsed [[Ed Gallrein]], a retired Navy SEAL from Shelbyville, in October 2025.[^3] On the other side, [[Jeff Yass]] of [[Susquehanna International Group]] gave 7.5 million dollars to Protect Freedom PAC, of which he is the principal funder, on October 20, 2025; Protect Freedom gave one million dollars to the pro-Massie Kentucky First PAC three days later and 300,000 dollars more on April 15, 2026. Massie's campaign committee raised 8.78 million dollars in the cycle through June 30, 2026.[^17] About 37 million dollars was spent on the race by the campaigns and outside groups.[^18]
Gallrein defeated Massie on May 19, 2026, by about ten percentage points.[^3][^18] His term ends on January 3, 2027.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: United States Congress, legislator record for Thomas Massie (bioguide M001184), terms 2012-11-13 to 2027-01-03, Kentucky 4th district, compiled in the congress-legislators dataset. https://unitedstates.github.io/congress-legislators/legislators-current.json ; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/M001184
[^2]: "Endorsed by Trump, Ed Gallrein defeats Rep. Thomas Massie in GOP House primary," NPR, May 19, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5827183/massie-gallrein-kentucky-race-results-trump
[^3]: "Here's what the Kentucky election results tell us about Ed Gallrein's win over Thomas Massie," Louisville Public Media, May 20, 2026. https://www.lpm.org/news/2026-05-20/heres-what-the-kentucky-election-results-tell-us-about-ed-gallreins-win-over-thomas-massie ; "Republican Thomas Massie who stood up to Trump defeated in Kentucky primary," Al Jazeera, May 20, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/20/republican-thomas-massie-who-stood-up-to-trump-defeated-in-kentucky-primary
[^4]: Lemelson-MIT Program, "Thomas Massie," winner profile. https://lemelson-teams.mit.edu/winners/thomas-massie
[^5]: "Geomagic Acquires Sensable 3D Design and Haptics Businesses," Business Wire, April 12, 2012. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120412006078/en/Geomagic-Acquires-Sensable-3D-Design-and-Haptics-Businesses
[^6]: Jonathan Allen and Raquel Coronell Uribe, "Trump's team launches group to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Massie," NBC News, June 22, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-thomas-massie-criticism-us-strikes-iran-kentucky-maga-rcna214387
[^7]: H.R. 4405, 119th Congress, Epstein Files Transparency Act, as introduced July 15, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405/text
[^8]: "US representative files discharge petition to compel release of Epstein investigation documents," JURIST, September 5, 2025. https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/09/us-representative-files-discharge-petition-to-compel-release-of-epstein-investigation-documents/ ; "Epstein discharge petition secures final signature needed to force House vote on releasing files," CBS News, November 12, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-discharge-petition-final-signature-files-adelita-grijalva/
[^9]: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 289, H.R. 4405, November 18, 2025. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289 ; Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, 139 Stat. 656. https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ38/PLAW-119publ38.pdf
[^10]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y.), motion of Reps. Massie and Khanna, ECF Nos. 837, 838 (January 13, 2026); Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844 (January 21, 2026). https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
[^11]: "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/
[^12]: 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
[^13]: "Ro Khanna Reads Out Names of Six 'Powerful Men' in Epstein Files," The New Republic, February 10, 2026. https://newrepublic.com/post/206411/ro-khanna-reads-redacted-names-epstein-files-house-floor ; "Rep. Khanna names 6 men he says were redacted from Epstein files for 'no apparent reason'; DOJ says some had no Epstein ties," CBS News, February 10, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/massie-khanna-epstein-files-6-men/
[^14]: "Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, 'Close Personal Friend' Of Epstein, Resigns As CEO Of DP World," Forbes, February 13, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestunson/2026/02/13/dubai-ceo-resigns-after-released-email-showed-epstein-thanking-him-for-torture-video/ ; "Emirati billionaire resigns as CEO of logistics firm following Epstein revelations," ABC News, February 13, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/emirati-billionaire-resigns-ceo-logistics-firm-epstein-revelations/story?id=130136386
[^15]: 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-
[^16]: Erin Kelly, "Massie seeks signatures to force vote on second Epstein files bill," Spectrum News 1, September 1, 2026. https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/09/01/massie-discharge-petition-epstein
[^17]: Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC data: MAGA KY (C00908723), registration and Schedule A receipts, 2026 cycle, through July 15, 2026; America 21 PAC (C00804690), Schedule A receipts, 2026 cycle; Protect Freedom Political Action Committee (C00657866), Schedule A receipts; Kentucky First PAC (C00918227), Schedule A receipts; Thomas Massie for Congress (C00509729), 2026 cycle totals through June 30, 2026. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00908723/ ; https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00804690/ ; https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00657866/ ; https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00918227/ ; https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00509729/
[^18]: Joe Sonka, "A record-shattering $37M was spent on Kentucky's Massie-Gallrein race. Here's who funded it," Louisville Public Media, July 17, 2026. https://www.lpm.org/news/2026-07-17/a-record-shattering-37m-was-spent-on-kentuckys-massie-gallrein-race-heres-who-funded-it