TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The release of millions of internal documents by the United States (US) Department of Justice has revealed the connections of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to numerous prominent figures in politics, finance, academia, and business.
These relationships occurred both before and after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including the solicitation of an underage girl. Evidence in various legal and criminal cases also highlights these connections.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of a minor. He died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell, and his death was ruled a suicide.
The United States Department of Justice warned that the released materials could include fabricated images, false allegations, and pornography.
Todd Blanche, the second-ranking official in the Justice Department, also stated that the materials should not be considered evidence of sexual activity by the individuals named in the documents.
As cited by DW, the following are some of the prominent figures identified as having links to Epstein, according to the Justice Department's released documents:
Donald Trump
Trump is known to have socialized frequently with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s. In a magazine profile from that period, Trump was quoted as saying that Epstein preferred "younger" women. US Department of Justice documents include photos of Trump with several women with their faces obscured, as well as a suggestive note addressed to Epstein, framed by a silhouette of a nude woman and appearing to bear Trump's signature.
Evidence and testimony in the 2021 trial of Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, alleges that Trump traveled on Epstein's plane several times. In one email, Epstein wrote that Trump "knew about the girls," though he did not elaborate on the nature of the statement.
Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes and said he ended the relationship in the early 2000s, before Epstein's plea deal. He also denied ever flying on Epstein's plane and called the suggestive note a fabrication.
Bill Clinton
Former US President Bill Clinton was known to have socialized with Epstein and flew on his plane several times in the early 2000s, after Clinton left office. Released photos showed Clinton swimming and posing with several women whose faces were obscured. Clinton denied any wrongdoing and said he regretted his past relationship with Epstein.
Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, are scheduled to testify in a congressional inquiry into Epstein, an aide said Monday (February 2).
This decision potentially prevents a planned vote in the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives to find them guilty of contempt of Congress, which could lead to criminal charges.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, had a social relationship with Epstein and lost his royal titles as a result of that relationship. The US Justice Department has sought his cooperation in several criminal investigations, but he has refused. In 2022, he settled a lawsuit from one of Epstein's victims with an undisclosed payment, without admitting wrongdoing.
The Justice Department's files contain several photographs of him with women, including one of him kneeling on top of a woman and another of him lying on the laps of several women.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has expressed regret over her friendship with Epstein. She claims she never witnessed any sexual misconduct.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk asked Epstein in 2012 about a party planned on his island but apparently decided not to attend. Epstein replied that "the ratios on my island" might make Musk's female companions uncomfortable, without elaborating.
A few days later, Musk invited Epstein for drinks on another island, but it is unclear whether the meeting took place. Musk said on Saturday (January 31) that his interactions with Epstein were very limited and that he declined repeated invitations to visit Epstein's island or fly on his plane.
Kevin Warsh
Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to head the Federal Reserve, appeared in an email from a publicist to Epstein that listed 43 people, including celebrities like Martha Stewart, who would be attending a Christmas party in 2010. It is unclear whether Warsh knew Epstein or why the email was sent to him. Warsh has not responded to requests for comment.
Melania Trump
The documents contain a 2002 email from Melania Trump, Donald Trump's wife, to Ghislaine Maxwell regarding a magazine article about Epstein. The email reads, "You look great."
Bill Gates
The documents show Bill Gates and Epstein met several times after Epstein was released from prison to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder's philanthropic activities. The documents also include photos of Gates posing with women whose faces are blurred.
Gates said the relationship was limited to philanthropic discussions and acknowledged that meeting with Epstein was a mistake.
Jes Staley
The former JPMorgan and Barclays executive was a registered participant in meetings organized by Epstein. He exchanged approximately 1,200 emails with Epstein between 2008 and 2012, some of which discussed Disney characters and included photos of young women, according to court documents.
Staley denied any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. He was barred from pursuing a career in the British financial industry and sued by JPMorgan, which accused him of concealing information related to Epstein's misconduct.
What about the victims?
The Justice Department said it has withdrawn several thousand documents and media materials related to Epstein. This comes after lawyers told a New York judge that the lives of nearly 100 victims have been "ruined" by the government's recent document blackout.
The material revealed includes nude photos showing the faces of potential victims, as well as names, email addresses, and other identifying information that were either completely or partially blacked out.
Two lawyers for Epstein victims filed a letter with the court on Sunday (February 1), requesting judicial intervention due to the thousands of instances of government failure to blackout names and personal data.
Eight women who claim to be Epstein victims added statements to the letter to Judge Richard M. Berman. One wrote that the document release was "life-threatening." Another said she received death threats after 51 entries containing her personal banking information were discovered, forcing her to close her credit cards and accounts.
Errors in photo obfuscation
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" that sporadic errors in obfuscating sensitive information do occur, but the Justice Department is working quickly to correct them.
"Every time we hear from a victim or their attorney that their name wasn't properly obfuscated, we immediately correct it. And that number, so the public understands, is only about 0.001 percent of the material," Blanche said (February 1).
The Justice Department also stated that all nude or pornographic images were obfuscated from the approximately 2,000 videos and 180,000 images released, because all the women in the images were considered potential victims.
Read: Melinda: Questions About Epstein Are for Bill Gates to Answer
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