Arya News - Feb 2 (Reuters) - The U.S.
Feb 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department"s release of millions of internal documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender"s ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business - both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl. Evidence in multiple legal and criminal cases has also shed light on these connections.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. His 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell was ruled a suicide.
The Justice Department has warned that the material could include faked images or untrue allegations, as well as pornographic material. On Monday, the Department said it had removed several thousand documents that inadvertently identified some of Epstein"s victims.
The Justice Department"s No. 2 official, Todd Blanche, has said the material did not amount to evidence of criminal sexual activity by those named in the files.
Here are some of the prominent people whose ties to Epstein are revealed in the material released by the Justice Department.
DONALD TRUMP
Trump socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, and is quoted in a magazine profile during that period as saying that Epstein likes women "on the younger side." Documents released by the Justice Department include photos of Trump with several women whose faces are redacted and a suggestive note to Epstein, framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to bear Trump"s signature. Evidence and testimony submitted in the 2021 trial of Epstein"s associate Ghislaine Maxwell indicate Trump traveled on Epstein"s plane multiple times. Epstein wrote in one email that Trump "knew about the girls," though it is not clear what he meant.
Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein"s crimes and says he broke off ties in the early 2000s, before Epstein"s plea deal. He denies ever flying on Epstein"s plane and says the suggestive note was faked.
BILL CLINTON
The former U.S. president socialized with Epstein and flew on his plane several times in the early 2000s, after Clinton left office. Photos released by the Justice Department show him swimming and posing with women whose faces are redacted. Clinton has denied wrongdoing and says he regrets his past association with Epstein.
ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR
The former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, maintained a social relationship with Epstein and has been stripped of his royal title due to the association. The Justice Department sought his cooperation in multiple criminal investigations but was rebuffed. He also settled a lawsuit brought by one of Epstein"s victims in 2022, making an undisclosed payment without admitting wrongdoing. The Justice Department files include several photos of him with women, including one where he is kneeling over a woman and another showing him lying across the laps of several women.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has expressed regret for his friendship with Epstein. He has said he never saw any sex crimes.
HOWARD LUTNICK
Trump"s Commerce Secretary apparently visited Epstein"s private island for lunch in 2012 and invited him to a fundraiser in 2015 for Hillary Clinton, Trump"s Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential election, emails show. That would contradict Lutnick"s claim that he vowed never to "be in a room" with Epstein following a 2005 incident in which the financier showed Lutnick a massage table at his townhouse and made a sexually suggestive comment. The former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO lived next door to Epstein in New York at the time. A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick had limited interactions with Epstein and has never been accused of wrongdoing.
ELON MUSK
The billionaire Tesla CEO asked Epstein if he had any parties planned on his island in 2012 but apparently decided not to visit. Epstein responded that "the ratio on my island" might make Musk"s female companion uncomfortable, without elaborating further. Musk invited Epstein to visit him for drinks on another island a few days later, but it is unclear whether they met up. Musk said on Saturday he had few interactions with Epstein and turned down repeated invitations to visit the island or fly on Epstein"s plane.
LARRY SUMMERS
The former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard University president flew on Epstein"s jet several times as far back as 1998 and met with him to discuss economic and business matters while he served as president of Harvard. The two maintained a relationship as late as 2019, when email communications show Summers soliciting advice about a romantic interest. No evidence of wrongdoing has surfaced, but Summers stepped down from positions at Harvard, OpenAI and other prominent institutions in November following the release of those documents.
Summers said in November he was "deeply ashamed" of his actions and said he would step back from public commitments to "repair relationships with the people closest to me."
KEVIN WARSH
Trump"s nominee to head the Federal Reserve appeared in an email from a publicist to Epstein listing 43 people, including celebrities such as Martha Stewart, headed to a Christmas gathering in 2010. It was not clear whether Warsh knew Epstein or why Epstein was sent the note, and Warsh has not yet responded to a request for comment.
MELANIA TRUMP
The files include a 2002 email from Trump"s wife, Melania Trump, to Maxwell about a magazine piece on Epstein. "You look great," the email says.
BILL GATES
The documents indicate Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein"s prison term to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder"s philanthropic efforts. They also include pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted. Gates has said the relationship was confined to philanthropy-related discussions and has said it was a mistake to meet with him.
JES STALEY
The former JPMorgan and Barclays executive is listed as a participant in Epstein-hosted gatherings. He exchanged around 1,200 emails with Epstein between 2008 and 2012, some of which contained discussions about Disney characters and photographs of young women, according to court documents. Staley has denied knowing about Epstein"s criminal activities. He was banned from the UK financial industry and has been sued by JPMorgan, which claims he concealed information about Epstein"s misconduct.
PETER MANDELSON
UK police said Monday they are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct involving the veteran British politician, whose name surfaced more than 5,000 times in the Justice Department files. He was fired as ambassador to the U.S. last year after emails came to light that showed him calling Epstein "my best pal" and advising him on seeking early jail release. Mandelson has apologized to Epstein"s victims. He has denied wrongdoing.
PETER ATTIA
The wellness influencer"s name appears more than 1,700 times in the latest trove of documents released by the Justice Department. He said on social media he met with Epstein seven or eight times at his New York City home between 2014 and 2019, but never witnessed illegal activity or saw Epstein accompanied by anyone who appeared to be underage.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington; Editing by Craig Timberg and Matthew Lewis)