What big names are on Epstein's list?
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Comedian Chris Tucker, actor Kevin Spacey and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, have been named in a tranche of documents about late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein that have been unsealed.
Nearly 100 more court records containing information about Epstein were released Friday after U.S. Magistrate Judge Loretta Preska ordered the unsealing of records in a lawsuit brought by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell – currently in federal prison on sex trafficking charges – was sued in 2015 after she branded Ms Giuffre a liar over her claims that she had been sexually abused as a minor. The lawsuit was settled in 2017, but the documents remained sealed – until now.
On Wednesday, the first batch of forty court documents were released, naming Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and the magician David Copperfield. The naming of individual persons does not necessarily indicate misconduct.
The Metropolitan Police rejected calls to launch an investigation into Prince Andrew following the publication of the documents – which included allegations of sexual assault – but will review any new and relevant information. The Duke has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Important points
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Ghislaine Maxwell breaks her silence after Epstein files are unsealed
Maxwell's lawyers, Arthur Aidala and Diana Fabi Samson, released a statement Wednesday evening after the unsealing of the files began in which she continued to maintain her innocence and vowed to press forward with her appeal.
“Ghislaine Maxwell commented on the court's recent decision to dismiss documents in Giuffre v. Maxwell has not commented as these disclosures have no bearing on her or her pending appeal,” the statement shared with The Messenger said.
Tom WatlingJanuary 7, 2024 10:00
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No investigation against Prince Andrew after Epstein documents are published
While the majority of allegations against the former king contained in the unsealed 1,200 pages are not new, at least one allegation has been suspected to be fresh.
The Duke of York has always denied any wrongdoing.
Identification from the court documents does not mean the person was involved in or aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein.
Tom Watling7. January 2024 09:00
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Trump dined at Epstein's home, documents show
The former president, who had a residence in Palm Beach near Epstein's home, stopped by for dinner but didn't get a massage there because he “had his own spa.”
Oliver O'Connell7. January 2024 08:00
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How many times were prominent people named in Epstein court documents?
A number of high-profile individuals have been named multiple times in various materials, including in footnotes to previously released court documents about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was mentioned most often, appearing over 1,000 times in the first five batches of documents.
Britain's Prince Andrew was named over 100 times in all sets of documents, although the Duke of York has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Former US President Bill Clinton's name was mentioned 83 times in the first two series of documents, and in the latest publication his name was mentioned well over 100 times.
Another former US president named in the documents is Donald Trump, whose name has been mentioned four times so far.
Magician David Copperfield was named six times in the first batch of documents, while several Hollywood stars including actor Kevin Spacey, British supermodel Naomi Campbell, Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio were also named.
All actors have denied ever meeting Epstein.
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 07:30
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Unanswered questions after publication of new Epstein documents
Although over 3,000 pages of new court documents have been released about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, some questions still remain unanswered.
One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, filed a lawsuit in 2009, claiming the disgraced billionaire financier flew her around the world for sexual encounters with billionaires, politicians, royals and heads of state.
Those named in court documents released so far include Britain's Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former US Senator George Mitchell and law professor Alan Dershowitz.
It remains unclear how many other influential figures were connected to the convicted sex offender.
Giuffre's allegations have also changed over time.
For example, she withdrew her allegations against Dershowitz in 2022, saying she “may have made a mistake” in identifying him as one of her abusers.
While she initially said she was 15 when Epstein began abusing her, Giuffre later said she met him the summer she turned 17.
The possibility that some questions that only Epstein himself could have answered died with him after he died by suicide in a federal prison in Manhattan in August 2019.
So far, only about 190 of the nearly 250 files approved for release by U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska have been released.
With another batch expected to be released on Monday, new names could come to light, but there's also the possibility that these records have likely already been published in the nearly 3,000 pages revealed so far.
You can read more about it here:
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 07:00
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The Metropolitan Police are ruling out an investigation into Prince Andrew after new documents were released
The Metropolitan Police have decided not to launch an investigation into Prince Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein after new court documents linked to the late sex offender contained references to the Duke of York.
“We are aware of the release of court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein,” the police statement said.
“If new and relevant information is brought to our attention, we will evaluate it, as with any matter. “No investigation has been initiated,” it said.
In one file in the latest document, a woman named Jane Doe No. 3 – believed to be Virginia Giuffre – claims that she was “forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor, in three different geographical locations.”
The Duke of York has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 06:30
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How did Jeffrey Epstein die?
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in prison while serving a 20-year sentence.
Epstein died Aug. 10 at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was held ahead of a trial for allegedly recruiting dozens of teenage girls to engage in sexual acts with him and his friends.
He was found dead with a noose made of bedsheets, with authorities ruling the death a suicide.
While there is speculation that Epstein did not kill himself, authorities from the medical examiner to former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr have said that Epstein did in fact take his own life.
You can read more about this here
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 06:00
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Law professor releases defense video after new Epstein documents are revealed
Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz released a 31-minute video after a court released new documents about his former client Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that he was involved in the convicted sex offender's human trafficking ring.
The newly released documents included allegations that Mr. Dershowitz forced an underage girl to have sex with him on multiple occasions and that he also witnessed the abuse of other girls.
Many of the claims against Mr. Dershowitz have already been reported, and he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
“Epstein required Jane Doe No. 3 to have sexual relations with Dershowitz as a minor on numerous occasions, not only in Florida, but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” one said Extract of submissions read.
Dershowitz denied the allegations and claimed he had an “innocent” relationship with Epstein.
“I had an innocent relationship with a man who I didn't know that no one suspected had done anything wrong,” he said.
You can read more about this here
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 05:30
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Britain's Met Police say they are not investigating Prince Andrew over the Epstein files
Britain's Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are not investigating Prince Andrew over Jeffrey Epstein's recently unsealed files.
Police issued a brief statement on Friday saying: “We are aware of the release of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
“If new and relevant information is brought to our attention, we will evaluate it, as with any matter. No investigation has been initiated.”
Andrew was named in the first round of new documents released Wednesday, including in the testimony of Epstein victim Johanna Sjoberg, who accused him of groping her breast in Epstein's Manhattan apartment in 2001.
Buckingham Palace and Prince Andrew have firmly rejected the allegations.
Oliver O'Connell7. January 2024 05:00
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Epstein offered a reward to refute claims that Stephen Hawking attended an orgy
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wanted to offer the friends of one of his accusers a financial reward if they could help prove the falsity of claims that physicist Stephen Hawking participated in an orgy with minors.
New court documents reveal that the disgraced pedophile financier sent an email in 2015 indicating he was happy to offer a reward to counter allegations made by his accuser Virginia Giuffre.
“You can offer a reward to any of Virginia’s friends, acquaintances and family members who come forward and help prove her allegations are false. “The strongest thing about the Clinton dinner and the new version in the Virgin Islands is that Stephen Hawking participated in an underage orgy,” said the email to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Vishwam SankaranJanuary 7, 2024 04:30