Names of victims, business partners and friends of the billionaire accused of sex trafficking were released this Wednesday (January 3), but do not present bombshell information about the case
More than 900 pages of court documents related to American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein were made public on Wednesday night (Jan. 3, 2023). Arrested in July 2019 on charges of child abuse and sex trafficking, Epstein was found dead in jail in August of the same year with signs of suicide.
The list includes the names of 184 people linked to the billionaire, including victims, business partners and close friends and acquaintances. Among them, former North American presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, from the United Kingdom. The opening of the documents was ordered in December by judge Loretta Preska. Read the complete (PDF – 23.9 MB).
There was the expectation that the documents would serve as a basis to contextualize the relationship between the personalities and Epstein. However, most of the names and stories cited in the archives had already been made public. Only Epstein and his ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, have been held criminally responsible for the investigations to date.
The documents are part of a lawsuit filed against the tycoon by a network of victims. The charges had been sealed or redacted to hide their names, as well as those of other possible abusers associated with Epstein. This is the first time they have been released to the public by the legal system.
Among the unpublished documents opened, there is a statement made in 2016 by Johanna Sjoberg, one of the billionaire's victims, with whom he worked from 2001 to 2006. Asked if Epstein had already spoken to her about Bill Clinton, Sjoberg cited a supposed statement from the former president indicating that he “I like them young”, in reference to girls.
Despite the political impact caused by his involvement with intern Monica Lewinsky in the late 1990s, the Democrat was never charged with crimes related to Epstein. A spokesperson for the former president told CNN this Wednesday (3.Jan) that “It has been almost 20 years since President Clinton last had contact with Epstein.” and that he was not opposed to opening the documents.
Read below, in English, an excerpt from the document with reference to Bill Clinton:
Sjoberg's statement also mentions Trump and Prince Andrew. According to her, Epstein suggested that they visit the Republican's casino after his plane's unplanned stop in New Jersey: “Jeffrey said, 'Great, let's call Trump'”.
There are no mentions, however, of inappropriate attitudes by the Republican. In statements made when asked about his relationship with the billionaire, Trump has already stated that he had a “disagreement” with Epstein. He also stated that “wasn’t a fan” from him.
Regarding King Charles III's brother, Sjoberg says that Andrew “put his hand” on his chest when they were introduced. In 2022, Prince Andrew reached a settlement with Virginia Giuffre, another victim of Epstein, who had accused him of abusing her at age 17.
In addition to them, magician David Copperfield, billionaire Glenn Dubin, modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, former governor of New Mexico (USA) Bill Richardson and Epstein's former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, are also mentioned in testimonies.
In some sections, there are still names under confidentiality. Some of these cases involve underage victims who have not spoken publicly about the sexual abuse they suffered.
Most of the documents involve testimonies from women who accuse Epstein of sexual crimes committed from the 1990s until 2008, when he was convicted in Florida of trying to persuade a teenage girl into prostitution. However, the suspicion is that the sex trafficking network continued after that. There is an expectation that new documents about Epstein will be published in the future.
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