This week, hundreds of sealed court filings related to the late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein are scheduled to be revealed, and the documents are anticipated to feature the names of several prominent figures, such as Britain’s Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ruled that there was no legal basis for keeping the ex-president’s name and over 150 other “John and Jane Does” mentioned in the records concealed. Preska mandated that the unsealing process commence after January 1.
The documents originate from a 2015 civil lawsuit focused on accusations that Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Epstein, facilitated the sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre, who claims to be a trafficking victim. Giuffre also alleged that Epstein and Maxwell instructed her to have sexual relations with Prince Andrew and various other influential men. Prince Andrew has refuted the allegations, stating that he does not remember ever meeting Giuffre. He subsequently reached a settlement in a lawsuit she brought against him.
Many prominent names linked to Epstein through allegations or associations, some mentioned in Maxwell’s trial. Names only appear in witness lists or proposed search terms.
Despite the extensive coverage of Giuffre’s claims against Prince Andrew and his subsequent denials, there is heightened anticipation surrounding the sealed records, which are believed to hold further information provided by “Jane Doe 162.” As a key witness, she testified to being in the company of Prince Andrew, Maxwell, and Giuffre, then 17 years old, at Epstein’s New York residence. Giuffre has asserted that this specific encounter in 2001 was one of the instances she was coerced into engaging in sexual activity with Andrew.
Although Giuffre did not make any accusations of Clinton’s wrongdoing, it is important to note that there is no evidence in the sealed records pointing towards any illegal activity committed by Clinton. However, the claim made by Giuffre, stating that she encountered the former president on Epstein’s private Caribbean island, became a central point of contention during the legal proceedings. This case reached a settlement in 2017. Maxwell vehemently argued against Clinton ever setting foot on Little St. James, which was Epstein’s island, and strongly criticized Giuffre’s allegation as a fabricated story that severely damaged her credibility.
The flight logs maintained by a pilot who worked for Epstein have come to light through various lawsuits against Epstein. These logs reveal that Clinton and his associates frequently traveled on Epstein’s large aircraft to different global locations like Paris, Bangkok, and Brunei in 2002 and 2003. However, there are no existing records that indicate the former president visited Epstein’s island.
The court documents to be unsealed this week represent the eighth, and likely final, round of unsealing records from the case since the Miami Herald intervened for access to the records in 2018.Recently released documents include deposition transcripts of Maxwell and Giuffre, as well as sworn, yet unproven, accusations that Epstein and Maxwell instructed Giuffre to engage in sexual activities with various prominent individuals, such as former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, the deceased fashion scout Jean Luc Brunel, billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, and others.
Maxwell and all the men identified by Giuffre vehemently denied the allegations against them, standing firmly in their innocence.
This set of documents will include the names of more individuals who were associated with Epstein, as well as those who were alleged perpetrators, co-conspirators, victims, witnesses, and former employees. It’s worth noting that some of the individuals referred to as “Does” in the documents have passed away.
Court records show that Former President Clinton, identified as “Doe 36” by ABC News, is featured in over fifty of the redacted filings.Numerous sealed or redacted entries specifically address Giuffre’s lawyers’ efforts in mid-2016, as initially reported by ABC News, to subpoena the two-term Democratic president for deposition testimony regarding his relationship with Epstein.
Based on unsealed portions of the court record, Giuffre’s legal team began informal talks with the witness, who was unnamed at the time, on June 9, 2016. This happened shortly after the Democratic nomination for president was secured by Hillary Clinton, the former president’s wife.
In 2016, representatives for Giuffre contacted the former president’s attorneys regarding a possible deposition. According to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to ABC News, Clinton’s legal team stated that his testimony would not be beneficial to Giuffre, as the former president had never visited Epstein’s island, contrary to her allegations.
According to an unredacted portion of a court filing, Maxwell’s attorney Laura Menninger characterized the decision to question Clinton as “utter nonsense” and “a transparent ploy by (Giuffre) to increase media exposure for her sensational stories through deposition side-show.”
In contrast, Giuffre’s legal team emphasized the immense significance of Clinton’s proposed testimony, deeming it “highly relevant” and “crucial to the fundamental claims and defenses” in the case. Regrettably, the U.S. ultimately denied the request. In a ruling issued by District Judge Robert Sweet in late June 2016, certain parts have been redacted to ensure privacy.
During a hearing in March 2017, just six weeks before the scheduled trial, Giuffre’s lawyers skillfully raised the issue concerning Clinton once again. Through a publicly available transcript, it was revealed that Giuffre’s legal team was determined to prevent Maxwell’s side from presenting any testimony that would suggest Clinton never visited Epstein’s island. Asserting that such an approach would be “inherently unfair” to Giuffre, Giuffre’s attorneys argued that they were never granted the opportunity to question the former president about his presence on Little St. James, which happened to be Epstein’s well-known private estate.
McCawley informed Judge Sweet that we were not allowed to depose him because it was deemed irrelevant. “At trial, they intend to use that information against my client, and I don’t have a sworn statement from that individual confirming or denying the allegations,” she explained.
According to the transcript, Maxwell’s lawyers made a compelling declaration to the court stating that Maxwell was fully ready to testify and confirm that Clinton never set foot on the island. Unfortunately, due to the trial not taking place, Giuffre’s motion regarding excluding testimony about Clinton was left without a resolution. However, there is significant potential for additional details and insights on this debate to emerge when the unsealed documents become public.
Clinton’s involvement is also anticipated to be unveiled in filings related to separate endeavors by Maxwell and Giuffre to compel Epstein to respond to interrogations.. During a deposition in September 2016, the disgraced financier confidently employed his constitutional rights to avoid self-incrimination, a tactic he had consistently utilized in numerous prior civil lawsuits filed against him.
As per the procedure implemented by Preska, the lawyers representing the individuals referred to as “Does” were granted access to review the court files that included their names. This took place before any decisions were made regarding the unsealing of these records. Each person had the chance to present arguments for keeping the records confidential. In the case of Clinton’s legal team, after examining the excerpts, they did not object to the release of the documents, as stated in Preska’s order from last month.
Clinton spokesperson didn’t comment
The public first became aware of Clinton’s connection to Epstein in 2002, when news broke about the former president’s trip on the enigmatic billionaire’s private jet for a charitable mission to various African countries. At the time, Clinton’s spokesperson told New York magazine that “Jeffrey is not only an accomplished financier but also a dedicated humanitarian who possesses extensive expertise in global markets and contemporary scientific advancements.”
The statement expressed gratitude for his valuable contributions and selflessness during the recent journey to Africa, where he made significant strides in promoting democracy, uplifting impoverished communities, engaging citizens in public service, and combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Representatives of Clinton assert that the former president severed ties with Epstein in 2005, prior to the financier becoming the subject of investigation in Palm Beach, Florida. The investigation involved allegations of Epstein enticing minors to his luxurious mansion by the sea to engage in illicit and sexual massages.
A few years after Epstein faced potential federal prosecution, one of his lawyers contacted prosecutors to highlight Epstein’s involvement in the formation of the Clinton Global Initiative, as indicated in a 2007 letter attached to a court filing.
After Epstein’s arrest in 2019 on charges of child sex trafficking, Angel Ureña, a spokesperson for Clinton, categorically denied any involvement by the former president. In a powerful statement, Ureña emphasized that Clinton had absolutely no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. Furthermore, Ureña clarified that Clinton had not interacted with Epstein in more than ten years, and had never visited any of Epstein’s properties, including Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.
Following Epstein’s death, new reports have emerged, indicating that Epstein and Maxwell were present at a 1993 event for donors to the White House Historical Association. Photos from the archives of the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas show the smiling duo greeting the president at the White House.
Geoffrey, now a 40-year-old living in Australia, sued Maxwell in 2015 for defamation related to allegations of “obvious lies.” Court filings were heavily redacted to protect privacy.
Epstein’s demise occurred the morning after a federal appeals court in 2019 untethered the initial batch of documents. The event took place as he was confined in his jail cell in Manhattan, awaiting trial for the abhorrent crimes of child sex-trafficking and conspiracy.According to the New York Medical Examiner, the death was determined to be a suicide, a conclusion that was supported by a report from the Justice Department Inspector General.
Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 on five out of six charges associated with the exploitation and trafficking of minors. Maxwell’s attorneys referenced her ties to former President Clinton’s charitable work as a key factor in her plea for a reduced sentence, noting her alleged involvement in the development of the Clinton Global Initiative, as stated in a sentencing memo submitted to the court.
Maxwell has been given a 20-year prison sentence and is currently in the process of appealing her conviction.