A new batch of court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, was unsealed Wednesday. Contrary to social media speculation, these documents did not reveal a list of Epstein’s “clients” or “co-conspirators.” Instead, the first 40 documents, largely comprising public material, reiterated Epstein’s connections with prominent figures and contained interview transcripts with some of his victims and old police reports.
The records mentioned Epstein’s past associations with Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew. Clinton is not accused of any wrongdoing. Prince Andrew previously settled a lawsuit alleging sexual involvement with a 17-year-old girl linked to Epstein. Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg, in a deposition, recounted meeting Michael Jackson at Epstein’s home, noting that nothing inappropriate occurred with Jackson.
These documents are part of a 2015 lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the abuse. The suit was settled in 2017, but some documents remained sealed to protect privacy rights.
The unsealed records reveal difficulties in subpoenaing some women who worked for Epstein and two who invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in other lawsuits. Maxwell, in her deposition, expressed frustration over questions regarding Giuffre’s allegations and other related matters.
Additional records included court memos and depositions of several Epstein victims, including Sjoberg’s May 2016 deposition detailing a dinner with magician David Copperfield and an incident involving Prince Andrew in New York.
The documents also included references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent and Epstein associate, who committed suicide in a Paris jail in 2022 while awaiting trial on rape charges. Giuffre had accused Brunel of sexual abuse.
Furthermore, the records addressed inaccuracies in reports about Giuffre’s time with Epstein, clarifying her interactions with Clinton and Trump. The judge ordered some names to remain undisclosed to protect individuals who were sexually abused.
Prior to the document release, misinformation circulated online, including false claims about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel appearing in the documents, which he denied, stating he had never met Epstein.
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