1 hour ago
About sharing
The names of dozens of people connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public with the release of court documents. Who are they?
Public figures including Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton are among the associates, friends and alleged victims named in the 900 pages unsealed on the order of a judge in New York.
Both the former US president and the British royal deny any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Many names in the documents are mentioned in passing as part of various legal proceedings, and their inclusion does not suggest wrongdoing related to Epstein.
They contain no major new allegations about Epstein nor revelations about his associates.
Epstein took his own life in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. His friend and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is serving 20 years in prison for child sex trafficking.
Who is now named in the documents?
Prince Andrew
The court papers include the testimony of Johanna Sjoberg who describes meeting Prince Andrew at Epstein’s home in New York in 2001
Her statement, which had previously been partly revealed, describes an encounter in which she claims Prince Andrew touched her breast.
Ms Sjoberg, then aged 20, had been at college when she had been recruited by Maxwell, initially she believed as an assistant before finding that she was encouraged to deliver sexual massages for Epstein, which she resisted.
Prince Andrew has rejected any wrongdoing, including in his later settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022.
In that settlement Prince Andrew had said he “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others”.
Bill Richardson
In her deposition, Ms Giuffre says she was forced to have sex with prominent figures including New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Before his death last year, Mr Richardson denied ever meeting Ms Giuffre, and he was not charged with any crime
Bill Clinton
The former US president is mentioned a number of times but there is no suggestion of any criminality.
Johanna Sjoberg, one of Prince Andrew’s accusers, testified that Epstein told her that Mr Clinton “likes them young, referring to girls”.
Mr Clinton had an affair with a 22-year-old White House intern while he was US president.
Another woman, Virginia Giuffre, who brought the lawsuit at the heart of these court documents, also mentions the American politician several times.
Although she makes no allegations against Mr Clinton, she was trying to get him to testify under oath about his relationship with Epstein, describing him as a “key person”.
She had previously said Mr Clinton visited Mr Epstein’s private island but in the court documents both Maxwell and Epstein dispute this. There is also no record in pilot logs of Mr Clinton going there.
Mr Clinton himself has said he flew on Epstein’s plane four times, including twice to Africa, because they worked together on humanitarian projects.
But those meetings took place before the financier came under investigation, he said, and he had no knowledge of his crimes.
Donald Trump
The document also includes testimony about Donald Trump from Ms Sjoberg about a diversion Epstein’s plane made to New Jersey to visit the businessman in 2001 at one of his casinos.
When pilots said their plane could not land in New York and would need to stop in Atlantic City, Epstein said he would call up Trump and drop by to see him, she said.
The documents contain no alleged wrongdoing by Mr Trump.
Ms Sjoberg is asked whether she ever gave Mr Trump a massage and she said she did not.
Michael Jackson
Ms Sjoberg said she had met the singer through Epstein, although she did not allege any wrongdoing by him.
David Copperfield
Ms Sjoberg said she had met the magician at a dinner party at Epstein’s New York home, but she did not allege any wrongdoing by him.
She recounted a conversation with Mr Copperfield under questioning by a lawyer in her deposition.
“Did Copperfield ever discuss Jeffrey’s involvement with young girls with you?” the lawyer asked, according to the court documents.
“He questioned me if I was aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls,” Sjoberg said.
Related Topics
12 October 2023
26 September 2023
27 June 2023