Jeffrey Epstein list: Who's on it and what does it mean
A lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein names celebrities, politicians and billionaires possibly affiliated with the convicted sex offender. The "list" of names has caused a renewed interest in the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
Here's which names have been revealed so far, and what it means.
What is the Epstein list?
Jeffrey Epstein's "list" refers to the names of nearly 200 friends, associates, victims and opponents of Epstein procured from hundreds of court filings released this week. The newly unsealed documents are part of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier's former girlfriend who was convicted in December 2021 for sex trafficking and procuring teen girls for Epstein.
Prior to the unsealing, the names were listed in court papers as variants of J Doe.
The figures whose names are mentioned in the files released by a federal court have not been charged with any crime. Their inclusion in this list only constitutes a possible association with Epstein and/or Maxwell as a witness, victim, plaintiff, or as a business or social contact.
When was the Epstein list released?
The list, or rather, the court documents, were released Wednesday. More documents, and names, are expected to be released Thursday.
Who is on the Epstein list?
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are mentioned in the Epstein-related court filings, revealing they had both flown on the financier's plane. Neither are currently charged with any crimes related to Epstein.
Clinton, who sometimes flew aboard Epstein's private plane, is listed repeatedly in the documents. One document includes a deposition given by Johanna Sjoberg, an alleged victim of Epstein's, who said that Epstein “said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls.”
Sjoberg's deposition also mentioned Prince Andrew, a member of the British royal family.
Trump's name appears in a document in which Epstein is quoted as saying he would invite the then-real estate mogul to join him at a casino. In another document, Sjoberg said she was never asked to perform sexual acts on Trump.
Others named include billionaire hedge fund founder Glenn Dubin, high-powered fashion CEO Les Wexner and late modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.
Flight records for Epstein's private plane were among the unsealed documents, revealing notable names including supermodel Naomi Campbell, actor Kevin Spacey and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.
Several other high-profile celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey have been accused online of being named on the flight log. However, no published reports nor flight records make mention of Teigen, DeGeneres or Winfrey.
Who is Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was a financier, millionaire and convicted sex offender. He owned his own financial consulting firm and was known for associating with high-profile people and clients, such as celebrities, politicians and billionaires.
Epstein was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. He agreed to plead guilty to one charge involving a single victim, despite dozens of other girls coming forward to describe similar abuse. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but served almost 13 and was granted "work-release" privileges early on.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. Ongoing accusations indicate the financier also abused minors on his private island "Little St. James" in the United States Virgin Islands. He died by suicide Aug. 10, 2019, in his jail cell while awaiting trial.
What is Epstein's island and what did he use it for?
Little St. James, a roughly 70-acre private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands also called "Epstein's Island," was owned by Epstein from 1998 until his death in 2019.
Epstein had a residency on the island and traveled there with friends. The disgraced financier's alleged victims have claimed sexual abuse and trafficking happened on the island. Under Epstein's ownership, the island gained notorious nicknames including the "Island of Sin" and "Pedophile Island."
Billionaire Stephen Deckoff, through his firm SD Investments, bought Little St. James and its neighbor Great St. James islands for $60 million in May.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jeffrey Epstein: Who was he? What is Epstein's list?
