By: Adam Beam 1/4/2023
1/4/202 12:45 p.m.
U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who ultimately made the decision to unseal the documents, stated that this was primarily due to most of the information already being in the public sphere. She mentioned that more documents would be released in the coming days.
The released documents have addressed the names of individuals associated with the Epstein case, including the accusers, witnesses, and others present during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial.
Certain names of more prominent individuals associated with Epstein were found in boldface several times throughout the document. However, these individuals have already publicly expressed their previous connection to Epstein and have denied any wrongdoing.
Former President Donald Trump was mentioned multiple times during Johanna Sjöberg's testimony. Sjöberg recounted a time when Epstein's jet landed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to spend time at one of Trump's casinos. Sjöberg testified that Epstein had said, "Great, we’ll call up Trump and we’ll go to (the casino).” However, Sjöberg also stated that she was never asked to give Trump a massage or perform any sexual acts at that time.
Another name mentioned in the unsealed documents is the deceased French modeling agent, Jean-Luc Brunel. Brunel was allegedly a close associate of Epstein and died by suicide in a Paris jail cell while awaiting trial for charges of rape involving multiple underage girls.
In the wake of the announcement of the release of documents related to Epstein, users were quick to speculate and theorize about the possible scandalous nature of their contents. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has come under fire for falsely implying that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel would appear on the list.
Kimmel responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, to Rodgers' claims on "The Pat McAfee Show." He posted, "I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up, and we will debate the facts further in court."
1/3/2023
The first round of court documents has been unsealed in the settled lawsuit of the deceased New York financier Jeffrey Epstein. The documents are expected to reveal the names of more than 150 individuals tied to the lawsuit.
The documents, stemming from a settled case by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, were part of a civil suit involving the only convicted associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes she committed in connection with Epstein.
In the 943-page document, many names mentioned were previously addressed in the trial or revealed by media outlets. Prince Andrew was named multiple times in relation to Johanna Sjöberg. Sjöberg is one of the numerous women who came forward with accusations of abuse against Epstein. She alleges that Prince Andrew groped her breast inside Epstein's Manhattan apartment in 2001.
Sjöberg also alleges that Epstein had told her that former President Bill Clinton, referred to as Mr. Clinton by Epstein, "likes them young," in a 2016 deposition.
Maxwell testified in court that Clinton had flown several times on Epstein's private jet; however, she was unaware of how many times that was.
Names of several victims will remain redacted due to the nature of certain crimes, according to the court filings.
Epstein was indicted in 2019 on multiple charges of sex trafficking and allegedly sexually abusing dozens of young girls. Epstein committed suicide while awaiting trial at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
*This story is developing. Please check back for additional updates in the coming days.*
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