Jeffrey Epstein, a prolific businessman, was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute in July 2006. Before Epstein was arrested he worked in finance and started his own firm. Epstein was very wealthy and owned multiple private islands, a jet, a house in Palm Beach, a ranch and many other properties. He was friends with many celebrities and wealthy individuals including Prince Andrew and former president Donald Trump. Ghislane Maxwell was romantically involved with Epstein in the early 90s and was involved with his criminal charges.
Epstein pleaded guilty to two felony prostitution charges, resulting in 18 months in prison, and paid restitution to three dozen victims identified by the FBI. He also had to register as a sex offender. He died in jail on August 10, 2019, after 35 days. Ghislane Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping Epstein run his teen sex trafficking ring, a much harsher punishment than Epstein.
Epstein and Maxwell underwent many rounds of depositions, which are being made public now. In the depositions, any act of sexual nature was referred to as a massage. In an article from CBS they wrote, “In the deposition, Recarey states that he interviewed around 30 girls who were either asked to or gave massages at Epstein’s home”(CBS). These depositions also implicated many public figures in a negative light. Some individuals mentioned in the depositions were Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking, Michael Jackson, and David Copperfield.
Epstein’s sex trafficking ring was run mostly through his private island in the British Virgin Islands. After Epstein was convicted his properties were seized. His island in the BVI had a very unusual structure atop it. The building was blue-striped and had a golden dome atop it. There are many speculation theories about this structure, like that it was the location of many unorthodox religious practices or that it was where Epstein’s illegal activities took place.
During Epstein’s deposition, he did not say much. A Forbes article highlighted this, “199. That’s the number of times Jeffrey Epstein pleaded the fifth during his deposition by Giuffre’s lawyers in September 2016, exercising his constitutional right preventing self-incrimination”(Forbes). Epstein could not say much because every question in the deposition would incriminate himself if he told the truth.
Many of the names mentioned in the depositions have nothing to do with Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. These names were listed because Epstein flew many people on his plane and had many visitors to his house and private islands. However, some names mentioned on the list had very strong implications.
One of the names mentioned many times was Bill Clinton. Clinton was friends with Epstein and flew on his private jet frequently. In an article about the deposition, CBS said, “Clinton’s name also came up in Sjoberg’s deposition. She did not accuse him of any wrongdoing, but said that Epstein told her “one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls”(CBS). Clinton has since denied all allegations and has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Clinton has also not had any contact with Epstein in the last 20 years.
Another one of the names mentioned frequently in the depositions was Prince Andrew. The Prince settled a lawsuit in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. He and Epstein were charged by Virginia Giuffre for sexually abusing her as a teen. Another woman also came forward and said that the Prince groped her. However, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying these charges were “categorically untrue.”
Stephen Hawking was also mentioned in relation to multiple illegal activities. In an article written by The Guardian about Epstein’s deposition it said, “Epstein told Maxwell to offer a reward to any of Giuffre’s “friends, acquaintances, family” who could prove false an allegation that Hawking had participated in an “underage orgy”(The Guardian). Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018 and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Many more documents are being released involved with the Epstein depositions. All of the documents and names will be released on January 22, 2024.