A settlement was reached Tuesday in a longstanding case against Jeffrey Epstein, a politically well-connected billionaire accused of raping and trafficking dozens of underage girls.
The deal, struck just before jury selection was to begin, means that none of Epstein’s victims will have to testify. Epstein, 65, allegedly operated a sex ring at his mansion in Palm Beach, Fla., a residence in New York City, and his private 72-acre Virgin Islands home, sometimes referred to as “Orgy Island.”
Alex Acosta, now Secretary of Labor, has come under pressure this week to account for his actions as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida a decade ago when he allowed Epstein to reach a deal involving just over a year in jail. Acosta later acknowledged that “some may feel that the prosecution should have been tougher.”
Epstein was closely connected to former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II, reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Both flew frequently on Epstein’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express.” President Trump was Epstein’s neighbor in Palm Beach and a former friend. He also flew on Epstein’s plane.
Bradley Edwards, an attorney representing some of Epstein’s victims, was sued by Epstein over his methods during the initial trial. That case was dropped, but Edwards counter-sued, alleging that Epstein was trying to damage his reputation by suing him. On Tuesday a lawyer for Epstein read an apology to Edwards as part of a financial deal to settle the matter.
In 2007, Epstein reached an agreement with federal prosecutors led by Acosta, in which he pleaded guilty to the charges, served 13 months in prison, became a registered sex offender, and paid restitution to the victims identified in the investigation. By doing this, Epstein avoided a prison sentence of a decade if he had been found guilty at trial.
“For a man that was a multi-millionaire, if not billionaire at the time, he was able to buy his way out of what should have been a life sentence,” said Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represents three women who alleged Epstein took them to his home in Palm Beach when they were underage and forced them to engage in sexual acts with him.
In a statement read in court Tuesday, Epstein said: “While Mr. Edwards was representing clients against me, I filed a lawsuit against him in which I made allegations about him that the evidence conclusively proves were absolutely false. The truth was that his aggressive investigation and litigation style was highly effective and therefore troublesome for me.”
The statement continued, “I am now admitting that I was wrong and that the things I said to try to harm Mr. Edwards’s reputation as a trial lawyer were false. I sincerely apologize for the false and hurtful allegations I made and hope some forgiveness for may acknowledgment of wrongdoing.”
According to a prosecution memo from a decade ago, Epstein “would recruit underage females to travel to his home in Palm Beach to engage in lewd conduct in exchange for money. … Some went there as much as 100 times or more. Some of the women’s conduct was limited to performing a topless or nude massage while Mr. Epstein masturbated himself. For other women, the conduct escalated to full sexual intercourse.”
The Miami Herald reported last week that, based on court documents and additional records, there were approximately 80 victims. More than two dozen women have sued Epstein. He has paid $5.5 million to settle with three of them, and there are at least two cases still pending against him.
Court documents obtained by Fox News in 2016 showed that Clinton took at least 26 trips on Epstein’s private jet. His Secret Service detail was not on some of the journeys. Authorities who searched the trash outside Epstein’s home at the time found a receipt for the books SlaveCraft: Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude — Principles, Skills and Tools and Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners.
Epstein’s friends have included television anchors Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos, comedienne Chelsea Handler, and director Woody Allen. In September 2002, Epstein flew Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey, and comedian Chris Tucker to Africa in his jet. Epstein’s lawyers included Kenneth Starr, the independent prosecutor who investigated Clinton, and Alan Dershowitz, who this week said he still occasionally advises him.
In 2002, Trump said of Epstein: “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Prince Andrew was accused of having sex with one of Epstein’s circle of young women, which he denied, and remained friends with Epstein until 2010. It was later revealed that Epstein loaned the prince’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, $24,000 to pay off debts. There has been no evidence that Trump engaged in underage sex activities or knew of Epstein’s crimes.
