(RightWing.org) – Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long crime spree and his association with well-known dignitaries and world leaders continue to spark public interest and command headlines nearly four and a half years after his death in a Brooklyn detention center. His former girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after a jury convicted her on charges related to her recruitment of girls for him and other related offenses in 2021.
On December 18, 2023, Senior United States District Judge Loretta Preska ordered the unsealing of a massive trove of documents related to a 2015 defamation lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell. The two parties settled the case in 2017, but thousands of pages of discovery remained under seal, in part to protect the deceased billionaire’s underaged victims.
Preska’s 51-page ruling listed materials related to 185 individuals listed as J. Doe (John or Jane Doe) whose identities would be revealed by the release of the documents. The judge also stayed her order for 14 days to provide “any impacted Doe” an opportunity to appeal her ruling related to documents containing references to them by name.
Federal Court Releases the First Wave of Epstein Documents
On January 3, the Court Clerk for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York released the first set of Epstein documents. The Guardian reported that the resulting “online frenzy” to obtain a copy ended up crashing the court’s website, where the files were stored, “within minutes.” But, as it turned out, the more than 900 pages of information didn’t contain much in the way of smoking gun material or big surprises.
As it turned out, media reports had already named several people designated as a numbered “J. Doe” in the documents years ago. For instance, Bill Clinton’s name appeared several times. However, his previous relationship with Epstein has been public knowledge for years. The New York Times recently reported that a spokesperson for his office said the former president didn’t object to the release of documents that mentioned him by name.
That being said, one tidbit of information could cause problems for Clinton. The material released by the court included the 2016 deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, one of Epstein’s victims. Giuffre’s attorney asked if Epstein had ever spoken to her about Clinton. She responded that Epstein had mentioned that “Clinton likes them young, referring to girls.”
Overall, most of the Epstein documents were excerpts from Epstein’s accusers describing his abuse and various legal motions. Although they added some background information to the relationships Epstein maintained with Clinton and other public figures like Prince Andrew, the files didn’t list famous men who used him to have intimate relations with teenage girls and young women.
It remains unclear how long it might take for the court clerk’s office to release the remaining files or if they contain any important revelations.
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