The names of many individuals connected to Jeffrey Epstein will be revealed in the coming two weeks, after a federal judge ordered the release of several court records in the case of Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, which was settled in 2017.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ordered the release of the names of several individuals mentioned in court documents in the Giuffre case, whose names had previously been shielded and referred to only by pseudonyms.
It is unclear who will be revealed, but Preska’s list of unsealed names suggests it includes police officers, individuals mentioned in Epstein’s address book, a journalist who investigated Epstein, Epstein’s staff, and his sexual assault victims, among others.
What to Watch For
The names to be revealed in the case will not be disclosed before January 1, as Preska allowed for a two-week period from the date of her order to prepare the documents and allow those named to appeal her decisions regarding them.
Main Background
Giuffre is an alleged victim of Epstein’s trafficking and abuse, one of about 150 known victims of the disgraced mogul, who helped Maxwell facilitate his assaults. Epstein died in prison in 2019. Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation in 2015, alleging that Epstein’s associates “subjected Giuffre to public ridicule and contempt” by attempting to dismiss the victim’s claims about Epstein and portraying her as “false.” The case was settled in 2017 under undisclosed terms, although Maxwell was charged with perjury based on claims she made during her testimony in the lawsuit. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors. Giuffre then went on to file a separate lawsuit against Prince Andrew for alleged sexual assault; this case was also settled out of court in February 2022 before it could go to trial.
Note
Preska’s decision came just one day after a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday stated that the sexual abuse committed by Epstein continued even after he pleaded guilty to charges in 2008, and persisted until his 2019 arrest, a longer timeframe than previously believed. Epstein continued to exploit women – who were over 18 – and force them into sexual acts, which victim lawyers assert constitute sex trafficking. His assaults were facilitated by a “exclusive circle,” according to interviews and documents cited by the newspaper, where Epstein promised victims access to prominent individuals connected to him and suggested that he could “make or break” their career. Attorney Brittany Henderson stated, “He was using everyone around him to create this illusion of legitimacy.”
Further Reading
Unsealed Ghislaine Maxwell Documents Shed Light on Her Continued Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein Never Stopped Abusing Women—and His VIP Circle Helped Make It Possible
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