Jeffrey Epstein's court files unsealed, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew emerge as big names

https://www.wionews.com/world/jeffrey-epsteins-court-files-unsealed-prince-andrew-and-clinton-emerge-as-big-names-676343

Court documents with names of people linked to sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein were made public Wednesday (Jan 3). Former US president Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew – a member of the UK's royal family, as well as musician Michael Jackson and famed magician David Copperfield emerged as some of the big names.

A New York federal judge had earlier given orders for the release of the files as part of a lawsuit linked to Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell. She has been serving a 20-year jail prison sentence for crimes which she allegedly committed along with Epstein.

A total of 943 pages were released by the court. Some of the people named have been accused of wrongdoing and others present on the list are either potential witnesses or those making allegations.

Also read: Bill Clinton in list of 200 names linked to Jeffrey Epstein that will be released: Report

New York Judge Loretta Preska, while giving orders for making the names public, said that many of those who have been named in the lawsuit were already identified in Maxwell's criminal trial and by the media. The judge said that no objection was raised by others over the release of the documents.

'Clinton likes them young'

Ghislaine Maxwell, in a deposition, talked about Andrew's visit to Epstein’s Island which is located in the US Virgin Islands. Epstein has faced accusations of abusing many girls on this island.

“Were you present on the island when Prince Andrew visited?” the investigators asked Maxwell. Responding in affirmation, she said, “I can only remember once.” Speaking about whether any girls were present on the island at that time, Maxwell said, “There were no girls on the island at all. No girls, no women, other than the staff who work at the house.”

In one of the documents, a deposition given by Johanna Sjoberg was also included. Sjoberg was allegedly procured by Maxwell for performing sex acts on Epstein. In her deposition, Sjoberg said that Epstein “said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls”.

Also read: Explained | Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues ‘beyond the grave’. Here’s all you need to know

The files also included Maxwell's testimony which confirmed that Clinton had travelled on the private jet of Epstein but added that she was not aware how many times. In the early 2000s, Clinton travelled on Epstein's plane for humanitarian trips to Africa and the former US president also praised the sex offender, calling him a committed philanthropist.

Michael Jackson, David Copperfield's Epstein connection

Sjoberg added that Michael Jackson as well as David Copperfield visited Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion. “Did you ever meet anybody famous when you were with Jeffrey? she was quizzed. “I met Michael Jackson … at [Epstein’s] house in Palm Beach,” she said.

When questioned if she massaged Jackson, Sjoberg said: “I did not.” Talking about Copperfield, Sjoberg said that he came for dinner at one of the homes of Epstein and “he did some magic tricks”.

Watch: Joe Biden to speak at Valley Forge about US democracy

Sjoberg further replied in the affirmative when asked, “Did you observe David Copperfield to be a friend of Jeffrey Epstein’s?”

“He questioned me if I was aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls,” she added.

Epstein contacted Trump?

The document further included testimony in which Sjoberg said that she was informed by Epstein that he would contact Donald Trump while on their way to one of his casinos in New Jersey.

"Jeffrey said, 'Great, we'll call up Trump'," Sjoberg testified after it was said by the pilots that their plane could not land in New York and needed to be stopped in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

However, no alleged wrongdoing of Trump has been revealed in the documents. In 2019, Epstein was indicted on federal charges of running a sex trafficking ring in which dozens of underage girls were allegedly abused by him.

Epstein, while waiting for trial in the prison, allegedly died by suicide. Meanwhile, Maxwell was indicted by the prosecutors on sex trafficking charges.