Latest news with #Jeffrey Epstein
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
The Epstein saga: Key moments from sex trafficking charges to Trump's legal battle
NEW YORK, July 20 — Jeffrey Epstein, the abuser at the centre of a conspiracy theory creating political headwinds for President Donald Trump, was facing federal charges of sex trafficking underage girls when he was found dead in his New York prison cell. Six years later, the death of the wealthy and well-connected financier continues to reverberate, leaving major questions unanswered. Here is a breakdown of the legal cases and recent developments surrounding Epstein: Florida case Epstein's first serious trouble with the law came in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old told police he had molested their daughter at his Florida estate. Epstein avoided federal charges — which could have seen him face life in prison — through a controversial plea deal with prosecutors. In June 2008, he pleaded guilty to state felony charges of procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. He was jailed for just under 13 months and required to register as a sex offender. New York sex trafficking A federal grand jury in New York charged Epstein on July 2, 2019 with two felony counts: conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minor girls and sex trafficking of minor girls. He was arrested four days later but was found dead in his prison cell on August 10, before the case came to trial. His death was ruled a suicide. The grand jury indictment accused Epstein of having 'sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls,' some as young as 14, at his Manhattan mansion and Palm Beach estate. Epstein and employees and associates recruited girls 'to engage in sex acts with him, after which he would give the victims hundreds of dollars in cash,' it said. Epstein also paid his victims to provide him with other girls, the indictment said, creating a 'vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit.' The indictment did not name the employees or associates who recruited girls for Epstein. But British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's one-time girlfriend and assistant, was convicted in 2021 in New York with sex trafficking of minors on his behalf. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. The memo Trump's conspiracy-minded supporters have been obsessed with the Epstein case for years and Trump, during his latest presidential campaign, said he would 'probably' release what have come to be known as the 'Epstein files.' They were outraged when the Justice Department and FBI announced on July 7 that Epstein had indeed committed suicide, did not blackmail any prominent figures and did not keep a 'client list.' The 'exhaustive review' also did not reveal any illegal wrongdoing by 'third-parties,' the joint memo said, adding that there would be no further disclosure of information about the case. The memo sparked a fierce backlash from Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement — which has long held as an article of faith that 'deep state' elites were protecting powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood. Right-wing supporters typically did not include former Epstein friend Trump in their conspiracy theories. Trump and Epstein The 79-year-old Trump, who was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, has been seeking — unsuccessfully so far — to tamp down the uproar caused by the FBI memo putting a lid on the case. No evidence has emerged of any wrongdoing by Trump, but The Wall Street Journal published details yesterday of a raunchy letter he purportedly sent Epstein in 2003 to mark his 50th birthday. The president yesterday sued Dow Jones, News Corp, two Wall Street Journal reporters and the newspaper's owner Rupert Murdoch, for libel and slander in relation to the article. He is seeking at least US$10 billion in damages in a defamation lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami. Trump also ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of the grand jury testimony in Epstein's New York case. In a filing in New York, Bondi cited 'extensive public interest' for the unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony. — AFP
The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
Ghislaine Maxwell's brother fears she will be KILLED in jail ‘like Epstein'… as he vows to free sex trafficker sister
GHISLAINE Maxwell's brother is afraid she will be killed in prison "like Jeffrey Epstein". Ian Maxwell, 68, is hoping to get his convicted sex trafficker sister out of jail using new evidence. 6 6 6 Ian said he fears for her life behind bars in Tallahassee's federal prison, and warned she's no longer safe inside the overcrowded facility. Worried about her every day, he told the Daily Mail: 'There's such overcrowding in Tallahassee that higher-category prisoners are being placed there and it's becoming a facility that is more dangerous – we've got to get her out of there. 'Normally she spends a lot of time in the prison library helping other prisoners with things like form filling, but she has to go from A to B and isn't always surrounded by guards. 'It's a possibility someone might get to her. I don't want to be dramatic but you can't discount it. Look what happened to Epstein.' Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein lure underage girls into a web of abuse stretching back to the 1990s. During her three-week trial in 2021, jurors heard prosecutors describe Maxwell as "dangerous". While her legal appeals have been thrown out by multiple courts, Ian insists the fight is far from over to get the disgraced British socialite out. The brother revealed her legal team is plotting a last-ditch effort involving new evidence and an explosive habeas corpus filing. He admitted hopes that the US Supreme Court will hear her case are slim. 'It's not a done deal,' he said. 'About 10,000 petitions are lodged each year and they only hear 200 to 250 cases.' But if that fails, the family says they'll take another legal route. 'If they don't hear Ghislaine's case… we will go another route and file a writ of habeas corpus which allows a prisoner to challenge their imprisonment on the basis of new evidence, such as government misconduct.' The family have long argued Maxwell was made a scapegoat for Epstein's crimes and treated harshly to satisfy public outrage after the convicted paedophile died in his cell in 2019. 'I fully believe my sister is innocent and that she will be released some day in the future,' Ian said. The Maxwell family has consistently claimed she was denied a fair trial. And now they're reportedly banking on a controversial 2007 agreement Epstein struck with the Department of Justice to shield his co-conspirators from prosecution. In a recent statement, the family said: 'Our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial. 'Her legal team continues to fight her case in the courts and will file its reply in short order to the government's opposition in the US Supreme Court. 'If necessary, in due course they will also file a writ of habeas corpus in the U.S. District Court, SDNY. 'This allows her to challenge her imprisonment based on new evidence, such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome.' 6 6 Judges have already rejected the defence team's claim that she "should never have been prosecuted" because of the "weird" 2007 plea deal, but the family appears undeterred. It also comes amid reports that Maxwell is pursuing a pardon from Donald Trump, following the closure of the US probe into Epstein's death and financial dealings. A source close to Maxwell exclusively told The Sun on Sunday there's a 'window of momentum' in her favor. The insider said: 'Those close to her believe it's unfair that she alone is paying for Epstein's crimes and call into question much of the evidence against her. 'Now her legal team feel as if they have a rare window of momentum so they are set to take up her case with the President.' Meanwhile, renewed political pressure is mounting over the unresolved mysteries surrounding Epstein's sick empire. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden has claimed a 'big' Epstein file 'full of actionable information' is gathering dust in the Treasury Department — information that could shine more light on the financier's global sex trafficking network. 'Somewhere in the Treasury Department… locked away in a cabinet drawer, is a big Epstein file that's full of actionable information,' Wyden said on the Senate floor. He has urged federal authorities to investigate nearly $1.1 billion in suspicious wire transfers linked to Epstein, as well as his connections to Russian banks and the trafficking of women from Eastern Europe. Although the Biden administration has dismissed claims of hidden records as 'fantasies' and 'political theatre,' calls for transparency around Epstein's finances and ties to powerful individuals continue to grow. 6
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most Americans think Trump administration is covering up evidence in Epstein case, new poll finds
Most Americans think the Trump administration is covering up evidence in the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's federal case, according to a new poll. A poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov from July 11 to 14 found 67 percent of Americans believe the government is hiding evidence related to the late financier, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges related to the sexual abuse of dozens of minor girls. He had pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. After Epstein's death — which the Justice Department and FBI confirmed was a suicide in a memo released earlier this month — conspiracy theories swirled about the late financier's life, including the powerful people who are speculated to have partaken in his crimes. Conspiracy theorists also weren't convinced Epstein killed himself. The feds' memo also said there was never any Epstein client list and, 'There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.' Most Americans think the Trump administration is covering up evidence in convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's federal case, according to a new poll () Only 8 percent of respondents in the new poll believe the government is not covering up evidence about Epstein, while 25 percent are unsure. When asked if the government should release all documents relating to the feds' Epstein case, 79 percent of respondents said it should. Only 5 percent said the government shouldn't release the files, and 17 percent were unsure. The feds' memo sparked backlash from Trump's base, who were promised the Epstein files. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News evidence of a client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News evidence of a client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review' () When the feds' evidence came up short, people started to ask questions. 'They've got videotape and all a sudden they don't,' Podcaster Joe Rogan said on his show Tuesday. Rogan name-dropped Bondi, saying, 'Why'd they say there was thousands of hours of tapes of people doing horrible s***? Why'd they say that? Didn't [Attorney General] Pam Bondi say that?' Bondi told reporters in May, 'There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn and there are hundreds of victims,' according to the Miami Herald. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges related to the sexual abuse of dozens of minor girls (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP) The feds' memo said there was 'a large volume of images of Epstein, images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors, and over ten thousand downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography.' But the memo fell short of incriminating anyone else who may have been associated with Epstein. Trump had socialized with Epstein decades ago when he was a New York real estate mogul. The president was accused of being on Epstein's client list by tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose relationship with the president turned sour after his short stint at the White House, leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk did not provide any evidence to prove Trump was on any suspected list. Trump had socialized with Epstein decades ago when he was a New York real estate mogul (NBC News) House Democrats tried to advance a procedural motion that would have cleared the way for lawmakers to vote to release the Epstein files, but Republicans blocked it on Tuesday. When asked about the memo at a recent Cabinet meeting, Trump said, 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years.' 'I mean, I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration,' Trump said, referring to the July 4 flooding disaster along the Guadalupe River. Trump defended Bondi to reporters Tuesday, saying she handled the review of the Epstein files 'very well.' When asked if his name appeared in any documents, he said, 'No.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Jr.'s Denial Of Daddy's Doodles Fails Miserably
Donald Trump Jr. attempted to step up for his dad Friday morning, but ended up stepping in something else instead― metaphorically, that is. After The Wall Street Journal published a story revealing new details about PresidentDonald Trump's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the president declared the story to be fake news in a post on his Truth Social platform. 'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures,' the president insisted in the post. Many MAGA fans tried to defend their fearless leader by claiming they can't imagine him using 'enigma,' a word The Wall Street Journal reports he used in a birthday message to Epstein. Trump Jr. defended his father with a post on X, in which he claimed his father 'has a very specific way of speaking' and insisted 'the insanity written in the Wall Street Journal AIN'T IT and everyone knows it.' He added that 'in 47 years, I've never seen him doodle once.' My father has a very specific way of speaking. People all over the world have mimicked it for decades. The insanity written in the Wall Street Journal, AIN'T IT and everyone knows it. Also in 47 years I've never seen him doodle once. Give me a break with the fake 'journalisming' — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 18, 2025 Sadly for Trump Jr., his loyalty wasn't as strong as his ability to self-own in embarrassing, easily preventable ways. You see, many folks on X were able to quickly find 'receipts' that contradicted Trump Jr.'s dubious claims in his attempt to dismiss the Journal's reporting. Donald Trump's drawings span several years, with known pieces created in the late 1990's and early to mid-2000's. Some sketches were produced for charity auctions in 2003, 2004, 2005, and a George Washington Bridge drawing in — Maile (@MaileOnX) July 18, 2025 lol he was a MASTER DOODLER, in fact, it's the one thing in life he was genuinely talented at — Stefanie Iris Weiss 🔥⚡️🇺🇦 (@EcoSexuality) July 18, 2025 'Carson is an enigma to me' — Olga Lautman 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@OlgaNYC1211) July 18, 2025 Interesting what you say that is false. — Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) July 18, 2025 He never doodles — L King (@71Elvis77) July 18, 2025 Here is another… — BerserkerChilla (@2PercentChilla) July 18, 2025 Roflmao. He does doodle and he even uses big words sometimes, but in this case he probably just signed what someone drew for him (maybe ask ghislaine aunty, she probably knows) 😁 — omar ali (@omarali50) July 18, 2025 Have you read your father's books? — Berk (@AwayBerk) July 18, 2025 Aren't these your dads 'doodles' he sold? — Lisa Christine •. (@lisachristinect) July 18, 2025 Related... Trump Once Gave Epstein A Racy Birthday Card With A Strange Note: Report Trump Lashes Out At Rupert Murdoch Over WSJ Epstein Bombshell Fox News Reporter Finally Asks Karoline Leavitt What We're All Thinking About 'Epstein Hoax'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
DAN HODGES: This one line in Donald Trump's squalid birthday letter to Epstein could end him. No wonder he's claiming it's a scam
If you believe Donald Trump, the letter published today in the Wall Street Journal, purporting to be from him to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is 'fake news'. According to the report, the message – prepared for Epstein's 50th birthday – 'featured several lines of typewritten text framed by what appeared to be a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman'. It is also said to include the cryptic comment: 'We have certain things in common Jeffrey.' Trump is threatening to sue. And his allies have already been despatched to angrily defend the President. 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter b******t,' Vice President JD Vance raged. 'Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?'
