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Documents from the third round of litigation involving convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison before he could stand trial on federal sex trafficking charges, were released Friday.
Friday’s release included more than 1,000 pages of documents as of mid-afternoon, with more expected to be released following hundreds of pages already unsealed Wednesday and Thursday. has been done.
The unsealed documents reveal that Virginia Roberts, an American woman who alleges that Mr. Epstein sexually abused her when she was a minor, and that Mr. Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, abetted the abuse. It is part of a 2015 civil defamation lawsuit filed by Giuffre. This week’s unsealing follows a court order issued by the judge overseeing the case on Dec. 18 in response to media legal efforts to release the documents publicly.
The total document, which includes material not yet sealed, is expected to include nearly 200 names, including some of Epstein’s accusers, prominent businessmen and politicians, and potentially more. includes more names.
CNN is reviewing the documents.
Jeffrey Epstein’s former employees detailed a number of prominent and influential people in Epstein’s circle, including two former presidents, in a 2009 deposition unsealed Friday. Told.
Juan Alessi told his lawyers that he had dinner with former President Donald Trump in Epstein’s Palm Beach kitchen and met former President Bill Clinton on Epstein’s plane. According to his affidavit, he also said he met Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at his home in Palm Beach.
Alessi also said he met a foreign beauty queen and an unknown Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, according to the document.
Asked Wednesday about the appearance of Clinton’s name on an earlier unsealed document, a spokeswoman for Clinton reiterated her 2019 statement that she flew on Epstein’s private plane. Mr. Clinton said he knew nothing about the financier’s “horrible crimes.”
“Nearly 20 years have passed since President Clinton last had contact with Mr. Epstein,” the spokesperson said. Mr. Clinton has not been charged with any crime or wrongdoing related to Mr. Epstein.
Mr. Trump has not been charged with any crime or wrongdoing regarding Mr. Epstein. Trump’s press secretary responded earlier this week by attacking the media when asked about Trump’s name appearing in newly unsealed documents.
Previous document releases included information about Epstein’s associates and accusers, much of which had previously been reported in various media outlets or made public through other court proceedings.
Giuffre and Maxwell settled their civil lawsuit in 2017, but some court documents remained sealed until now.
Most of the documents in the case were unsealed in 2019, the day before Epstein died by suicide in prison.
Epstein was indicted in 2019 on federal charges for running a sex trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.
Epstein died in prison while awaiting trial. New York prosecutors charged Maxwell with sex trafficking charges involving multiple victims. She was sentenced in 2021.
This is breaking news. Please check the latest information.
Contributors: CNN’s Riley Gutierrez-McDiarmid, Kara Scannell and Kurt Devine.
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