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Hundreds of pages of unsealed documents in a lawsuit involving accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were released Wednesday. The documents could contain the names of nearly 200 people, including some of Epstein’s accusers, prominent businessmen and politicians.
Much of the information has been made public through other means, such as media interviews, but this is the first time these documents filed in court have been made public through the legal system.
The document includes excerpts from the depositions of Mr. Maxwell and Mr. Giuffre. There is also a written statement from Johanna Sjöberg, who says in the document that Prince Andrew jokingly touched her breasts while taking a photo.
Although Sjöberg’s story is public, this is the first time his deposition has been made public. She sometimes worked for Epstein, and she said he sometimes pressured her to go beyond her comfort level when giving her erotic massages.
Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre previously reached an out-of-court settlement in a sexual abuse case against him, according to court documents filed by Prince Andrew’s lawyers on Tuesday. Andrew denies the charges against him.
The deposition includes references to several celebrities, including Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton, as previously reported.
In a 2016 deposition, Shoberg recalled that Epstein talked about Bill Clinton.
“At one point he said that Clinton liked young people, referring to girls,” she said.
Asked whether Mr. Clinton was a friend of Mr. Epstein, she said it was her understanding that Mr. Epstein had “deals” with Mr. Clinton.
Clinton’s press secretary acknowledged in 2019 that the former president was a passenger on Epstein’s private plane, but said Clinton had no knowledge of the investor’s “horrific crimes.”
“It has been nearly 20 years since President Clinton last had contact with Mr. Epstein,” Clinton’s press secretary told CNN on Wednesday, repeating the 2019 denial. Clinton has not been charged with any crime or wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Other records unsealed are legal motions filed by attorneys.
Much of the information has been made public through other means, such as media interviews, but this is the first time these documents filed in court have been made public through the legal system.
The newly unsealed documents include depositions from Maxwell and Giuffre, among other filings.
This is the first set of documents to be unsealed as part of a Dec. 18 court order. More are expected as part of the order.
These documents are from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American woman who alleges that Epstein sexually abused her when she was a minor and that Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, abetted the abuse. This is a filing from a settled lawsuit filed by.
Many of the victims and those involved have given public interviews and have already been identified in the media. Inclusion in a new, unedited document does not indicate fraud or violation of any law.
Some victims’ names have been redacted due to the sensitive nature of the crimes, according to court filings.
Epstein was indicted in 2019 on federal charges for running a sex trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.
Epstein died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial. New York prosecutors charged Maxwell with sex trafficking charges involving multiple victims. She was sentenced in 2021.
Contributing: CNN’s Kurt Devine, Alison Morrow and Steve Almasy.
This is breaking news. Please check the latest information.
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