The release of more than three million documents connected to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has reignited long-standing questions about whether his sex-trafficking operation extended beyond him and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The newly disclosed materials, made public by the US Department of Justice, contain allegations suggesting that Epstein may have trafficked girls and young women to other wealthy and influential men – despite repeated official claims that there is insufficient evidence to pursue investigations into third parties.
For years, authorities have maintained that while Epstein and Maxwell orchestrated widespread sexual abuse, evidence tying other individuals to criminal conduct was limited or unreliable. The latest disclosures, however, complicate that position. Within the documents are victim accounts, internal prosecution memoranda, and FBI presentations that appear to acknowledge allegations involving prominent figures, even as officials stopped short of substantiating them.
Several of the newly released records allege that Epstein arranged encounters between victims and other men. In one account, an accuser stated that Maxwell told her Epstein had to leave his residence but that a “friend” was staying behind and wanted a massage. According to the allegation, the man later offered money in exchange for sex. The woman said she complied and was paid.
A prosecution memorandum dated January 26, 2021, and signed by assistant US attorneys from the Southern District of New York, documented this allegation. The memo states that when the woman was shown a photograph of Harvey Weinstein, she identified the disgraced film producer as the man involved. The names of the prosecutors were redacted in the document. It remains unclear whether law enforcement ever fully investigated the claim. Weinstein, who is currently incarcerated following sexual assault convictions unrelated to Epstein, has never been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes. His representatives strongly deny the allegation, emphasizing that the document reflects unproven accusations rather than factual findings. They also assert that Weinstein was never investigated or charged in relation to Epstein.
Another document – an FBI presentation believed to have been created after July 2019 – describes a similar allegation involving Weinstein. According to the presentation, Epstein allegedly instructed an accuser to give Weinstein a massage, during which Weinstein purportedly demanded she remove her shirt and threatened her when she refused. Weinstein has denied all such claims.
The FBI presentation also includes a page titled “Prominent Names”, listing financier Leon Black among others. While the document does not state that any allegations were verified, it records claims that Epstein directed a woman to give Black a massage while he was naked and that another woman alleged Black coerced her into performing oral sex. One document in the release notes that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had begun examining allegations involving Black.
Black has never been criminally charged in relation to Epstein. Civil lawsuits filed against him have either been dismissed or withdrawn. Through his attorney, Black has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has cited an independent investigation conducted by the Dechert law firm. According to Black’s legal team, the investigation reviewed tens of thousands of documents and interviewed more than 20 witnesses, concluding that Black paid Epstein solely for legitimate financial advice and had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct.
Beyond individual allegations, the documents also revive concerns about Epstein’s possible involvement in the creation or distribution of sexual images. Maria Farmer, an artist who worked for Epstein in the mid-1990s and whose sister was abused by Epstein and Maxwell, previously alleged that Epstein stole nude photographs of her and her sibling. In a 1996 FBI report, Farmer claimed Epstein believed he could sell the images to potential buyers. Additional records released earlier suggest that Epstein and others may have shared illicit sexual images. In April 2023, a lawyer for a co-executor of Epstein’s estate contacted the FBI after encountering what appeared to be potential child sexual abuse material while reviewing Epstein’s files. The lawyer wrote that a video depicting topless women may have been shared with Epstein by someone previously convicted of a child-pornography-related offense.
Communications involving Epstein and his associates further hint at a broader network. An email released by the House Oversight Committee shows Epstein discussing “girls” and travel with an associate believed to be French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel. Brunel, who was accused of supplying underage girls to Epstein, was arrested in 2020 on charges including rape and human trafficking of minors. He died in prison in 2022 by apparent suicide.
Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, also alleged that Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to powerful men, including royalty. In civil court filings, Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew in 2001 after being introduced to him by Epstein and Maxwell. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegation. Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year.
Despite these accounts, some internal law-enforcement documents appear to downplay the extent to which Epstein trafficked victims to others. An FBI presentation includes a section labeled “Misconceptions”, stating that Epstein did not regularly prostitute victims in exchange for money. A case initiation summary recounts that while one victim told investigators she had been “lent out” to other men, other victims did not corroborate her account. Prosecutors concluded that no other victim described being directed to engage in sexual activity with third parties, with the “closest” example involving Weinstein.
Attorneys representing Epstein survivors strongly dispute that conclusion. Sigrid McCawley, a longtime lawyer for Epstein victims, argues that providing young women and girls to wealthy and influential individuals was a central component of Epstein and Maxwell’s trafficking operation. According to McCawley, these encounters were used to gain leverage and exert control over powerful figures.
Other attorneys echo that view. Jennifer Freeman, who represents Maria Farmer, says the document releases raise more questions than answers, particularly regarding missing FBI files and the redaction of alleged perpetrators’ names. Spencer Kuvin, another lawyer for Epstein victims, maintains that direct victim testimony confirms Epstein trafficked girls to notable individuals, often as favors intended to secure influence or benefits in return. While the newly released records stop short of proving criminal involvement by third parties, they underscore the persistent gap between official assertions and survivor accounts. As public scrutiny intensifies, pressure is likely to mount on authorities to explain how these allegations were handled.
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