Camilla Jessen
Epstein calls himself ‘tier one’ offender in resurfaced interview.
A previously unseen video has emerged from a large release of US justice records, reviving scrutiny of a figure whose crimes continue to reverberate years after his death.
The footage was released as part of a wider tranche of files unsealed by the US Department of Justice, according to reporting cited in multiple outlets.
The video shows Jeffrey Epstein in a long sit-down interview with an off-camera interviewer, discussing money, ethics and his own criminal status.
The interview ranges across topics, including Epstein’s wealth and his insistence that his fortune should not be judged through the lens of his crimes.
‘Dirty money’ exchange
When asked directly, “Is your money dirty money?” Epstein replies: “No, it’s not.” Pressed on why, he says: “Because I earned it.”
He goes on to describe ethics as “always a complicated subject,” before referencing charitable donations he claimed to have made to support polio eradication efforts in Pakistan and India.
The interviewer challenges him with a hypothetical about aid recipients discovering the source of the money.
Epstein responds: “I would say everyone said, ‘I want the money for my children.’”
Criminal status addressed
The conversation turns more direct when Epstein is questioned about how he should be classified.
Asked, “What are you, a class three sexual predator?” he responds: “Tier one.”
When the interviewer asks if that is “the highest and worst,” Epstein replies: “No, I said I’m the lowest.” The interviewer then clarifies: “But a criminal.” Epstein answers: “Yes.”
According to NJ Criminal Law Firms, Tier 1 classification is used for offenders assessed as a relatively low risk of reoffending, with law enforcement notified of their status.
Moral confrontation
Later, the interviewer invokes religious imagery, asking whether Epstein views himself as evil.
After a hypothetical involving “the devil himself,” Epstein is asked: “Do you think you’re the devil himself?”
He replies: “No, but I do have a good mirror.”
When pressed again, he adds: “I don’t know. Why would you say that?” before concluding: “The devil scares me.”
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to solicitation charges involving a minor and died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sexual-trafficking charges.
The DOJ release includes hours of material that had not previously been made public.
Sources: US Department of Justice, NJ Criminal Law Firms, Unilad
