A new trove of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse case has been released, offering further insights into his extensive network of elite connections.
This second wave of documents, comprising around 300 pages, supplements the over 900 pages previously made public.
The papers, unsealed on Thursday, don't offer extensive new information about Epstein's trafficking of young girls and women. However, they include discussions about accuser Virginia Giuffre’s medical records and part of a deposition from a medical provider.
Significantly, the documents contain an email exchange between Giuffre and journalist Sharon Churcher, who was aiding Giuffre's pursuit of a book deal.
In these 2011 emails, Churcher mentions concerns about Vanity Fair's stance in a story involving Epstein. Giuffre then makes an unsubstantiated claim about Bill Clinton threatening Vanity Fair over a story on Epstein, a claim which Vanity Fair writer John Connolly and editor Graydon Carter have denied.
Despite these denials, NPR reported in 2019 that Epstein had threatened Carter years before when Vanity Fair considered covering allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Vicky Ward, who wrote a 2003 piece on Epstein for Vanity Fair, claimed she had spoken to two of Epstein's accusers on the record, but her editor said Ward's sourcing wasn't legally sufficient for publication. Connolly, in contrast, suggested a more sinister turn when he claimed a dead cat had been left outside Carter's house in 2006, leading to fears for his children’s safety.
Among the newly unsealed documents is a deposition excerpt from an unidentified Epstein accuser who recalls being recruited for massages while in high school. She admits to bringing other high-school girls to Epstein and says he asked her to live with him as a teenager.
The documents originate from Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking and similar charges for procuring teen girls for Epstein. Although thousands of pages from the lawsuit have been public, some sections were previously redacted due to privacy concerns.
These latest unsealings include references to high-profile figures such as Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, and David Copperfield, though many named are not accused of sexual misconduct. The documents highlight Epstein's vast and powerful network before he faced public accusations of sexual abuse of underage girls.
Furthermore, the documents suggest Epstein often boasted about relationships with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, claims which appear to have been exaggerated.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges and was found dead in his jail cell in August of the same year; his death was ruled a suicide. The ongoing release of these documents continues to unveil the scale of Epstein’s connections, reshaping public understanding of his interactions with global elites.
