Court documents reveal names of powerful men allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein

The image dated March 28, 2017, sourced from the New York State Sex Offender Register reveals Jeffrey Epstein. (New York State Sex Offender Register via AP) AP concealed caption. Court records made available for public scrutiny on Wednesday revealed a list of several influential men supposedly associated with the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019. The files were unsealed by Federal Judge Loretta Preska in Manhattan, revealing several individuals described as associates, affiliates, or victims of Epstein in a 2015 civil lawsuit. Among the named individuals are former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, magician David Copperfield, Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, actor Kevin Spacey, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, the late New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former Vice President Al Gore, among others.

Though these influential figures are named in the documents, it does not necessarily imply they're subject to allegations or evidence of any misconduct. Their associations with Epstein were previously known due to past legal proceedings or media disclosures. Most of them have publicly rejected any knowledge of Epstein's illicit activities.

These documents bring out finer details of a case that has drawn immense public attention while presenting lurid accusations about these influential figures. Federal prosecutors have claimed that Epstein, a private financier for a confidential list of affluent clients, had also established an illegal underage sex trafficking ring in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. Allegedly, Epstein fashioned a strategy to exploit vulnerable young females, some as young as 14, from around 1994 to 2004. Some victims have later claimed in civil lawsuits that Epstein had instructed them to engage in sexual activities with powerful men.

According to a lawsuit filed in 2014, Epstein supposedly organized sexual encounters for several influential American politicians, CEOs, foreign presidents, a renowned Prime Minister, and other global leaders. These documents were part of a 2015 civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre who believed she was one of Epstein's underage victims.

The documents released by Judge Preska indicate alleged relations and associations between Epstein and these famous figures. After his suicide in 2019, Epstein's case sparked a collection of conspiracy theories. Even today, it is evident that Epstein's criminal activities occurred in close range of some of the world's influential figures and institutions.

Amidst the scandal, former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned abruptly in 2019 due to questions regarding his negotiation of a federal non-prosecution deal for Epstein. The Justice Department reported that Acosta played an essential role in negotiating a deal for Epstein in 2008 that prevented him from facing federal sex trafficking charges. In February 2022, Prince Andrew reached a settlement agreement with Giuffre, expressing his regret over his association with Epstein and made a sizeable donation to Giuffre's charity for victims' rights. JP Morgan also agreed to pay about $290 million to a settlement fund for victims after serving Epstein as his primary bank for over 15 years. Aspects of this story were contributed by NPR's David Gura and Ximena Bustillo.