Jeffrey Epstein cultivated a network of accomplices and associates over a period of decades and as the wheels of justice turn, that web is becoming clearer.
These newly unsealed court documents name dozens of his associates, though many of them are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Michael Jackson, for instance, is named by one victim as having been seen at Epstein’s mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, but there is no suggestion that he was there for nefarious reasons. Donald Trump – whose association with Epstein has been reported previously – is also referred to on occasion in the documents, but is not accused of anything untoward.
There was a frenzied anticipation about the names of Epstein associates – previously John and Jane Does – being unredacted. Far-right conspiracy theorists see Epstein as the key to proving that elite Democrats comprise a secret paedophile cabal. But anyone hoping for, or expecting, a list of celebrity paedophiles will have been sorely disappointed.
Many of the names were already known because of years of reporting on Epstein’s crimes and other court cases, both criminal and civil. Where Epstein’s story is retold, Prince Andrew is never far away. This was the first time a deposition by Johanna Sjoberg had been made public, though the allegation that he groped her while playing with a Spitting Image puppet of himself was already known. The prince previously denied the claims.
What is clear from these documents is how at ease Epstein was with an array of politicians, celebrities and royalty, all the while becoming one of the most notorious paedophiles in US legal history.
For those individuals, even if they are not explicitly accused of any wrongdoing, any reminder of their link to him is cause to squirm.
