At the White House on Feb. 27 three conservative influencers proudly held aloft binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase I.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed a bold new era, with the government “commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
Yet the files revealed nothing new. A month later, FBI agents were reported to be “working around the clock, some in 12-hour overnight shifts” to get further evidence ready for release.
The public felt finally basic questions about pedophile financier Epstein – found dead after hanging himself in his prison cell amid extraordinary circumstances in August 2019 – may be answered.
Then on Monday the Department of Justice pumped the brakes with a surprising statement, saying there will be no Phase II.
“As part of our commitment to transparency,” the DOJ and FBI joint statement began, before describing how the agencies have concluded from thorough research of the available material Epstein took his own life, had no “client list” and there was no evidence of him blackmailing anyone. Crucially, they said no more data would be released.
The same letter noted authorities had found “more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence,” but claimed none of it, not one document, was suitable for the public.
Sadly, with that the public’s chances of ever knowing the truth rapidly diminished.
Epstein’s former lawyer, confidant and personal friend Alan Dershowitz said he would like to see all the shackles removed from the files, secrets and all.
“Every item of evidence should be revealed,” he told The Post Tuesday. “Everything. There should be no secrets.
“I know personally of people who were named as having sex inappropriately whose names have never been released.”
Backlash was also swift from Rogan “DC Draino” O’Hanley – one of those pictured holding “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” outside the White House in February.
“This is a shameful coverup to protect the most heinous elites,” he tweeted.
Trump, appearing incensed, batted away questions about Epstein at a Tuesday cabinet meeting, saying talking about the “creep” was a waste of time.
One of the few things revealed in the February files was a list of around 140 items seized by authorities from raids of Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands.
It included more than nine hard drives, thumb drives, various desktop computers, CDs and various other digital media.
No content from any tech device, phone or computer owned by Epstein has ever been disclosed, despite repeated requests from various news outlets, including the New York Post.
“I understand that a lot of it is inappropriate, a lot of it is underage pornography, etc., but there have to be things that are relevant that can be released,” said Eric Lerner, an attorney who represented Jennifer Araoz. She had accused Epstein of sexually abusing her as a teenager when he was alive then sued his estate upon his death.
“It’s very disappointing,” he added. “Pam Bondi had the complete file. She was going to release it and this administration was going to be different than the last administration.
“[But] so far, it’s a bunch of the same … He clearly had a client list; there’s no question about that. For them to not be releasing the client list is very suspicious,” said a flabbergasted sounding Lerner.
Online sources have speculated information may be suppressed by government agencies to protect themselves — given Epstein had been a sex offender since 2008 but was still traveling around the world, and abusing young girls and women with apparent impunity. The DOJ’s Jul. 7 note states there were over 1,000 victims of Epstein’s crimes.
It has also previously been stated certain materials were not being released in case they jeopardized the conviction of Epstein’s right hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of procuring victims for him to abuse in 2022 and sentenced to 20 years. She is currently appealing her sentence from prison in Florida.
As someone who has spent thousands of hours researching Jeffrey Epstein on behalf of Araoz, Lerner thinks he knows another reason info may be suppressed.
Asked if it has anything to do with Epstein’s alleged ties to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, Lerner replied, “I do. There’s no question that Ghislaine Maxwell’s father [publishing magnate Robert Maxwell] was an Israeli agent.
“And who was Epstein closest to in the world? Ghislaine. Israel was very important to him. My personal opinion is that Epstein was intelligence, either for the US or for Israel. More likely for Israel.”
But one thing Lerner is clear on: “I don’t think he spied on America.”
It’s come out that Epstein had a Saudi Arabian passport in his safe and also held an Austrian passport. Multiple sources told The Post they are not surprised to hear it. One source claimed Epstein “liked to have passports from all over the world, just to show how closely connected he was to people.”
As he largely was during his life, Epstein remains aloof in death. Even a satisfactory answer as to how he went from schoolteacher and failed investment banker to multimillionaire financier for Victoria’s Secret boss Leslie Wexner has never been established.
Those left who may be able to provide answers are few. Ghislaine has never given anything away during or post trial. Epstein’s personal lawyer and executor of his estate Darren Indyke is able to use attorney-client privilege. His personal accountant, Richard Kahn – also an estate executor – has always maintained he knew nothing of his bosses’ private life until after he died, according to the New York Times.
Former friends like Britain’s Prince Andrew and disgraced UK banker Jes Staley have been burned by their association with Epstein and are unwilling to say more about his private life.
Seemingly the only person left is his younger brother Mark. He has maintained they weren’t too close as siblings, but he doesn’t believe Epstein took his own life in jail, while awaiting trial over sex trafficking charges.
But he has teased a few things. Referring to the 2016 general election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton he said Epstein had told him, “If I said what I know about both candidates, they’d have to cancel the election,” although he offered no evidence.
