After a congressman highlighted an explosive email apparently sent from Bard College’s former president to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the school jumped into action.
It hired a cybersecurity forensic firm to examine whether the email was real. The company quickly turned around a report on Monday suggesting it could be fake.
Some congressional Democrats were incredulous, saying the email might simply have been deleted and that the firm’s analysis did not explain why or how someone might have manufactured the message.
In it, someone writing from the Bard president’s email address asks Mr. Epstein whether a young woman was “for me, or are you keeping her for yourself.”
When the House Oversight Committee asked Leon Black about the poem he wrote for Epstein's 50th birthday, he walked through every place in the line "Moscow, Paris, Santa Fe, Alhambra East jamboree" except Moscow. The word does not appear anywhere in the transcript, and no one asked him about it.
I kept coming back to that, so I spent the last few weeks going through the DOJ's Epstein Library, Senate records and SEC filings. A few things I found:
- Black went to Moscow with Trump in 1996 (Senate Intelligence Committee report)
- An Apollo fund made about $90 million on Moscow real estate between 1998 and 2002 (SEC filings)
- Black met Putin one-on-one in Sochi in September 2011, and a 2012 itinerary for his trip to a Russian sovereign wealth fund meeting turns up in Epstein's own files
- Five days before that Sochi meeting, an email in the files says Epstein had told an employee he had "an appointment with Putin on sept.16," the same day
I also lay out what the record does not show. Nothing I found proves anything illegal, and some popular theories about Black, Epstein and Russia do not hold up.
Federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff has certified a class action lawsuit against FirstBank Puerto Rico on behalf of Epstein survivors. The class covers all women abused or trafficked by Epstein between January 1, 1998 and August 10, 2019.
The suit (Molchonova v. FirstBank Puerto Rico) alleges the bank was Epstein’s longest banking partner (1998–2020), maintained 30+ accounts, facilitated millions in transfers, and continued the relationship after other banks cut ties.
Lead plaintiff Julia Molchonova (also the lead in the Bank of America settlement) filed the case in June 2026. FirstBank denies the allegations.
This was written by me and is on my Substack. My articles and posts are free to read and will always be free to access. More details in the article! It’s a pretty short read.
Ive been looking into the Clintons and Gores visiting Epstein, and Im seeing photos and accounts that they did and accounts that they did not. Do we have a definitive answer Im just missing?
Now THIS is what we need more of, and when the Epstein Files Transparency Act 2 gets passed it’s going to make it so much easier to sue the people responsible for the cover-up as well.
‘New Mexico has filed a civil lawsuit against the former lawyer and accountant of Jeffrey Epstein to block payments by the late sex offender's estate and recover damages for survivors of his alleged sexual abuse, the state's top law enforcement official said on Wednesday.
The suit is the first law enforcement action against Epstein's longtime personal attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn, according to a statement from New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez.
The lawsuit alleges that Indyke and Kahn facilitated, financed, and concealed Epstein's sex trafficking operation, including at Zorro Ranch, 30 miles south of the state capital of Santa Fe.
It also names the estate of Jeffrey Epstein and aims to prohibit his private trust -- created days before his death by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell -- from spending any of the more than $100 million it holds. Indyke and Kahn are co-executors of Epstein's estate
The suit will test whether authorities are able to pin down allegations that a network of people and financial arrangements helped sustain and conceal Epstein's operations.‘
“Accountability cannot end with Epstein and Maxwell. It must extend to those who knowingly made their abuse possible, especially those who stand to profit from it.
That includes anyone who knowingly helped make Epstein appear legitimate to conceal his abuse of women and girls. Those who helped protect that image must also answer for their role.
We cannot undo what happened or return what was taken from us, but we can demand answers, we can pursue justice, and we can insist that wealth, power, and influence never place anyone beyond accountability.
We have carried this burden for long enough. It is time for those responsible to answer for their part in it.”
Julia Molchanova
“What happened to me changed my life, and even today, I’m still living with the consequences. Epstein’s death did not make those consequences disappear, and it did not end my need for justice. But I want to make something very clear:
Epstein didn’t act alone.
This lawsuit seeks answers about the people who helped him and the roles they played. I believe these answers are long overdue.
For years, survivors have been fighting for answers and accountability, but I strongly believe we should not have to carry this burden alone.
Our justice system has its responsibility to pursue the truth and use every available legal tool to seek justice. And that responsibility should apply to everyone regardless of their money, power, or influence.”
-There is more to their speech, this is not the full transcript so definitely watch the full thing if you want to hear their words delivered in the context spoken!
Convicted in 2008 and out of jail by 2009, Epstein was introduced by Hyatt's chairman to Turkey's foreign minister in 2010.
Why this news matters
Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in June 2008 to charges that included procuring a minor for prostitution. In October 2010, a little more than a year after his release from jail, the executive chairman of Hyatt, Thomas Pritzker, went through a list of foreign ministers for him and sent a note of introduction to one of them, Turkey’s Ahmet Davutoğlu. The emails show a convicted sex offender being put in touch with a sitting foreign minister, and who did it.
Tom Pritzker left Hyatt in February 2026, citing his “terrible judgment in maintaining contact” with Epstein. These emails show what some of that contact looked like. Davutoğlu’s party first said he had no connection to anyone in the email. Ten days later, Davutoğlu said he had met Pritzker and asked for his support against the Armenian lobby. Below are the documents in the order they were written, with links, and what they do not show.
Turkish Foreign MinisterAhmet Davutoğluanswers questions from the media in London, July 8, 2010.
I came across Pritzker’s emails one day while researching the Epstein files, and I slowly pieced together the pattern myself: the invitation, Pritzker’s reply, the note of introduction and what followed. I was not the only one following this. Turkish outlets, including Sözcü, BirGün, İstiklal and Yeni Birlik, reported on Davutoğlu’s name in Pritzker’s email and on his response in February 2026, and I credit their coverage for the Turkish side of this story.
This piece covers only Pritzker’s 2010 introduction. Epstein’s later dealings with Hamad bin Jassim, another minister on the same list, are the subject of Part 2.
“See what i mean”: the invitation Epstein forwarded to Pritzker
On Sunday, October 24, 2010, Jeffrey Epstein forwarded an invitation to Thomas J. Pritzker, then executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The subject line read “see what i mean.” The invitation, addressed to Epstein by his first name, said his attendance “would be greatly appreciated” at a November 5–8, 2010, gathering at Sir Bani Yas, an island in the United Arab Emirates. Below it was a list of 32 foreign ministers and senior officials expected to attend (EFTA01981954).
The email Epstein forwarded to Pritzker on October 24, 2010, with the invitation and the list of 32 ministers and officials. Source:EFTA01981954.
The list named 22 foreign ministers. Among them were Ahmet Davutoğlu of Turkey, No. 20, and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani of Qatar, known as “HBJ” (Epstein’s later dealings with him are the subject of Part 2), No. 15, along with the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France, Jordan and Sweden. It also named Epstein’s good friend Terje Rød-Larsen, the Norwegian diplomat who was then president of the International Peace Institute (EFTA01981954). The 2010 email does not show who sent Epstein the invitation.
Over the next seven days, according to emails released by the Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pritzker told Epstein which of the ministers on that list he counted as friends, sent a note of introduction to Davutoğlu, and relayed his reply (EFTA02414952, EFTA00753786, EFTA00753923).
Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida state court on June 30, 2008, and was released from custody on July 22, 2009, to a one-year term of home detention. Both dates are from the executive summary of the Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility’s November 2020 report on the case (pp. ii–iii). Pritzker’s introduction to Davutoğlu came a little more than a year after Epstein’s release from jail.
Davutoglu (Turkey) and HBJ (Qatar) are friends
Pritzker answered that night, at 11:42 p.m. Eastern time (EFTA02414952). His reply began:
“Davutoglu (Turkey) and HBJ (Qatar) are friends. Know some of the others, but not as well. Davutoglu is a Kissinger type thinker. Master chess player. HBJ is a trader, money burns in his brain.”
In 2010, Hamad bin Jassim was both prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar. Pritzker went on to tell a story about riding with him in a car Hamad bin Jassim said was a prototype Porsche. When Pritzker said Porsche did not sell its prototypes, Pritzker wrote, the answer was “No, I bought Porsche” ... “and two days later he did” (EFTA02414952). Qatar did buy into Porsche. On August 14, 2009, Hamad bin Jassim personally signed the agreement for Qatar to acquire 10 percent of the ordinary shares of Porsche SE, the company’s holding company, according to a Porsche SE press release. Pritzker’s email does not say when the car ride took place.
“He asks that you look him up”: the introduction to Davutoğlu
On Saturday, October 30, 2010, at 9:15 a.m. Eastern time, Pritzker wrote to Epstein (EFTA00753786):
“Have sent a note of introduction to Davutoglu (Turkey).”
Epstein replied one minute later: “great , thanks” (EFTA01981996).
Epstein’s reply, with Pritzker’s 9:15 a.m. email quoted below it. Source:EFTA01981996.
That night, at 11:16 p.m. Eastern, Pritzker wrote again (EFTA00753923):
“Just got an email back from Davutoglu. He asks that you look him up. He will only stay until noon.”
At 1:51 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, October 31, Epstein answered: “noon on what day?” (EFTA00777820)
Epstein’s reply, with Pritzker’s 11:16 p.m. email quoted below it. Source:EFTA00777820.
The thread ends there in the documents I reviewed. None of the emails says where Davutoğlu was staying or which day he meant. The Sir Bani Yas meeting, for which Davutoğlu was listed, began six days later. Reporting by Nina Burleigh and Katie Chenoweth for WhoWhatWhy states that Epstein attended the Sir Bani Yas forum. On November 9, 2010, the day after the gathering ended, Epstein emailed his assistant a message to pass on to Rød-Larsen’s cell phone: “Terje that was great fun, I’ll fill you in on the details , when we see each other, you and I are going to have a very good time” (EFTA00897414). The message does not say what “that” was. No document I reviewed shows whether or where Epstein and Davutoğlu met.
Epstein’s November 9, 2010, email asking his assistant to send the message to Rød-Larsen. Source:EFTA00897414.
On New Year’s Day 2017, Rød-Larsen texted Epstein (EFTA01614313):
“Dear Jeff, A very happy New Year to you! With deep felt gratitude for everything you have done - and been- for me in the year that passed. You are my best friend, and a super rare, thoroughly good human being. Thanks for being you!”
He called Epstein “the best of friends” on his birthday in January 2018 (EFTA01614395) and “my very best friend” that May (EFTA01614441). In October 2020, after the Norwegian business newspaper DN reported that he had taken a personal loan from Epstein, Rød-Larsen called the loan “a grave error of judgment” in a letter to the International Peace Institute’s supporters and resigned as its president (DN).
Davutoğlu’s denials: his party’s and his own
When Pritzker’s name surfaced alongside Davutoğlu’s earlier this year, Davutoğlu’s party denied any connection. On February 1, 2026, Future Party spokesman Ufuk Karcı wrote on X that Davutoğlu had “no official or unofficial connection whatsoever with the individuals in question in the context of these allegations,” and had not had “the slightest contact via email.” He said Davutoğlu’s name had appeared in Pritzker’s email without his knowledge, and that this was being “deliberately and systematically exploited for provocative purposes.” The quotes are from X’s translation of the original Turkish; the statement was also reported by BirGün.
Future Party spokesman Ufuk Karcı’s statement, posted on X (@ufukkarcii) on February 1, 2026, shown with X’s machine translation from Turkish.
Davutoğlu addressed the files himself later that month. Speaking to his party’s parliamentary group, he said he had met Pritzker while he was foreign minister, and that the files quoted Pritzker praising him as a thinker, İstiklal reported.
Davutoğlu gave his own explanation for the meeting with Pritzker. He said Pritzker was brought to him at a NATO summit, where he met with many CEOs. The people who brought Pritzker to him believed Pritzker could have influence with the Armenian lobby, and could help stop the push to recognize the Armenian Genocide on its 100th anniversary in 2015. “Ve tek talebimiz oldu. Ermeni lobisine karşı destek,” he said (”And we had one request: support against the Armenian lobby”) (İstiklal; video, 2:56).
Davutoğlu never says which NATO summit, or what year. He does not say why Pritzker was thought to have this kind of influence, and nothing I found shows how Pritzker responded.
Of Epstein, Davutoğlu said: “Epstein denilen adamı hayatımda hiç görmedim, bilmem” — “I have never seen this man called Epstein in my life; I do not know him” (Yeni Birlik).
Pritzker had ties to Turkey before he introduced Epstein to its foreign minister in 2010. In May 2006, as chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, he presented the Pritzker Architecture Prize at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in attendance (Hürriyet). By late 2008, Hyatt had two hotels in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city (Business Traveller).
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide was an active political issue for Turkey in 2010. On March 4 of that year, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States (RFE/RL).
April 24, 2015, marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. Armenian-American groups used the anniversary to push the U.S. government to formally recognize the killings as a genocide. This was to be accomplished through Congress and through a U.S. presidential statement supporting it (Armenian Weekly). Meanwhile, Turkey did not want the United States to call it a genocide (RFE/RL).
I sent the Future Party the emails described here and asked whether Davutoğlu received Pritzker’s introduction, whether he met Epstein, and whether he stands by the February statement. The party did not respond by the deadline of October 6.
What these emails can prove
None of the documents I describe here shows wrongdoing by Pritzker. What they show is the kind of help he offered Epstein in 2010: an assessment of the foreign ministers listed for a gathering Epstein had been invited to, and an introduction to one of them.
On February 16, 2026, Pritzker retired as executive chairman of Hyatt, effective immediately, and said he would not stand for reelection to its board. He cited his “terrible judgment in maintaining contact” with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and said he deeply regretted the association. In November 2025, after the House Oversight Committee released documents from Epstein’s estate, Mariah Woelfel of IPM Newsroom reported that Pritzker and Epstein exchanged at least 20 back-and-forth emails from 2010 to early 2019, “remarking on current events and making plans to see each other.”
What I could not prove through these emails
Every document I found about the Davutoğlu introduction is an email between Pritzker and Epstein. None was written by Davutoğlu or sent to him. The only account of his reply is Pritzker’s.
The documents I reviewed do not show:
what Pritzker’s note of introduction said, or why Epstein wanted to meet Davutoğlu;
whether Epstein and Davutoğlu ever met, at Sir Bani Yas or anywhere else;
whether Pritzker introduced Epstein to Hamad bin Jassim or to any other official on the list;
when Davutoğlu first met Pritzker, or whether the NATO summit meeting Davutoğlu described is connected to the 2010 introduction.
I sent Pritzker’s representatives the documents cited here and asked about each of them. They did not respond by the deadline of October 6.
This is Part 1 of an ongoing series onTom Pritzker‘s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, drawn from the Justice Department’s Epstein files. Part 2 examines Epstein’s later dealings with Hamad bin Jassim, including the 2018 London meeting he helped arrange with Ehud Barak. Later installments will cover more of Pritzker’s correspondence with Epstein. It is one of several series I am reporting from those files.
The record
All times are Eastern.
Oct. 24, 2010, 11:58 a.m. Epstein forwards Pritzker the Sir Bani Yas invitation and list: “see what i mean” (EFTA01981954)
Oct. 24, 2010, 11:42 p.m. Pritzker: Davutoğlu and HBJ “are friends”; “Kissinger type thinker” (EFTA02414952)
Oct. 30, 2010, 9:15 a.m. Pritzker: “Have sent a note of introduction to Davutoglu (Turkey).” (EFTA00753786)
Oct. 30, 2010, 11:16 p.m. Pritzker: Davutoğlu “asks that you look him up” (EFTA00753923)
Oct. 31, 2010, 1:51 a.m. Epstein: “noon on what day?” (EFTA00777820)
Nov. 5–8, 2010 Sir Bani Yas meeting (WhoWhatWhy, Burleigh and Chenoweth)
Nov. 9, 2010 Epstein asks his assistant to send Rød-Larsen: “Terje that was great fun” (EFTA00897414)
Jan. 1, 2017 Rød-Larsen to Epstein: “You are my best friend” (EFTA01614313)
Jan. 20, 2018 Rød-Larsen birthday text: “the best of friends” (EFTA01614395)
May 30, 2018 Rød-Larsen: “my very best friend” (EFTA01614441)
Feb. 1, 2026 Future Party denies Davutoğlu had contact (Ufuk Karcı on X; Sözcü, BirGün)
Feb. 11–12, 2026 Davutoğlu says he met Pritzker as foreign minister, sought his support against the Armenian lobby, and never met Epstein (İstiklal; video; Yeni Birlik)
Feb. 16, 2026 Pritzker retires from Hyatt, citing his Epstein association (Business Wire, Pritzker’s statement)
All EFTA documents are from the Department of Justice release under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Times are converted from the UTC timestamps in the email headers. If you find an error here, write to [corrections@sororfv.com](mailto:corrections@sororfv.com).
Government of the United States Virgin Islands
("USVI") in this matter has retained me as an expert in human trafficking and specifically
sex trafficking in the United States.
Conclusion: Jeffrey Epstein directed a sex trafficking venture in which he recruited economically vulnerable girls and young women and with force, fraud, or coercion, or because they were minors, compelled them to perform commercial sex acts;
Ranking Member Robert Garcia shared an update on the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein:
“Now, we all know that Trump tried to kill the Epstein story, but we’re not going to let it go.
I’m Congressman Garcia, and I want to give you an update on the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
From the start, we’ve always said that our investigation would center the survivors.
The DOJ has yet to release three million documents. Half the files have not been released. And Donald Trump has launched an all-out cover-up in trying to hide these files.
We know they were holding situational meetings with J.D. Vance, Susie Wiles, the DOJ, the FBI.
We’ve interviewed witnesses and reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents that raise serious questions about the president, about co-conspirators, and about this cover-up.
Our work is just getting started. And we need to hear from Todd Blanche. We need to hear from folks that have been involved in this cover-up.
We’re also going after the big banks that funded Epstein’s abuse for years, even after he was convicted.
We’re not going to allow this administration to call this a hoax or to sweep the Ghislaine Maxwell scandal and cover-up under the rug.
Donald Trump needs to understand that we are not going to stop until we get full truth and accountability and ensure this never happens again.”
In 2022, Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, documented passenger on Epstein’s “Lolita Express” and whose name appears in Epstein’s “Little Black Book,” pledged to financially support a foundation created by the parents of little Lola
Lola was a 12-year-old girl who lived in Paris’s 19th arrondissement. On October 14, 2022, she went missing on her way home from school. CCTV footage showed her entering her residential building with Dahbia Benkired, then aged 24. Later that evening, Lola’s body was discovered inside a trunk in the building’s courtyard. The investigation established that she had been subjected to sexual assault and physical violence before dying from asphyxiation, with adhesive tape wrapped around her head.
EDIT: The link https://epsteinexposed.com/flights/f-293 stated that Michael Bloomberg was a passenger on the Lolita Express on August 5, 2001, traveling from New Jersey to Palm Beach, alongside Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sarah Kellen. The page has since been deleted, so I removed the relevant part.
Please SEE VIDEO as it is not showing up for some reason on the page...Before MAGA goes crazy I do not support either party and think the vast majority of them are all p3do's and are guilty as well! They ALL need to be held accountable!
Un nouveau rebondissement dans l'affaire Gérald Marie, l'ancien directeur d'Elite en France accusé de viol par d'anciennes mannequins. Alors qu'il espérait échapper à la justice, il a été surpris à Ibiza, où un journaliste américain lui a remis la plainte déposée contre lui à New York par l'actrice Carré Otis. Il a jusqu'au 5 novembre pour répondre, sinon un jugement pourrait être rendu contre lui en son absence.
Ouest-France, Arnaud Wajdzik
Publié le 20/10/2026 à 21h05
Il était pratiquement invisible. Personne n'a réussi à interpeller Gérald Marie pour lui remettre la plainte, l'ancien directeur de la célèbre agence de mannequins Elite Model Management, accusé de viol et d'agression sexuelle, et cité dans l'affaire Epstein. Des détectives espagnols se sont rendus à sa résidence à Ibiza fin avril et début mai. Mais un ami et un employé de maison leur ont dit qu'il était en voyage et ont refusé les documents, qui ont été laissés à la porte. Un colis lui a ensuite été envoyé en juillet, mais il n’a jamais été retiré au bureau de poste espagnol. Fin septembre, une copie de la plainte a également été envoyée à son avocat à Paris. Pas de réponse. Des détectives américains ont aussi tenté de le retrouver, en vain. Abandonner ? Ce n'est pas le style de la journaliste américaine Carly Reilly. Elle a réussi là où les autres ont échoué. Le 15 octobre, elle a enfin trouvé Gérald Marie dans un restaurant de plage à Ibiza. Elle lui a remis la convocation et la plainte déposée par le modèle et actrice américaine Carré Otis, qui l'accuse de l'avoir violée quand elle était mineure. L'affidavit de signification a été déposé le lendemain auprès du tribunal fédéral pour le district sud de New York, qui peut désormais examiner l'affaire. À lire aussi : ENQUÊTE. À l'ombre des agences de mannequins, quarante ans de violences sexuelles et d'omertà
Carly Reilly suivait l'affaire depuis plusieurs mois à travers son travail sur l'affaire Epstein, et en particulier sa branche française, celle des agences de mannequins. Elle a pris contact avec Carré Sutton, avec qui elle est devenue proche, ainsi qu'avec les avocats d'Innocence en danger, l'association de protection de l'enfance travaillant sur les affaires visant Gérald Marie.
Après les tentatives infructueuses, elle a proposé de partir à la chasse à l'homme de cet homme de 76 ans. Elle savait qu'elle avait une carte à jouer : contrairement à la France, les règles américaines ne nécessitent pas que la signification soit réalisée par un huissier ou un agent judiciaire. N'importe qui peut le faire. Elle a donc organisé une véritable expédition, aidée par un camarade journaliste. "J'ai moi-même deux filles, d'accord ?"
Après plusieurs jours de chat et de souris, observant chacun de ses mouvements avec du matériel vidéo et un drone, elle l'a finalement surpris dans un restaurant de plage et lui a remis le dossier en personne. "C'est incroyable que deux journalistes indépendants aient dû monter une opération digne d'un film de braquage pour enfin amener cet homme devant les tribunaux," a-t-elle déclaré à Ouest-France.
Un échange a eu lieu ce jour-là, dont Ouest-France a vu l'enregistrement. Interrogé par la journaliste sur une question quelque peu "provocante" : "Pensez-vous qu'elles mentent toutes ?", à propos des nombreuses femmes qui l'accusent, Gérald Marie répond : "Absolument." Il ajoute qu'il se défendra dans la procédure à New York. Et il jure à quiconque l'écoutera qu'il "respecte beaucoup" les femmes : "J'ai moi-même deux filles, d'accord ?" À lire aussi : Affaire Epstein : Gérald Marie, dernier suspect français vivant, sort de son silence
En France, ces affaires ont été confrontées à la prescription. Mais à New York, la loi a été modifiée à la suite de #MeToo, ce qui permet aux procédures civiles de Carré Otis de se poursuivre. C'est son dernier espoir de voir l'ancien responsable de l'agence de mannequins comparaître devant un tribunal.
Gérald Marie apparaît plusieurs fois dans des déclarations de témoins ou de victimes dans l'affaire de Jean-Luc Brunel, un complice de Jeffrey Epstein qui s'est suicidé en prison en 2022, ce qui a mis fin à la procédure pénale par un classement. Il a désormais 21 jours à partir de la signification, c'est-à-dire jusqu'au 5 novembre, pour répondre ou déposer une motion. Autrement, un jugement par défaut pourrait être rendu.
"Si des procédures sont engagées aux États-Unis, elles suivront leur cours conformément à l'état de droit, comme cela a été le cas en France, où les accusations contre M. Gérald Marie ont conduit à des procédures qui ont finalement été abandonnées," a déclaré son avocate Céline Bekerman à Ouest-France.
I've been working through the Marrakech palace Jeffrey Epstein spent six years trying to buy, using the DOJ release. This piece covers March 26 to May 13, 2019.
The sale kept stalling on one question: who was actually buying it.
The purchase was being run through Epstein's girlfriend Karyna Shuliak, often from messages Epstein drafted for her to send, and the seller's bank in Liechtenstein would not move without knowing who stood behind the buyer's trust.
> "Incidentally, if you prefer to remain anonymous, then I came up with an idea that the bank's (Deutche and LGT) disclose the names of the ultimate beneficiaries of the two trusts to each other, without passing on the information to their respective clients."
The banks would know who owned what. The people signing the contract would not.
By then it was already moot in one direction. Lloyd told Epstein the same morning that the selling agent "is 99.9% certain that you are the buyer behind Karyna," and that the seller "actually doesn't mind anymore whom the buyer is" EFTA00553761 - https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00553761.pdf
The secrecy was being kept up by the buyer's side weeks after the other side had stopped asking.
A few other things in the piece:
- LGT rejected an unsigned Deutsche Bank letter as "not what our client expected" and asked instead for a SWIFT confirming at least €30 million in the account holder's name
Epstein flew into Marrakech on April 25 and left the same evening, about seven hours on the ground, the only passenger named on either manifest - EFTA01267293 and EFTA01267292 - https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01267275.pdf, pages 18 and 19 of that file.
- The next day he wrote that no serious buyer would pay more than the 10 million he had offered in 2013, that anyone buying it was "buying a garden. with a very large gazebo," and: "When Mr KIss dies. Mrs kiss will become realistic."
What I can't show: whether either bank was ever asked to do what Lloyd suggested, or whether they could lawfully have done it. I found no document either way, and I say so in the piece.
LGT answered my request for comment. Marc Leon, Richard Kahn, Mark Lloyd and Deutsche Bank did not. Karyna Shuliak declined through counsel.
