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The U.S. Department of Justice declassified a set of documents on Thursday related to Jeffrey Epstein, the pedophile and sexual predator with ties to high-ranking individuals in politics, finance, and entertainment.
Among the revealed files is a list of contacts, flight records, and an inventory of evidence collected against him, which has reignited the debate regarding his network of relationships with influential figures.
Prominent figures on Epstein's list
One of the most striking aspects has been the emergence of names of recognized personalities, including the legendary singer Mick Jagger, the late Michael Jackson, actor Alec Baldwin, and the mother of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ethel Kennedy.
In addition, the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, supermodel Naomi Campbell, and singer Courtney Love are listed.
Other names include Bob Weinstein (brother of convicted producer Harvey Weinstein), businessman David Koch, former senator Ted Kennedy, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, former Secretary of State John Kerry, actor Dustin Hoffman, businessman Jon Huntsman, and model Liz Hurley.
the presence of Ivana and Ivanka Trump has been confirmed in the list of contacts, although the nature of their relationship with Epstein has not been specified.
It's not a list of "clients."
In response to the anticipation generated, the U.S. Department of Justice first clarified that it was not a "client list," but rather a compilation of names of individuals included in the extensive contact list of Epstein, a man who interacted at all levels of the political, social, and business spectrum in the country.
Although the list of names was revealed, their addresses and contact information were redacted. The vast majority of the names on the list, if not all of them, had been previously reported during the years of lawsuits and document leaks in the case.
In addition to the list of contacts, the Department of Justice published a redacted list of the masseuses, whose names were crossed out because they were victims. There are 254 names on that list.
Donald Trump in the flight logs
One of the most significant details of the disclosure is the confirmation that U.S. President Donald Trump appears in the flight logs of Epstein's private plane on at least seven occasions.
According to People magazine, Trump's inclusion in these records does not automatically imply his involvement in illegal activities, as many passengers were on the plane for legitimate business, political, or social reasons.
However, their connection to Epstein had been a subject of speculation for years.
In the past, Trump had been photographed with Epstein at social events, and in a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, he described the financier as a "great guy," as U.S. media outlets recall today.
However, after Epstein's second arrest in 2019, Trump claimed that he had not had any relationship with him for many years.
The disclosure of the files has rekindled speculation about their level of closeness to Epstein.
The role of the Trump administration in the release of the documents
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has been one of the key figures in the release of these documents, and her work has been aligned with President Trump's commitment to transparency.
During his administration, Trump promised to declassify information about Epstein, although the first batch of documents released has largely turned out to be a compilation of files that were already circulating in the public domain.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that "there will be no cover-ups or hidden documents," and that any relevant information will be provided to the Department of Justice for disclosure.
However, the lack of new information in the released files so far has been criticized by those who were hoping for more compromising details about Epstein's network.
Flight logs and the famous "contacts" notebook
In addition to the contact list, the leak includes flight records of Epstein's private jet, known as the Lolita Express.
These records have been analyzed multiple times and have been scrutinized due to the presence of names of public figures.
On the other hand, the infamous "black book" of Epstein, which contains the names of hundreds of contacts collected since the 1990s, was published in 2015 by the now-defunct outlet Gawker.
A second book, featuring 349 names, later emerged and included figures such as businessman John Catsimatidis and Suzanne Ircha, a friend of Melania Trump.
Public opinion reaction and future expectations
Despite the media impact, the first batch of declassified documents has been labeled a "disappointment" by some analysts and even by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who has called for greater transparency in the investigation.
Luna has expressed her frustration on social media: "This is not what we or the American people asked for. We want the real information."
For her part, Attorney General Pam Bondi has urged the FBI to deliver the remaining files by the end of February.
The title of the leaked document refers to a "phase one," suggesting that more documents could be published in the future, fueling expectations that more compromising details will be revealed.
Epstein and his ties to power
Jeffrey Epstein, who built his fortune through connections with powerful financiers and politicians, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to charges of child prostitution, reaching a plea agreement that allowed him to serve only 13 months in prison with a lenient work-release program.
In 2019, he was arrested again in New York on charges of sex trafficking and, while awaiting his trial, was found dead in his cell in what authorities classified as suicide, although the circumstances of his death have been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.
Her partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual trafficking of minors. However, despite Maxwell's conviction and the release of these documents, the Epstein case remains shrouded in mysteries and suspicions of cover-up.
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