TERSON FILTHY RICH nan had not wanted to make a t she had taken the cop’s card, at she’d changed her mind. ibed Epstein as a tallish man— ght was her guess—with gray owner of a large black four-door rutters on the Beach, which was ‘ousand dollars a night and was other Hollywood types. vas a model and actress herself a month. They had a friend in head shots. Epstein had invited her to meet ervations, the officer wrote in his lews are not conducted in hotel ned frighteningly quickly. because although she wanted to ecret catalog model she felt as g to get her to act in an unproeatpants and a white T-shirt, she ters USA printed on it in patriotic nd actually assisted her to do so dle you for a second.’ 140 Then, Alicia told the cop, Epstein groped her buttocks against her will while acting as though he was evaluating her body. Alicia had stopped Epstein, and left the room, but couldn’t get over the incident. At the top of his crime report, the officer wrote “Sexual Battery” But Epstein was never charged in the incident. “The Santa Monica Police Department discounted every one of [Alicia’s] allegations of improper conduct by Jeffrey Epstein and they took no action on this 1997 complaint,” Epstein’s West Palm Beach attorney, Jack Goldberger, told the Palm Beach Post in 2010. “The cops said it’d be my word against his,” Alicia told the paper. “And since he had a lot of money, I let it go. I hadn’t thought much about it since, until I saw his picture online. And now, I want everybody to know how much of a creep he’s always been.” 141 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009290¶
One cover of Vanity F superstar. And a single tl down a corporate overlorc Carter’s easy to recog a lion’s mane. The Santa ( tailored bespoke suit. He’s be more serious about hi: heavily on him this mont to Vicky Ward, an English ity Fair. He’d meant for it pregnant with twins. She story right on her doorstep Who was he, really? Cai attended by academics, billi he’d flown Bill Clinton to how he had made his fort tor of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Carter himself could h his case, the author would dropout who’d worked as York in his late twenties a rise up the social and med and outgoing, Epstein rea him was known. Maybe, What did Epstein do, exact Why were so many brillia And where did those beaut Almost immediately, F Ward. He prevailed upon Graydon Carter: December 2002 G raydon Carter, the legendary editor of Vanity Fair, likes to get to his office early, well before the rest of his staff files in. Most monthly magazines operate at a leisurely pace-three weeks of coming up with ideas, assigning articles, and shooting the shit in the corporate kitchen followed by one frantic week when all the actual editing gets done. But this isn’t the case at Vanity Fair, which runs hard-hitting investigative pieces alongside its glitzy celebrity profiles. There are also parties to plan and host-incredibly glamorous parties, including the annual Oscar-night bash, which is more fun and far more exclusive than the Academy Awards ceremony itself. Vanity Fair is an old, famous brand. But Carter is its public face, just as Anna Wintour is the face of Condé Nast’s iconic fashion magazine, Vogue. 142 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009291¶
FILTHY RICH One cover of Vanity Fair can turn a minor celebrity into a superstar. And a single thoroughly researched story can bring down a corporate overlord. Carter’s easy to recognize: the pompadour of white hair, like a lion’s mane. The Santa Claus body stuffed into an impeccably tailored bespoke suit. He wears his fame lightly. But he could not be more serious about his responsibilities, which are weighing heavily on him this month. Months earlier, he’d assigned a piece to Vicky Ward, an Englishwoman who wrote frequently for Vanity Fair. He’d meant for it to be an easy assignment: Ward was pregnant with twins. She wasn’t allowed to fly. But here was a story right on her doorstep. A nice, easy profile of Jeffrey Epstein. Who was he, really? Carter knew he threw fabulous parties attended by academics, billionaires, and beautiful women. Recently he’d flown Bill Clinton to Africa. But no one seemed to know how he had made his fortune. Epstein’s story reminded the editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Carter himself could have stepped out of a novel-though in his case, the author would be Horatio Alger. A Canadian college dropout who’d worked as a railroad lineman, he arrived in New York in his late twenties and commenced an astonishingly quick rise up the social and media ladders. But where Carter was open and outgoing, Epstein really was Gatsby-like-very little about him was known. Maybe, Carter thought, Ward could find out. What did Epstein do, exactly, for money? Why was he so secretive? Why were so many brilliant and powerful men drawn to him? And where did those beautiful women come from? Almost immediately, Epstein began a campaign to discredit Ward. He prevailed upon Conrad Black, the press baron and CHAPTER 36 2002 lary editor of Vanity Fair, likes to vell before the rest of his staff serate at a leisurely pace-three assigning articles, and shooting en followed by one frantic week s done. But this isn’t the case at itting investigative pieces along- s. There are also parties to plan us parties, including the annual e fun and far more exclusive than ny itself. Vanity Fair is an old public face, just as Anna Wintour ie fashion magazine, Vogue. 142 143 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009292¶
JAMES PATTERSON Epstein’s Palm Beach neighbor-who was also a step-uncle of Vicky Ward’s husband-to ask Ward to drop the story. But Ward was tenacious, and what she came back with was dynamite. More interesting and much more salacious than anything Carter had imagined. Now Carter’s staff was putting in the hours it would take to confirm all the things she’d uncovered, picking the ones they could publish and laying them all out in a narrative that would be no less explosive than the facts it contained. Vicky Ward: October Epstein went out of l his own ends, and s Ward’s phone bega Greenberg and Jimmy Ca from Les Wexner; from shakers who counted Eps Then there were the c go on the record, but d Ward’s back, he was har tour of his Manhattan m died out on for years. extremely charming-ev him which forks to use Vicky Ward. But she was to have a keen eye for Eps 144 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009293¶