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193 reports on the Epstein case, the release of the files, and the fight over what was withheld. Newest first.
2026
OtherSept. 16, 2026House votes to hold Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt of CongressThe full House unanimously approved a resolution holding Leon Black in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with House Oversight Committee subpoenas in its Epstein investigation, referring the matter for possible prosecution; Black, who has not been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement, had sued to block the subpoenas, and his attorneys called the contempt action "retaliation" for his exercising constitutional rights, with attorney Susan Estrich saying the effort was no longer about finding the truth about Epstein but "trying to destroy Mr. Black."NBC News LegislationSept. 16, 2026Chairman Comer Introduces the Survivor's Voice Protection ActHouse Oversight Chairman James Comer introduced H.R. 10389, which emerged from the committee's Epstein and Maxwell investigation and would void nondisclosure agreements that silence sexual-abuse survivors (retroactively), require fiduciaries to report suspected child grooming, and create the first federal legal definition of grooming; cosponsors include Reps. Nancy Mace, Virginia Foxx, Lauren Boebert, and Anna Paulina Luna.House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (oversight.house.gov) OtherSept. 15, 2026Oversight Committee Republicans and Democrats Hold Leon Black in Contempt for Defying Lawful SubpoenasThe House Oversight Committee voted bipartisan to recommend holding former Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black in contempt after he cut short a transcribed interview, failed to appear for a September 3 deposition, and produced only one of several nondisclosure agreements sought in the committee's Epstein and Maxwell investigation; Chairman Comer said the Committee wants to ensure NDAs "cannot be used to cover up criminal activities."House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (oversight.house.gov) LegislationSept. 15, 2026Pressley Unveils First-Of-Its-Kind Bill to Establish Financial Relief for Epstein Survivors & Survivors of Sexual ViolenceRep. Ayanna Pressley, with Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández and Deborah Ross and survivors, introduced the Survivors' Rights Restitution Act, which would create a federally funded restitution program, an Office of Special Adjudicators within the Court of Federal Claims, and a restitution fund for sexual-violence survivors including Epstein and Maxwell victims; the bill has more than 45 cosponsors.Office of Rep. Ayanna Pressley (pressley.house.gov) InvestigationSept. 10, 2026Europeans investigating Epstein say DOJ has not agreed to requests for helpLaw-enforcement officials in Poland, Norway, Latvia, and Britain said the DOJ has not responded to their mutual-legal-assistance requests for unredacted Epstein records and investigative cooperation, roughly a year after the files' release; Norway's Økokrim said the U.S. has not fulfilled its request for information as Norwegian prosecutors pursue Epstein-linked corruption cases, and Latvian state police say they identified a Latvian victim but have received no response to their own MLA requests, while the DOJ said in a statement that it "has not refused to assist any jurisdiction investigating potential criminal conduct related to Jeffrey Epstein."The Washington Post (via The Spokesman-Review) OtherSept. 4, 2026Mock Republican convention website tops Google, redirects to Epstein filesA prank website mimicking the GOP's Dallas midterm-convention page ranked atop Google search results and redirected visitors to the DOJ's Epstein files repository; the RNC disavowed it and directed people to its official site, while Democratic lawmakers cited the episode to renew criticism of the administration's redaction and release practices.Al Jazeera LegislationSept. 1, 2026Thomas Massie seeks signatures to force vote on second Epstein files billRep. Thomas Massie began circulating a discharge petition to force a House floor vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would let survivors and state officials sue the DOJ over withheld files and let state attorneys general prosecute alleged co-conspirators; the petition had more than three dozen of the 218 signatures needed as of the story's reporting.Spectrum News 1 (Kentucky) OtherAug. 31, 2026Epstein files bookmobile and reading room to be displayed in Dallas during GOP midterm conventionA traveling exhibit and "reading room" of DOJ-released Epstein files documents, titled "The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room," opened to the public in Dallas on September 8, timed to the Republican National Committee's midterm convention where Trump and Vance were scheduled to appear.Washington Examiner SettlementAug. 27, 2026Court approves Bank of America's $73M settlement with Epstein victimsManhattan federal judge Jed Rakoff approved a $72.5 million settlement between Bank of America and roughly 60 women who say they were trafficked or abused by Epstein or his associates between 2008 and 2019, resolving claims the bank ignored red flags in Epstein-linked transactions; the bank admitted no wrongdoing, and the settlement follows earlier ones with JPMorgan Chase ($290 million) and Deutsche Bank ($75 million).UPI Court proceedingAug. 11, 2026New York judge orders unsealing of Ghislaine Maxwell-related grand jury subpoenasU.S. District Judge Loretta Preska granted the DOJ's request under the Epstein Files Transparency Act to unseal grand jury materials from law firm Boies Schiller Flexner tied to the investigation preceding Epstein's 2019 arrest, rejecting Ghislaine Maxwell's objections; the depositions had underlain since-dismissed perjury counts against Maxwell.Courthouse News Service Official statementAug. 8, 2026Senate votes to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney generalNPR reported that the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general, 50 to 49, with all Democrats and Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting against him.NPR Official statementJuly 15, 2026The Nomination of the Honorable Todd Blanche to be Attorney General of the United StatesThe Senate Judiciary Committee's official hearing page confirms it held a confirmation hearing on July 15, 2026 for Todd Blanche's nomination to be Attorney General; the page itself lists no witnesses. This is the hearing at which a survivor later testified.U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (judiciary.senate.gov) LegislationJuly 15, 2026Massie, Khanna, Leger Fernández, Merkley, Luján Introduce the "Epstein Files Transparency Act II"Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, joined by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández and Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ben Ray Luján, introduced a follow-up bill (H.R. 9694) that would let state attorneys general, members of Congress, and victims sue the Attorney General over unlawfully withheld or redacted Epstein records, and would give victims access to unredacted records about themselves, after the sponsors said the DOJ was still withholding over 3 million files.Office of Rep. Thomas Massie (massie.house.gov) Court proceedingJune 26, 2026Judge orders DOJ to either unredact more Epstein files or explain why they must stay blacked outU.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered DOJ to release unredacted Epstein documents or explain the legal basis for the redactions by July 2, ruling that journalist Katie Phang had standing to sue and finding that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had 'conceded' her merits arguments by failing to respond to them substantively.CBS News InvestigationJune 26, 2026Billionaire Leon Black subpoenaed to return to House Epstein committee in 3 weeks, this time under oathApollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black appeared for a voluntary House Oversight interview but declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements connected to Jeffrey Epstein; Committee Chairman James Comer then issued subpoenas requiring Black to return under oath and produce the related NDA documents.CBS News Court proceedingJune 25, 2026Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell says new evidence undermines conviction; US prosecutors disagreeGhislaine Maxwell argued in a new court filing that prosecutors never conducted "any real investigation of their own," citing their failure to interview retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, and said this led to a conviction she called unsafe; U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton's office responded that she "utterly fails to carry her burden to overturn her proper conviction and just sentence."Reuters Document releaseJune 23, 2026Bill Gates told Congress he suspected Epstein 'contemplated blackmailing' him over affairsThe House Oversight Committee released the transcript of Bill Gates's closed-door June 10 interview, in which Gates said he believed Jeffrey Epstein had 'contemplated blackmailing' him over extramarital affairs, though he said no actual blackmail occurred, and that he already knew of Epstein's prior sex-offense conviction when the two met in 2011.NBC News OtherJune 10, 2026Bill Gates tells House that he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimesBill Gates testified before the House Oversight Committee that he never witnessed evidence of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and never visited Epstein's properties, though he said he 'should never have met with Epstein in the first place'; Gates said Epstein later tried to leverage knowledge of Gates's marital infidelities to pressure him into renewed contact.UPI Official statementJune 4, 2026Bondi testifies Blanche was 'in charge' of Epstein filesFormer Attorney General Pam Bondi told the House Oversight Committee that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche 'was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files,' and said that, to her knowledge, DOJ had released all related materials.Local10.com (WPLG Miami) Survivor statementMay 12, 2026'Powerful remained protected': Survivors recall Epstein crimes at congressional hearingHouse Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in West Palm Beach examining Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution plea deal; survivors testified about the case's handling, and an attorney representing survivors called for legal reforms to strengthen victims' rights in future cases.WUSF (NPR affiliate) InvestigationApril 23, 2026DOJ OIG Announces Initiation of AuditThe DOJ Office of the Inspector General announced an audit of the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, examining how DOJ identifies, redacts, and releases responsive records and handles post-release concerns, with results to be published in a public report.U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General InvestigationApril 7, 2026Bill Gates to give House oversight interview on Jeffrey EpsteinBill Gates agreed to a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, set for June 10, as part of its Epstein investigation; a Gates representative said he 'welcomes' the testimony and would answer all questions while denying any involvement in Epstein's illegal conduct, after DOJ documents surfaced in which Epstein claimed to have arranged encounters for Gates -- an assertion Gates disputes.UPI OtherApril 2, 2026Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney generalPresident Trump announced Attorney General Pam Bondi was leaving her post; sources told NBC News Trump had grown frustrated that Bondi had not 'executed on his vision,' amid ongoing criticism of DOJ's Epstein files handling. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche became acting attorney general.NBC News SettlementMarch 28, 2026Bank of America agrees to pay $72.5 million to settle Epstein survivors suitBank of America agreed to pay $72.5 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging the bank provided banking services to Jeffrey Epstein and associates, including accounts used by Ghislaine Maxwell and Leon Black, while failing to properly monitor suspicious transactions; the bank did not admit liability, and the settlement required a federal judge's approval at an April hearing.NBC News Official statementMarch 16, 2026Wyden Statement on Bank of America Settlement with Epstein SurvivorsSenate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden praised Bank of America's settlement with Epstein survivors as 'a step towards justice,' saying his staff's investigation showed the bank ignored more than $170 million in suspicious transactions tied to investor Leon Black and Jeffrey Epstein and failed to conduct required due diligence.U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (Ranking Member's office) Document releaseMarch 6, 2026DOJ releases missing Epstein files related to a woman who made an allegation against TrumpDOJ released 15 previously withheld documents, including FBI interview summaries describing an allegation -- made by a South Carolina woman -- that she was sexually assaulted by both Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump in the 1980s; DOJ said the files had been 'incorrectly coded as duplicative,' and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the allegation 'completely baseless.'NBC News InvestigationMarch 4, 2026House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Pam Bondi for testimony on Epstein filesThe Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi over DOJ's handling of Epstein-related records, with five Republicans joining all Democrats; the subpoena, led by Rep. Nancy Mace, calls for closed-door testimony with video to be released publicly afterward.NBC News OtherFeb. 26, 2026WEF CEO Børge Brende resigns; Jeffrey Epstein probe concludesWorld Economic Forum president Borge Brende resigned after an independent investigation into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein concluded there were 'no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed,' though documents showed the two had attended business dinners together and exchanged communications.UPI Arrest / chargeFeb. 19, 2026Former Prince Andrew arrested following Epstein files revelationsAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested by UK police on suspicion of misconduct in public office following revelations in the released Epstein files, then released about 11 hours later 'under investigation' -- neither charged nor cleared. The report described it as the first arrest of a senior royal family member in centuries.NBC News Official statementFeb. 15, 2026No more Epstein files will be released, DOJ tells CongressIn a letter to House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Congress that DOJ had released 'all records, documents, communications and investigative materials' related to Epstein in its possession, and included a list of more than 300 people identified in the files as 'politically exposed persons.'UPI Official statementFeb. 11, 2026Bondi faces heated questions on handling of Epstein files at House hearingAttorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee about DOJ's handling of the Epstein files release; Democrats accused her of shielding powerful figures while exposing survivors' identifying information, and Bondi largely dismissed the questioning as 'theatrics' without giving substantive answers, according to the report.CBS News Survivor statementFeb. 9, 2026'Tell the truth': Epstein survivors demand justice in Super Bowl adA group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors aired an advertisement during Super Bowl LX calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to disclose all remaining government files, stating that 'three million files still have not been released' and featuring survivors' own accounts alongside calls for full transparency.Al Jazeera OtherFeb. 9, 2026Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth, with lawyer saying she'll testify in Epstein probe if Trump grants her clemencyGhislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking, invoked her Fifth Amendment right during a virtual House Oversight Committee deposition, declining to answer questions about crimes and potential co-conspirators; her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said she would "speak fully and honestly" and provide a fuller account if President Trump granted her clemency, while Committee Chairman James Comer said the panel still had "many questions" about "crimes she and Epstein committed."CBS News Official statementFeb. 9, 2026Members of Congress start viewing unredacted Epstein files at Justice DepartmentMembers of Congress began reviewing unredacted versions of the released Epstein files on-site at DOJ headquarters starting February 9, after DOJ agreed days earlier to grant lawmakers that access following complaints about redactions.NBC News OtherFeb. 8, 2026U.K.'s prime minister's top aide resigns over Peter Mandelson's appointment to ambassador to U.S. despite Epstein tiesMorgan McSweeney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, resigned after taking responsibility for advising Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US; newly released documents indicated Mandelson had shared market-sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein during the 2008 financial crisis, and Starmer said Mandelson had 'lied repeatedly' about his Epstein ties during vetting.CBS News OtherFeb. 4, 2026Brad Karp resigns as Paul Weiss chair amid Epstein files falloutBrad Karp stepped down as chairman of law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison after Justice Department documents surfaced showing email correspondence between him and Jeffrey Epstein from 2015-2019; Karp said 'recent reporting has created a distraction' unsuitable for the firm and will remain in a client-service role.NBC News Survivor statementFeb. 1, 2026Epstein Survivors Issue Joint Statement Condemning DOJ's Incomplete Epstein Files ReleaseIn a joint statement signed by roughly 18 survivors, ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi's scheduled February 11 hearing, the group said DOJ's January 30 release exposed survivors' 'names and identifying information' while 'the men who abused us remain hidden and protected,' and said DOJ could not claim to be finished releasing files until every legally required document was out and every enabler exposed.The Meteor (wearethemeteor.com, survivors' joint statement) OtherFeb. 1, 2026Slovakia national security adviser resigns over Epstein files, denies wrongdoingMiroslav Lajcak, national security adviser to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, resigned after newly disclosed emails showed correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein about young women; Lajcak called the exchanges "informal and light-hearted and without any real substance," denied wrongdoing, and said he stepped down to avoid political damage to Fico.The Star (Malaysia); Reuters wire, byline Michael Kahn Document releaseJan. 30, 2026Department of Justice Publishes 3.5 Million Responsive Pages in Compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency ActDOJ published over 3 million additional pages -- including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images -- under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, bringing the total production to roughly 3.5 million pages; DOJ said withholdings were limited to duplicates, privileged material, and violent depictions, with redactions applied to protect victims' identities rather than to shield named public figures.U.S. Department of Justice (Office of Public Affairs)
2025
Document releaseDec. 19, 2025December 19, 2025 Letter to CongressDOJ's Dec. 19, 2025 letter to Congress, signed by the Deputy Attorney General, states the Department is producing "hundreds of thousands of pages" of records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, within the Act's 30-day production deadline (Sec. 2(a)), while withholding personally identifiable victim information, child sexual abuse material, and certain privileged or classified material.U.S. Department of Justice LegislationNov. 19, 2025Trump signs legislation requiring release of Epstein filesTrump signed H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, into law, requiring DOJ to release Epstein records subject to victim and classification redactions.Courthouse News Service Survivor statementNov. 18, 2025Epstein survivors speak out ahead of House vote, take aim at TrumpSurvivors spoke at the Capitol ahead of the House EFTA vote, criticizing Trump's handling of the issue.ABC News LegislationNov. 18, 2025Epstein files bill wins approval in House and Senate, heads to Trump's deskHouse passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427-1 (Clay Higgins the lone no); Senate passed it the same day by unanimous consent.CBS News OtherNov. 17, 2025Larry Summers says he's "stepping back from public commitments" over Epstein emailsSummers said he was "stepping back from public commitments" after Oversight released emails showing sustained Epstein correspondence, calling himself "deeply ashamed"; he will continue teaching two classes at Harvard Kennedy School.CBS News Document releaseNov. 13, 2025Jeffrey Epstein said Trump "knew about the girls" in 2019 email to author Michael Wolff, House Democrats allegeHouse Oversight Democrats released estate emails, including a 2019 message in which Epstein allegedly wrote Trump "knew about the girls"; the White House disputed it.CBS News LegislationNov. 12, 2025Epstein discharge petition secures final signature needed to force House vote on releasing filesRep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn in after a 7-week delay and signed the petition, supplying the 218th signature.CBS News Official statementOct. 30, 2025King Charles to remove Prince Andrew's titles and eject him from the Royal LodgeBuckingham Palace said King Charles III was stripping his brother's royal titles (now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor) and evicting him from Royal Lodge, amid pressure over Epstein ties and an accuser's memoir.NBC News Document releaseOct. 17, 2025Oversight Committee Releases Acosta TranscriptCommittee released the transcript of its interview with former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who negotiated Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution deal, plus letters from Holder, Garland and Comey.U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Court proceedingOct. 6, 2025Supreme Court will not address Ghislaine Maxwell's appealSCOTUS declined Maxwell's appeal over a 2007 non-prosecution agreement, leaving her 20-year sentence intact.SCOTUSblog Document releaseSept. 8, 2025House committee releases 'birthday book' with lewd message Trump allegedly sent to EpsteinThe GOP-led committee released the full birthday book after Democrats had earlier released two pages including a note attributed to Trump, which he calls fake; a message attributed to Bill Clinton was also included.NBC News Survivor statementSept. 3, 2025'This is not a hoax': Epstein survivors speak out demanding files be releasedSurvivors held a Capitol Hill presser backing the Massie-Khanna discharge petition after Trump called the push a "hoax."ABC News LegislationSept. 2, 2025GOP Rep. Thomas Massie files discharge petition to force House vote on releasing Epstein filesMassie and Khanna filed a discharge petition needing 218 signatures to force a floor vote.CBS News Document releaseSept. 2, 2025Congress releases first batch of Epstein files, many of which were already publicHouse Oversight posted 33,000+ subpoenaed pages; Democrats said most was already public.NBC News InvestigationAug. 25, 2025House panel subpoenas Epstein's estate for documents, book reportedly containing Trump birthday letterChairman James Comer subpoenaed the Epstein estate for records including the "birthday book," setting a Sept. 8 deadline.CBS News Document releaseAug. 22, 2025Ghislaine Maxwell interview released by Trump DOJ amid Epstein files criticismDOJ released transcripts/audio of Blanche's July interviews with Maxwell, who said she never saw inappropriate conduct by Trump and denied a "client list" existed.NBC News Court proceedingAug. 20, 2025Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcriptsFederal Judge Richard Berman (SDNY) rejected DOJ's bid to unseal grand-jury material from the Epstein probe; the ruling came after the judge overseeing Ghislaine Maxwell's case had already turned down a similar request.NBC New York InvestigationAug. 5, 2025Comer subpoenas the Clintons, Trump's DOJ in House Oversight's Epstein probeComer issued deposition subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, several former attorneys general, and former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller.Fox News OtherAug. 2, 2025Inside Ghislaine Maxwell's New Texas Minimum-Security PrisonGhislaine Maxwell was quietly moved from the low-security FCI Tallahassee to the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, days after her DOJ interview; the Bureau of Prisons confirmed the transfer, and the family of a late accuser said they were left with 'horror and disgust' at a move made, they said, without notice to Maxwell's victims.Newsweek OtherAug. 1, 2025Ghislaine Maxwell moved to federal prison camp in TexasBOP transferred Maxwell from a low-security Florida prison to minimum-security Camp Bryan, Texas, shortly after her interview with Deputy AG Todd Blanche; victims' advocates called it preferential treatment.NBC News InvestigationAug. 1, 2025Republican-led House committee postpones Ghislaine Maxwell's depositionComer's subpoenaed Aug. 11 Maxwell deposition was postponed to at least October, pending the Supreme Court's Sept. 29 consideration of her appeal; her lawyers had said she would plead the Fifth unless granted congressional immunity.NBC News OtherJuly 24, 2025Interview Transcript -- Maxwell 2025.07.24 (Redacted)DOJ's official redacted transcript records that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, with an FBI special agent and a Deputy U.S. Marshal present, interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell on July 24, 2025, with her attorneys present -- the first of two days of DOJ questioning that followed the backlash over the 'no further disclosure' memo.U.S. Department of Justice InvestigationJuly 23, 2025Bondi briefed Trump that his name was in Epstein filesCNN reported, corroborating a Wall Street Journal account, that Attorney General Bondi briefed Trump that his name was in the Epstein files.CNN Court proceedingJuly 23, 2025Federal judge rules on Trump's request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcriptsU.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg denied DOJ's bid to unseal 2005 and 2007 Florida grand jury records in the Epstein case, ruling that Eleventh Circuit precedent left her 'hands tied' even though the government did not oppose disclosure.Fox News InvestigationJuly 23, 2025House Oversight Committee to subpoena DOJ for Epstein filesA House Oversight subcommittee voted 8-2, three Republicans joining Democrats, to authorize a subpoena compelling DOJ to turn over Epstein files.NBC News OtherJuly 23, 2025Chairman Comer Subpoenas Ghislaine Maxwell for Deposition at Federal PrisonHouse Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition at FCI Tallahassee, part of the committee's push for information about Epstein's associates amid the furor over the DOJ memo.U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Court proceedingJuly 19, 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch for $10bn over Epstein storyTrump filed a defamation suit in a Florida federal court against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and two WSJ reporters, seeking at least $10 billion in damages over the birthday-letter story, and separately directed the Justice Department to seek unsealing of the Epstein and Maxwell grand jury transcripts.Al Jazeera English Court proceedingJuly 18, 2025DOJ Asks Court to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury TranscriptsBloomberg reported that the Justice Department asked a court to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts.Bloomberg Court proceedingJuly 18, 2025Trump sues over Wall Street Journal story about Epstein birthday cardTrump filed a $10 billion defamation suit in Florida federal court against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and the byline reporters, denying he wrote the letter.Courthouse News Service InvestigationJuly 17, 2025Bawdy birthday letter to Epstein bears Trump's name, Wall Street Journal reportsRecapping the WSJ story, MS NOW reported that the Epstein birthday-album letter attributed to Trump used sexually suggestive imagery and text, that Trump called it 'a fake Wall Street Journal story,' and that he threatened litigation against the paper and owner Rupert Murdoch.MS NOW (formerly MSNBC.com) InvestigationJuly 17, 2025Jeffrey Epstein's Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump.WSJ reported that a letter attributed to Donald Trump appeared among correspondence compiled for Epstein's 50th-birthday album by Ghislaine Maxwell.The Wall Street Journal AnalysisJuly 14, 2025What to know about the MAGA faithful's anger over Trump and the Epstein casePBS described a backlash among Trump's own supporters after DOJ said no Epstein 'client list' existed and no further files would be released, with figures such as Tucker Carlson and Laura Loomer criticizing the administration's handling and some calling for Bondi's resignation.PBS NewsHour InvestigationJuly 14, 2025Metadata Reveals Epstein Security Video Was Edited, Wired FindsSummarizing Wired's forensic analysis, PetaPixel reported the DOJ's released Epstein prison video carried Adobe Premiere Pro editing traces from a roughly 23-minute session on May 23, 2025, raising doubts about its 'raw' description, though some experts noted the editing could reflect format conversion rather than content changes.PetaPixel OtherJuly 11, 2025Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino considering resigning amid Epstein files fallout, sources saySources told CNN that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino was weighing resignation after a contentious meeting with Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel over handling of the Epstein memo and a report that the FBI had wanted more material released before DOJ stopped it.CNN (distributed via CNN Newsource / Fox Carolina) InvestigationJuly 11, 2025Metadata Shows the FBI's 'Raw' Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely ModifiedWired reported that metadata in the DOJ's 'full raw' Epstein prison video showed the footage was likely modified.Wired Official statementJuly 7, 2025Justice Department review finds Jeffrey Epstein had no "client list" and died by suicideCBS News reported on the DOJ/FBI memo's conclusions and noted that its finding of no 'client list' contradicted Attorney General Bondi's February statement that such a list existed and was under her review.CBS News Official statementJuly 7, 2025FBI Memo, July 2025An unsigned two-page DOJ/FBI memo said an 'exhaustive review' of Epstein's investigative files found no incriminating 'client list,' no credible evidence he blackmailed prominent associates, and no basis to investigate uncharged third parties; it reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in his cell in August 2019 and said no further disclosure of the files would be made.U.S. Department of Justice / Federal Bureau of Investigation Document releaseJuly 7, 2025Trump's DOJ Releases Epstein Prison Footage to Support Suicide RulingAlongside its memo, DOJ published nearly 11 hours of what it called 'full raw' surveillance footage from outside Epstein's cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, saying it showed no one entered the unit overnight and corroborated the finding of suicide.The Daily Beast (via Yahoo News) OtherJune 5, 2025Elon Musk says Trump 'is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public'Amid a public falling-out with President Trump over federal spending legislation, Elon Musk posted on X that Trump 'is in the Epstein files,' offering no evidence; Musk later deleted the post, and no official source has confirmed the claim.Fortune Document releaseFeb. 27, 2025Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein FilesDOJ and the FBI released a 'Phase 1' tranche of Epstein-related records -- an evidence list, Maxwell-case flight logs, a redacted contact book and a redacted masseuse list; DOJ's own release said the files 'largely contain[ed] documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity,' and Bondi said the FBI was ordered to turn over further pages it had not initially disclosed.U.S. Department of Justice (Office of Public Affairs) Official statementFeb. 21, 2025Bondi says Epstein client list 'sitting on my desk right now,' and is reviewing JFK, MLK filesAttorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that an Epstein-related client list was 'sitting on my desk right now' for her review, describing it as a directive from President Trump; the claim later became a flashpoint when DOJ said in July that no such list existed.Fox News
2024
Court proceedingSept. 17, 2024UNITED STATES v. MAXWELL (2024)The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Ghislaine Maxwell's 2021 sex-trafficking conviction and 20-year sentence, rejecting her arguments that Jeffrey Epstein's non-prosecution agreement should have barred her prosecution, that the indictment was untimely, and that alleged juror misconduct warranted a new trial.FindLaw Document releaseJuly 2, 2024New grand jury transcripts released in Jeffrey Epstein case reveal prosecutors knew about accusations against himCBS News reported that the newly released 2006 Florida grand jury transcripts showed prosecutors were aware of detailed sex-trafficking and rape accusations against Jeffrey Epstein -- including testimony from two witnesses identified in the reporting only as victims -- well before his lenient 2008 plea agreement.CBS News Document releaseJuly 1, 2024Florida prosecutors knew Epstein raped teenage girls 2 years before cutting deal, transcript showsA Florida circuit judge released about 150 pages of transcripts from the 2006 grand jury that investigated Jeffrey Epstein, showing prosecutors had testimony from victims and witnesses describing abuse of girls as young as 14, roughly two years before Epstein received a 2008 plea deal that resulted in about 18 months in county jail with work release.WUSF LegislationFeb. 29, 2024Governor DeSantis Signs Legislation to Authorize the Release of Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury DocumentsFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 117, which permits release of grand jury testimony when the subject is deceased and other statutory conditions are met, creating an exception that authorized disclosure of the 2006 Epstein grand jury materials beginning July 1, 2024.Executive Office of the Governor of Florida Official statementJan. 5, 2024No Investigation Into Prince Andrew After Epstein Documents Unsealed, U.K.'s Biggest Police Force SaysForbes reported that London's Metropolitan Police said it would not open a new investigation into Prince Andrew after the January 2024 unsealing of Epstein court documents.Forbes Document releaseJan. 4, 2024Jeffrey Epstein list: Whose names are on the newly unsealed documents?Al Jazeera catalogued the roughly 150 Epstein associates named in the newly unsealed court filings from an accuser's suit against Maxwell, while emphasizing the court's own caution that a name's inclusion in the documents 'does not indicate there are any allegations against the individual.'Al Jazeera Document releaseJan. 4, 2024The Biggest Names from Jeffrey Epstein's Unsealed Court DocumentsA federal court unsealed hundreds of pages of documents from an accuser's settled defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, naming acquaintances and associates of Jeffrey Epstein, including former U.S. presidents and British royalty. Time reported the records contained little information not already public and noted that several named individuals, including a number of celebrities, have not been accused of helping Epstein in any capacity.Time
2023
SettlementOct. 20, 2023US judge approves Deutsche Bank $75 million settlement with Epstein accusersCNN reported that a U.S. judge approved Deutsche Bank's $75 million settlement with women who accused Jeffrey Epstein of abuse.CNN Official statementOct. 13, 2023FCA fines former Barclays CEO and bans him from senior rolesThe UK Financial Conduct Authority fined former Barclays CEO Jes Staley more than £1.8 million and banned him from senior financial-services roles, finding he recklessly allowed Barclays to send the regulator a misleading account of the extent and timing of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Both penalties were suspended pending Staley's appeal.Central Banking SettlementSept. 26, 2023JPMorgan to pay US Virgin Islands $75m to settle Epstein lawsuitJPMorgan Chase agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands $75 million to settle the territory's lawsuit alleging the bank knowingly benefited from Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation. The bank made no admission of liability; funds were allocated toward victim services, anti-trafficking efforts, and legal fees.Al Jazeera SettlementSept. 26, 2023JPMorgan Chase settles case over its ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein for $75 million, saying it 'deeply regrets any association with this man'Fortune reported that JPMorgan Chase reached a separate, confidential settlement with former private-banking chief Jes Staley the same day it agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands $75 million, resolving the third-party complaint it had filed against him seeking to hold him liable for Epstein-related damages. No settlement amount was disclosed for the Staley agreement.Fortune Court proceedingJuly 25, 2023Lawsuit accuses billionaire Leon Black of raping autistic teenager at Jeffrey Epstein's townhouseA federal lawsuit filed in Manhattan accused billionaire Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, of raping an autistic teenage girl in 2002 at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. An attorney for Black denied the allegations and accused the plaintiff's law firm of pursuing a "vendetta" against him, according to CNBC.CNBC InvestigationJune 27, 2023'Negligence, misconduct' led to Epstein jail suicide: WatchdogAl Jazeera reported that the DOJ Inspector General identified 13 Bureau of Prisons employees who committed misconduct connected to Epstein's 2019 death, citing failures such as not assigning a cellmate and leaving excess bedding in his cell. The report again found no evidence of foul play, countering conspiracy theories about his death.Al Jazeera InvestigationJune 27, 2023Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New YorkThe DOJ Inspector General released a report finding that negligence, misconduct, and job-performance failures by Bureau of Prisons staff -- including inadequate monitoring, a malfunctioning camera system, and a failure to assign Epstein a cellmate -- contributed to his August 2019 death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The report found no evidence contradicting the medical examiner's finding that Epstein died by suicide.U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General SettlementJune 12, 2023JPMorgan to pay $290m to settle with Epstein victimsJPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $290 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein survivors, led by a plaintiff identified as Jane Doe, who alleged the bank ignored internal warnings and kept Epstein as a client from 1998 to 2013. The bank did not admit wrongdoing.Al Jazeera Court proceedingMay 24, 2023Former JPMorgan exec Jes Staley loses bid to dismiss suit over Jeffrey Epstein tiesCNBC reported that a court denied former JPMorgan executive Jes Staley's bid to dismiss a lawsuit over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.CNBC SettlementMay 18, 2023Deutsche Bank to pay $75 million to settle lawsuit by Epstein accusersDeutsche Bank agreed to pay $75 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by women who alleged the bank facilitated Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking after taking him on as a client in 2013, following his earlier departure from JPMorgan. The bank did not admit wrongdoing, and the agreement still required court approval.Gulf News Court proceedingMay 5, 2023JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon to be deposed in Epstein lawsuitsJPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was scheduled to be deposed in Epstein-related lawsuits brought by the U.S. Virgin Islands and a survivor, after a federal judge allowed the cases to proceed past the initial dismissal stage. The plaintiffs alleged the bank ignored internal warnings about Epstein; the bank denied liability.NBC News Court proceedingMarch 21, 2023Judge Denies — In Part — JPMorgan's Bid to Dismiss Epstein SuitU.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff denied in part JPMorgan's motion to dismiss the U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuit, allowing the territory's core claim -- that the bank knowingly benefited from participating in a sex-trafficking venture -- to proceed, while dismissing three other counts.St. Croix Source Court proceedingMarch 8, 2023JPMorgan sues former executive Jes Staley over his ties to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey EpsteinJPMorgan Chase filed a third-party complaint against former private-banking chief Jes Staley, seeking to hold him liable for any damages the bank owes in Epstein-related lawsuits and to claw back compensation paid to him, accusing him of breaching his duty of loyalty by not disclosing the nature of his relationship with Epstein.Fortune OtherJan. 3, 2023U.S. Virgin Islands fires attorney general in Jeffrey Epstein casesVirgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. dismissed Attorney General Denise George without giving an official reason, days after she filed the territory's lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase over its handling of Epstein's accounts.PBS NewsHour
2022
Court proceedingDec. 30, 2022US Virgin Islands sue JPMorgan Chase over handling of Jeffery Epstein accountsThe U.S. Virgin Islands attorney general sued JPMorgan Chase, alleging the bank 'knowingly facilitated, sustained, and concealed' Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking operation, ignored suspicious account activity, and violated federal banking law, coming shortly after the territory's $105 million settlement with Epstein's estate.Jurist SettlementNov. 30, 2022Jeffrey Epstein's estate agrees to pay the Virgin Islands more than $105 million to settle civil suitJeffrey Epstein's estate agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than $105 million in cash, plus half the proceeds from selling Little St. James island and $450,000 for environmental remediation, to resolve the territory's 2020 civil suit alleging Epstein ran a sex-trafficking operation from his island properties; the estate did not admit liability.NBC News Court proceedingNov. 24, 2022Jeffrey Epstein Accusers Sue Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase for 'Profiting' Off TraffickingTwo unnamed Epstein accusers filed separate proposed class-action lawsuits, one against Deutsche Bank and one against JPMorgan Chase, alleging the banks ignored suspicious financial activity and profited from Epstein's trafficking; one plaintiff's complaint against JPMorgan alleged a 'symbiotic' relationship between Epstein and then-executive Jes Staley.The Daily Beast Court proceedingJuly 8, 2022Ghislaine Maxwell's attorneys appeal her federal conviction and sentenceCNN reported that Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers filed a notice of appeal of her conviction and 20-year sentence with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.CNN Verdict / sentenceJune 28, 2022Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in prisonU.S. District Judge Alison Nathan sentenced Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 years in prison and a $750,000 fine for her role in Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls, saying a 'very significant sentence' was needed to send an unmistakable message, after prosecutors sought 30 to 55 years and the defense sought about five.PBS NewsHour Court proceedingApril 1, 2022Ghislaine Maxwell denied new trial in sex trafficking convictionJudge Alison Nathan denied Ghislaine Maxwell's motion for a new trial over a juror's undisclosed history of sexual abuse, ruling the juror 'testified credibly and truthfully' at a post-verdict hearing and that his non-disclosure, while 'highly unfortunate,' was not deliberate, so the conviction stood.NBC News DeathFeb. 19, 2022Jean-Luc Brunel: Ex-Epstein associate found dead in French jailJean-Luc Brunel was found dead in his Paris prison cell while awaiting trial on rape and trafficking-of-minors charges connected to Jeffrey Epstein; unnamed sources said he had been hanged, though prosecutors had not officially confirmed the cause of death, and victims' lawyers said they were denied the chance to see him tried.Al Jazeera Official statementJan. 13, 2022Prince Andrew stripped of military affiliations by Queen ElizabethA day after a judge refused to dismiss an accuser's lawsuit against him, Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II had stripped Prince Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages; he would no longer use the style 'His Royal Highness' in official capacities and would defend the case as a private citizen.NBC News
2021
Verdict / sentenceDec. 30, 2021Socialite Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking girls for Jeffrey EpsteinA Manhattan federal jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five of six counts, including sex-trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor, for recruiting teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein between 1994 and 2004; she was acquitted on one count of enticing a minor.Gulf News Court proceedingNov. 29, 2021Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell trial begins: Key takeaways from Day 1Ghislaine Maxwell's federal sex-trafficking trial opened in Manhattan with a seated jury of twelve; prosecutors described a 'pyramid scheme of abuse' in which Maxwell recruited and groomed underage girls for Epstein, while the defense cast her as a scapegoat for Epstein's own conduct.ABC News Court proceedingNov. 9, 2021Judge Again Denies Bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, Citing Serious Charges, Her Ability to FleeAhead of her trial, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's fourth bail application, finding a $28.5 million bail package would not offset the risk of flight; Maxwell's lawyers had argued her jail conditions were unfairly harsh compared with other high-profile defendants.Newsweek OtherAug. 9, 2021Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivors awarded $125m as claims endThe Epstein Victims' Compensation Program concluded its claims process about a year after opening, having awarded roughly $121-125 million to about 150 of the 225 people who applied, with more than 92% of eligible claimants accepting compensation rather than pursuing litigation.Al Jazeera InvestigationMay 10, 2021Melinda Gates met divorce lawyers when Epstein ties revealed: WSJCiting Wall Street Journal reporting, Al Jazeera reported that Melinda Gates began consulting divorce lawyers in 2019 after her husband Bill Gates's ties to Jeffrey Epstein became public, with her concerns about the relationship dating back to a joint 2013 meeting with Epstein; the couple announced their divorce days earlier, on May 3, 2021.Al Jazeera OtherJan. 26, 2021Leon Black, billionaire co-founder and CEO of Apollo hedge fund, steps down after review of ties to EpsteinLeon Black announced he would step down as Apollo Global Management's CEO after an independent review by law firm Dechert found he paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million for advisory services between 2012 and 2017, plus additional loans; the review found no evidence Black engaged in wrongdoing, but Black said he regretted the relationship.NBC News
2020
Arrest / chargeDec. 17, 2020Modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel arrested in Paris in Epstein probeFrench modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a longtime Epstein associate, was detained at Charles de Gaulle airport on suspicion of providing underage girls from his modeling agency for Epstein to abuse; he was later charged with rape and sexual assault of minors and trafficking.NBC News InvestigationOct. 30, 2020Apollo's Leon Black explains why he still did business with Jeffrey EpsteinFortune's account recaps a New York Times report of October 12, 2020, that Apollo co-founder Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein at least $50 million for advisory services after Epstein's 2008 prostitution conviction; Black called the arrangement a mistake and said he learned the full extent of Epstein's conduct only in late 2018.Fortune Document releaseJuly 30, 2020Another cache of documents related to Ghislaine Maxwell expected to be released in coming daysABC News reported that a court was preparing to unseal a large cache of records from an accuser's 2015 civil defamation case against Maxwell, including Maxwell's deposition testimony and Epstein correspondence, following Maxwell's criminal indictment.ABC News Court proceedingJuly 14, 2020Judge Denies Bail For Ghislaine Maxwell, Longtime Confidant Of Jeffrey EpsteinNPR reported that a federal judge denied bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, who had pleaded not guilty at a Tuesday hearing to charges tied to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of minors, finding she posed a 'substantial' risk of flight ahead of her trial.NPR SettlementJuly 7, 2020Deutsche Bank hit with $150 million penalty for relationship to sex offender Jeffrey EpsteinCNBC reported that New York State financial regulators fined Deutsche Bank $150 million over its oversight failures in maintaining a banking relationship with Jeffrey Epstein from 2013 until 2018.CNBC Arrest / chargeJuly 2, 2020Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell arrestedThe FBI arrested Ghislaine Maxwell in New Hampshire; the DOJ's Southern District of New York announced an indictment charging her with conspiracy, enticing and transporting minors for illegal sex acts, and perjury, alleging she helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit and abuse girls as young as 14 in the 1990s.Gulf News OtherJune 25, 2020Jeffrey Epstein's accusers can now seek compensation from fundCNN reported that people who say they were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein, many of whom were underage girls at the time, could begin filing claims for compensation through a fund that opened on June 25, 2020.CNN Court proceedingJan. 15, 2020US Virgin Islands sue Epstein's estate, claim he used island to abuse girls as young as 11 and 12 years oldThe U.S. Virgin Islands government sued Jeffrey Epstein's estate, alleging he trafficked and sexually abused minors on his private islands, Little St. James and Great St. James, and seeking forfeiture of the islands and dissolution of related shell companies.Fox News
2019
Official statementNov. 21, 2019Director Testifies Before Senate Judiciary CommitteeThe Bureau of Prisons said Director Kathleen Hawk Sawyer testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 19, 2019, on "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Implementation of the First Step Act of 2018," with her written statement posted alongside the notice.Federal Bureau of Prisons (bop.gov) OtherNov. 21, 2019Prince Andrew under mounting pressure to talk to FBI about Jeffrey EpsteinFollowing Prince Andrew's November 16, 2019 BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with Epstein, he faced calls to speak with the FBI and pressure from charities cutting ties; an accuser has said Andrew had sexual contact with her at age 17 at properties linked to Epstein, which Andrew has denied.CBS News Official statementNov. 20, 2019Prince Andrew steps back from public duties for 'foreseeable future'Prince Andrew announced on November 20, 2019, that Queen Elizabeth II had given him permission to step back from public royal duties "for the foreseeable future," saying his association with Epstein had become a "major disruption" to the royal family's work; he said he continued to "unequivocally regret" that association.CBS News Arrest / chargeNov. 19, 2019Jeffrey Epstein jail guards charged with falsifying recordsFederal prosecutors charged two Metropolitan Correctional Center officers with conspiracy and falsifying records for failing to conduct required checks on Epstein and fabricating log entries during the hours before his death; U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said the officers repeatedly skipped mandated rounds.CBS News Arrest / chargeNov. 19, 2019Correctional Officers Charged With Falsifying Records On August 9th And 10th At The Metropolitan Correctional CenterThe DOJ's own charging announcement said the two officers were the only ones assigned to the Special Housing Unit that night, that video showed no one conducted counts or rounds for hours, and that one faces five counts of making false records while the other faces three, with each also charged with one count of conspiracy.U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York (Department of Justice) Official statementNov. 19, 2019Prisons chief critical of guards sleeping on the jobAt the same Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, senators from both parties questioned Hawk Sawyer about Epstein's death; she acknowledged guards sometimes sleep on duty, calling it "dangerous to everybody," hours after two correctional officers were charged over inadequate monitoring of Epstein.Roll Call Official statementNov. 14, 2019Jeffrey Epstein's estate executors plan for creation of victims compensation programEpstein estate executors filed papers in U.S. Virgin Islands court seeking approval for a victims' compensation program to be run by administrators including Kenneth Feinberg, offering a confidential, non-adversarial alternative to litigation for people who say they were sexually abused by Epstein.Fox Business AnalysisOct. 30, 2019Epstein's Autopsy 'Points to Homicide,' Pathologist Hired by Brother ClaimsForensic pathologist Michael Baden, who observed Epstein's autopsy on behalf of Epstein's brother, said several neck-bone fractures were "extremely unusual in suicidal hangings" and more consistent with homicidal strangulation; the city's chief medical examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, strongly disputed the claim, saying the injuries he cited "can be seen in suicides and homicides."The New York Times Court proceedingOct. 8, 2019Jeffrey Epstein accuser names four women in his web of enablersIn an amended complaint, the woman who sued Epstein's estate that August identified Ghislaine Maxwell and three former Epstein staff members she said helped arrange and conceal his abuse of her as a teenager; one named attorney disputed the allegations against her client.NBC News InvestigationSept. 27, 2019As prosecutors go after Epstein's alleged co-conspirators, the line between victim and criminal blursCNN reported that federal prosecutors in Manhattan, after pledging to keep investigating Epstein's network following his death, were examining women including Ghislaine Maxwell whom accusers say helped recruit and manage victims, and the legal questions raised by pursuing people who accusers say were themselves once victimized.CNN Official statementSept. 13, 2019A Message to the Community Regarding Jeffrey EpsteinHarvard President Lawrence Bacow disclosed that Epstein gave the university roughly $8.9 million between 1998 and 2007, all before his 2008 guilty plea, and pledged to redirect about $186,000 in unspent Epstein-linked funds to organizations supporting trafficking and abuse survivors.Harvard University (statement by President Lawrence Bacow) Official statementSept. 7, 2019MIT Media Lab director resigns after criticism over financial ties to Jeffrey EpsteinJoichi (Joi) Ito resigned as director of the MIT Media Lab and as an MIT professor on September 7, 2019, a day after a New Yorker investigation reported the lab had solicited and concealed donations connected to Epstein beyond what MIT had previously disclosed; MIT President Reif called the situation "deeply disturbing" and said MIT would engage an independent law firm to investigate the Media Lab's relationship with Epstein.NBC News InvestigationSept. 7, 2019How an Élite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey EpsteinRonan Farrow reported that internal MIT Media Lab documents showed the lab, under director Joi Ito, solicited and accepted contributions connected to Epstein far exceeding the roughly $800,000 MIT had publicly acknowledged, and took steps to record some of the gifts as anonymous.The New Yorker Court proceedingAug. 29, 2019Criminal Case Against Alleged Child Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein DismissedU.S. District Judge Richard Berman formally dismissed the sex-trafficking indictment against Epstein on August 29, 2019, as required after a defendant's death, while incorporating a hearing transcript of victims' statements into the record; prosecutors said the dismissal did not affect the ongoing investigation of possible co-conspirators.CBS News New York Survivor statementAug. 27, 2019'Depraved human being': Jeffrey Epstein accusers voice their anguish in courtThe Guardian reported that about 20 women addressed a New York federal courtroom at a hearing convened after Epstein's death, with an accuser calling him a coward who "robbed" victims of confronting him in court, and other women describing him as a "depraved human being."The Guardian Official statementAug. 22, 2019MIT Apologizes, Says Jeffrey Epstein Gave $800KMIT President L. Rafael Reif said Epstein's foundations gave the university about $800,000 over 20 years, mostly to the Media Lab and professor Seth Lloyd, called it a "mistake of judgment," apologized to Epstein's victims, and pledged an equal donation to organizations supporting abuse survivors.Inside Higher Ed Official statementAug. 19, 2019Attorney general reassigns director of federal Bureau of Prisons after Jeffrey Epstein suicideAttorney General William Barr removed Hugh Hurwitz as acting director of the federal Bureau of Prisons on August 19, 2019, replacing him with former director Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, amid increased scrutiny of the bureau following the FBI and Justice Department inspector general investigations into Epstein's death.CBS News Document releaseAug. 19, 2019Jeffrey Epstein signed new will just two days before he diedProbate records filed in the U.S. Virgin Islands showed Epstein signed a new will on August 8, 2019, two days before his death, placing his roughly $577.6 million estate into a newly created trust, "The 1953 Trust," rather than leaving assets directly to his brother.NBC News DeathAug. 16, 2019Jeffrey Epstein's death ruled a suicide by hangingNew York City's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, ruled on August 16, 2019, that Epstein died by suicide via hanging, saying the conclusion came from synthesizing all available evidence and that "no single finding can be evaluated in a vacuum."CBS News LegislationAug. 14, 2019Senate Announces Opening Of The 'Lookback Window' For Child Sex Abuse SurvivorsNew York's Child Victims Act one-year "lookback window" took effect August 14, 2019, letting survivors of past child sexual abuse file previously time-barred civil suits against individual abusers and institutions through August 14, 2020; Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called it "justice that has been denied for far too long."New York State Senate (press release) Official statementAug. 13, 2019Warden of Manhattan jail where Jeffrey Epstein died is reassigned, 2 guards placed on leaveDOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec said Attorney General Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons to temporarily reassign Metropolitan Correctional Center warden Lamine N'Diaye to the Bureau's Northeast Regional Office pending the FBI and OIG investigations, install FCI Otisville warden James Petrucci as acting warden, and place two guards from Epstein's unit on administrative leave.NBC News Official statementAug. 12, 2019Barr cites 'serious irregularities' in Jeffrey Epstein's deathAttorney General William Barr said in a statement that the Justice Department was "learning of serious irregularities" at the Metropolitan Correctional Center that were "deeply concerning" and demanded a thorough investigation, and pledged accountability for those responsible.McClatchy DC Bureau InvestigationAug. 12, 2019FBI agents swarm Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean islandFBI agents, directed by the Epstein task force in the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, searched Epstein's Little St. James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands on August 12, two days after his death; U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said the sex-trafficking investigation "remains ongoing."NBC News InvestigationAug. 12, 2019House panel demands answers about Jeffrey Epstein's death from prisons chiefHouse Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and Ranking Member Doug Collins sent Bureau of Prisons acting director Hugh Hurwitz a bipartisan letter with 23 questions about Epstein's custody and death, seeking details on suicide-watch decisions, staffing, and monitoring, with a response deadline of August 21.NBC News DeathAug. 10, 2019Jeffrey Epstein Dies By Apparent Suicide In JailJeffrey Epstein was found unresponsive in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell around 6:30 a.m. on August 10, 2019, and was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital; officials said he had hanged himself. Attorney General William Barr said the death "raises serious questions that must be answered," and the FBI opened an investigation.CBS News New York InvestigationAug. 10, 2019US attorney: Epstein abuse probe steadfast despite his deathAP reported that the FBI and the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General would investigate how Epstein died in apparent suicide at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, while officials said the broader sex-trafficking investigation into his alleged abuse would remain ongoing.Associated Press (via AP News) Document releaseAug. 9, 2019Documents released about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine MaxwellThe Second Circuit Court of Appeals unsealed documents from an accuser's defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, a case she filed years earlier after Maxwell called her a liar, releasing the material the day before Epstein's death.CNBC Official statementAug. 8, 2019Wexner Says Epstein 'Misappropriated' Millions Of Family MoneyConfirms the Wexner Foundation letter: Wexner wrote that Epstein, who held power of attorney over his finances and served as a foundation trustee, misappropriated funds including a $47 million donation Epstein made to the foundation, and said he was "embarrassed" and "deceived."Ideastream Public Media Official statementAug. 7, 2019Leslie Wexner Accuses Jeffrey Epstein of Misappropriating MoneyL Brands chief Leslie Wexner told his charitable foundation in a letter, distributed to the press, that Epstein, his former money manager, "misappropriated vast sums of money" from him and his family, following weeks of public questions about his ties to Epstein.The New York Times Court proceedingJuly 18, 2019Jeffrey Epstein denied bail by federal judge in New YorkU.S. District Judge Richard Berman denied Jeffrey Epstein bail, ruling that he posed a danger to the community and a flight risk and rejecting a defense proposal for home confinement backed by his $77 million mansion as "irretrievably inadequate," CBS News reported.CBS News Court proceedingJuly 15, 2019"Piles of cash" and passport with fake name found during raid of Jeffrey Epstein's NYC homeAt a Manhattan bail hearing, federal prosecutors said a search of Jeffrey Epstein's mansion turned up cash, dozens of diamonds and an expired passport bearing his photo under a false name, and argued he posed an "extraordinary risk of flight," while the defense sought home confinement; Judge Richard Berman said he would rule on bail later that week, CBS News reported.CBS News Official statementJuly 12, 2019Acosta resigns: U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigns amid questions about handling of Epstein caseLabor Secretary Alexander Acosta announced his resignation, effective in seven days, amid renewed scrutiny of his role in Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal following Epstein's July 2019 arrest; Acosta said he did not think it fair for the administration's Labor Department to be focused on the Epstein case rather than the economy, CBS News reported.CBS News Official statementJuly 12, 2019Trump Labor Secretary Acosta resigning after criticism over Epstein plea deal in sex caseLabor Secretary Alexander Acosta announced his resignation on July 12, 2019, amid renewed scrutiny of the lenient 2008 non-prosecution deal he negotiated with Epstein as U.S. Attorney; Acosta said he did not want to be a distraction, and President Trump named Deputy Secretary Patrick Pizzella acting secretary.NBC News Official statementJuly 10, 2019Alexander Acosta, embattled labor secretary, defends handling of Jeffrey Epstein caseLabor Secretary Alexander Acosta held a nearly hour-long press conference defending his role, as the former U.S. Attorney who negotiated Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal, calling Epstein's conduct "despicable" but offering no apology to victims; asked if he would make the same deal today, Acosta said only, "We live in a very different world," CBS News reported.CBS News Official statementJuly 10, 2019Oversight Committee Plans Hearing with Acosta on Plea Deal with EpsteinThe House Committee on Oversight and Reform announced it would hold a hearing to examine Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's actions, as former U.S. Attorney, in authorizing Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement, and requested that Acosta provide an update on the status of the Justice Department's related internal-misconduct investigation.U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform Official statementJuly 9, 2019Trump not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein, accused sex traffickerCNBC reported that President Trump told reporters he was "not a fan" of Jeffrey Epstein and that the two had experienced a "falling out," repeatedly declining to say what caused it, a day after Epstein's sex-trafficking indictment was unsealed.CNBC Arrest / chargeJuly 8, 2019Remarks of United States Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman On The Indictment and Arrest of Jeffrey EpsteinU.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced the unsealing of a two-count federal indictment charging Jeffrey Epstein with sex-trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of minors, alleging he abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, at his homes in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005. Berman said his office would seek Epstein's detention pending trial.U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York (DOJ) Court proceedingJuly 8, 2019Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein pleads not guilty to federal sex trafficking chargesJeffrey Epstein pleaded not guilty to the federal sex-trafficking charges at his arraignment in Manhattan federal court, JURIST reported; prosecutors said they would seek his detention pending trial, citing his wealth, including multiple passports and two private jets.JURIST Arrest / chargeJuly 7, 2019Jeffrey Epstein arrested in New York on charges related to sex traffickingCBS News (CBS/AP) reported that Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in New York on federal charges related to sex trafficking, days after a federal appeals court ordered the unsealing of records in a related civil case; the report said the arrest came amid renewed scrutiny of the secret 2008 plea deal negotiated when Alexander Acosta, now Labor Secretary, was the U.S. Attorney overseeing the case, and credited The Daily Beast with first reporting the arrest.CBS News Court proceedingJuly 3, 2019Court orders Jeffrey Epstein-related documents to be made publicABC News reported that a federal appeals court ordered the release of previously sealed court documents in a defamation case connected to Jeffrey Epstein, following an appeal brought by the Miami Herald and its reporter Julie Brown.ABC News Court proceedingFeb. 22, 2019Federal judge rules Miami prosecutors acted unlawfully by concealing plea agreement in Epstein caseU.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra ruled that federal prosecutors, led at the time by Alexander Acosta, violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by concealing Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement from his victims and misleading them about the status of the investigation. Marra ordered prosecutors and victims' attorneys to confer on a remedy within 15 days.JURIST InvestigationFeb. 6, 2019Justice Department opens probe into Jeffrey Epstein's plea dealNBC News reported that the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility had opened an investigation into potential misconduct by federal prosecutors over the secrecy of Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea agreement and its effect on victims, in response to Sen. Ben Sasse's request; the notification letter covered the office's actions during Alexander Acosta's tenure as U.S. Attorney but did not name him directly.NBC News
2018
Official statementDec. 5, 2018Ben Sasse calls on Justice Dept to investigate its treatment of Jeffrey EpsteinCBS News reported that Sen. Ben Sasse sent letters asking the Justice Department to investigate whether federal officials, including then-prosecutor Alexander Acosta, committed misconduct in negotiating Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal, days after the Miami Herald's investigation was published.CBS News SettlementDec. 4, 2018Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein Settles Defamation Suit, Silencing Women's TestimonyNPR reported that Jeffrey Epstein settled a defamation lawsuit brought by attorney Bradley Edwards as jury selection was beginning, a resolution Edwards' lawyer said secured Edwards' "personal vindication" while a separate Crime Victims' Rights Act suit on behalf of alleged victims continued.NPR (via WUNC) InvestigationNov. 28, 2018Sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein was surrounded by powerful people. Here's a samplingAs part of its 'Perversion of Justice' investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, published the same week, the Miami Herald ran this companion piece cataloguing prominent people connected to him.Miami Herald
2017
2016
2015
Court proceedingApril 8, 2015Prince Andrew's Teen Sex Accuser Cannot Join Lawsuit: JudgeJudge Kenneth Marra ruled two women could not formally join a CVRA suit against the federal government over Epstein's non-prosecution deal, ordering their allegations against Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz struck as 'lurid' and unnecessary. Both men, who deny the allegations, called it vindication.NBC News Court proceedingApril 7, 2015Allegations Against Alan Dershowitz, Removed From The RecordReporting on Judge Kenneth Marra's order striking sexual-misconduct allegations against Alan Dershowitz from the CVRA file as 'immaterial and impertinent,' noting Dershowitz's team called it a vindication while a separate defamation suit remained pending.Above the Law Document releaseJan. 23, 2015Here Is Pedophile Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's Little Black BookGawker published a redacted address book that surfaced in court proceedings; Epstein's former house manager Alfredo Rodriguez had circled roughly 50 entries before trying to sell the book for $50,000, conduct that led to his own obstruction-of-justice conviction. Gawker withheld contact details and last names of potential minor victims.Gawker (via gawkerarchives.com mirror) Document releaseJan. 22, 2015Flight Logs Put Clinton, Dershowitz on Pedophile Billionaire's Sex JetGawker published Epstein's private-jet flight logs, reporting Bill Clinton took multiple trips in 2002-2003 alongside Ghislaine Maxwell and Sarah Kellen (named by prosecutors as a potential co-conspirator), and that Alan Dershowitz also flew with Epstein repeatedly since 1997. Named individuals were reported denying wrongdoing.Gawker (via gawkerarchives.com mirror) Court proceedingJan. 6, 2015As Dershowitz Takes Action To Refute Allegations, Lawyers Sue for DefamationAfter Alan Dershowitz moved to intervene in the Florida CVRA case to contest misconduct allegations against him, attorneys Bradley Edwards and Paul Cassell filed a Florida defamation suit against him. Dershowitz called their allegations ‘categorically false’ and said he welcomed deposing them under oath.The Harvard Crimson Official statementJan. 5, 2015Prince Andrew: Buckingham Palace issues second denial that Duke of York had sex with underage girlA day after its first denial, Buckingham Palace issued a more detailed statement that it was ‘emphatically denied’ Prince Andrew had sexual contact with an accuser, calling any such claim ‘false and without foundation.’ Andrew called it ‘categorically untrue.’ABC News (Australia) Document releaseJan. 4, 2015Buckingham Palace repeats denial of Prince Andrew sex claimsCourt papers in a long-running federal case over Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution deal became public naming Prince Andrew, after an accuser alleged Epstein forced her to have sex with him three times between 1999-2002, beginning at 17. Buckingham Palace called the claim false; the suit concerns whether the government violated victims' rights, not a finding on the allegations.Euronews
2012
2011
Court proceedingNov. 18, 2011Jeffrey Epstein's Level 3 sex offender status upheld by NY appeals courtA New York state appeals court upheld Jeffrey Epstein's classification as a Level 3 sex offender, meaning the state considers him “a threat to public safety” and at “high risk” to reoffend, over his 2008 Florida conviction.New York Post OtherJuly 22, 2011Prince Andrew steps down as trade envoyPrince Andrew stepped down as Britain's special trade envoy, a post held a decade, four months after his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein drew public criticism. Buckingham Palace said the role would no longer exist.ABC News (Australia) OtherFeb. 25, 2011Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein: I'm a sex offender, not a predatorThe New York Post reported that Jeffrey Epstein, after a Manhattan judge ruled him a Level 3 sex offender the previous month over his 2008 Florida conviction, told the paper, “I’m not a sexual predator, I’m an ‘offender,’” comparing the distinction to “the difference between a murderer and a person who steals a bagel.”New York Post
2008
Verdict / sentenceJune 30, 2008Jail Time for Millionaire in Teen Sex ScandalABC News reported on Jeffrey Epstein's guilty plea and 18-month sentence, adding that he still faced civil suits alleging sexual abuse of high-school-age girls and that Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter publicly criticized the outcome as an insufficient resolution of the case.ABC News Verdict / sentenceJune 30, 2008Billionaire pleads to Fla. prostitution chargeThe Associated Press reported that Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida state court to soliciting prostitution from underage girls and was sentenced by Circuit Judge Deborah Dale Pucillo to 18 months in Palm Beach County jail plus a year of house arrest, with mandatory sex-offender registration.Associated Press Court proceedingMarch 5, 2008Third alleged victim files sex suit against Jeffrey EpsteinThe Palm Beach Post reported that a woman identified only as Jane Doe No. 3 became the third plaintiff in six weeks to sue Jeffrey Epstein in federal court, alleging he initiated sexual contact with her during a massage at his Palm Beach home when she was 16, and seeking more than $50 million in damages.Palm Beach Post Court proceedingFeb. 6, 2008Second teen-sex suit seeks $50 million from Jeffrey EpsteinThe Palm Beach Post reported that a second civil suit seeking $50 million was filed against Jeffrey Epstein alleging teen sex abuse.Palm Beach Post
2007
AnalysisDec. 7, 2007The FantasistNew York magazine published a profile of Jeffrey Epstein titled "The Fantasist," by Philip Weiss, examining his background and public persona while the sex-crimes case against him was ongoing.New York Magazine Court proceedingOct. 17, 2007Lawsuit: Millionaire Promised Teen Career Help in Exchange for SexABC News reported that a woman filed a civil suit in New York Supreme Court alleging that financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused her at age 16 after promising to help advance her modeling career, and that other women were said to be considering similar claims.ABC News
2006
InvestigationAug. 14, 2006Jeffrey Epstein craved big homes, elite friends – and, investigators say, underage girlsThe Palm Beach Post profiled Jeffrey Epstein's wealth and social connections, reporting that investigators said he sought out underage girls.Palm Beach Post Arrest / chargeJuly 26, 2006After long probe, billionaire faces solicitation chargeThe Palm Beach Post reported that, after a lengthy police investigation, a Palm Beach County grand jury brought a solicitation-of-prostitution charge against financier Jeffrey Epstein.Palm Beach Post Document releaseJuly 26, 2006Billionaire In Palm Beach Sex ScandalThe Smoking Gun published the Palm Beach Police Department's probable cause affidavit from its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.The Smoking Gun