Clinton and Trump are named in Jeffrey Epstein documents, no wrongdoing alleged
USA TodayJan 02
More Jeffrey Epstein Records Released
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The Facts
American actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey and Sara Ferguson, the Duchess of York, have been named in another set of legal documents released on Friday linked to alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The court papers — from a defamation case brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell — reportedly describe Maxwell's involvement in recruiting underage girls, allegedly to satisfy Epstein's "sexual gratification."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While it's understandable that Americans' distrust of the elites has thrown them into a frenzy over this document dump, the fact is that the only accusations being made are unsubstantiated claims online, not legal prosecutions. There were undoubtedly sexual predators involved other than Epstein and Maxwell, but that doesn't mean everyone listed in these documents was a sex offender. What we know for sure is that wealthy and powerful people hung around Epstein over the years, but more evidence is going to be needed if we want criminal prosecutions.
Establishment-critical narrative
Brushing aside accusations against the US elite because no prosecutions have occurred is absurd. We're dealing with a man who, after avoiding charges of sex with a minor through a plea deal with US attorneys in 2007, was scheduled to meet with then-US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns seven years later. Between the documents being released publicly now, as well as accusations from victims that Epstein monitored his house guests on video, it's safe to assume he may have been blackmailing some of the world's most powerful people to keep himself out of trouble.
