Justice Department Unveils Names of Epstein's Alleged Accomplices
The Justice Department has disclosed the identities of three individuals previously designated as co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein, responding to mounting pressure from lawmakers who argued that the names had been unjustly concealed.
In a significant move, the Justice Department unredacted portions of an internal FBI document dated August 15, 2019, revealing billionaire Les Wexner among those labeled as co-conspirators. This action followed complaints from Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, who contended that the department violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding these names. Both lawmakers co-authored the legislation aimed at ensuring the release of all records related to Epstein, and they have been vocal critics of the department's transparency efforts.
"This is a well-known retired CEO. DOJ should unredact this. Why did they redact this?" Massie questioned in a post on X, linking to the previously redacted FBI document. His comments came after he and Khanna visited the Justice Department to review unredacted files.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded, asserting, "The document you cite has numerous victim names. We have just unredacted Les Wexner’s name from this document, but his name already appears in the files thousands of times. DOJ is hiding nothing."
The updated document lists eight individuals as co-conspirators, with four names remaining redacted. Among those unredacted are Wexner, former CEO of Victoria’s Secret; Lesley Groff, Epstein's long-time secretary; the late modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel; and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted on sex trafficking charges and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Four other names remain obscured, leaving their identities unknown. Prosecutors have indicated that Epstein exploited women he victimized as recruiters. An additional document from August 2019 suggested that some of these individuals were also victims cooperating with investigators.
A legal representative for Wexner stated, “The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect. Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
Wexner's association with Epstein dates back to the 1980s when he hired Epstein to manage his finances. He claims to have severed ties after allegations of Epstein's sexual abuse of minors surfaced in Florida, stating he later discovered significant financial misappropriation by Epstein.
Wexner's name also appeared in a July 2019 FBI email regarding potential co-conspirators released by the Justice Department. Another email from August 2019 noted "limited evidence regarding his involvement."
Next week, Wexner is set to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee.
Groff, who maintained a long relationship with Epstein, has denied any knowledge of his criminal activities. Her attorney remarked that Groff had never seen the FBI document and was unaware of her designation as a co-conspirator. After voluntarily speaking with prosecutors and answering all questions, she was informed she would not face prosecution.
Brunel, who also had a lengthy association with Epstein, reportedly died by suicide in a Paris jail cell in February 2022 while awaiting trial for charges related to the rape of a minor connected to Epstein. He had consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Brunel's death occurred less than three years after Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Epstein's death, ruled a suicide, sparked numerous conspiracy theories alleging foul play to protect powerful associates.
Following his visit to the Justice Department, Massie identified an individual whom he claimed Epstein referred to in a 2019 email as "the sultan," urging the department to disclose this person's identity.
Blanche clarified that the name was redacted because it was an email address and noted that "the Sultan’s name is available unredacted in the files," referencing Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a prominent Emirati businessman.
A representative for bin Sulayem's company did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding his communications with Epstein. He has not been implicated in any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Bin Sulayem has ties to former President Donald Trump; reports from 2005 indicated his company was involved in plans for two Trump-branded properties that were ultimately canceled.
In November, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act following bipartisan outrage over an unsigned memo from the FBI and Justice Department claiming an exhaustive review of their files yielded no evidence warranting further investigation into uncharged third parties.
Khanna and Massie have raised concerns about additional redactions in the Epstein files, including what Khanna described as the names of "six wealthy powerful men" whose identities were withheld without justification.
On Tuesday morning, Khanna publicly read these names on the House floor, asserting that all should be disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which stipulates that only victims' identities should remain confidential.
Some survivors of Epstein's abuse have expressed frustration over their information being released. A Justice Department spokesperson acknowledged potential oversights in redactions due to the extensive volume of documents involved and encouraged public feedback for corrections.
The spokesperson added that "four of the six men" referenced by Massie and Khanna appear only in this specific document, while Wexner is mentioned nearly two hundred times across all files, and Sultan bin Sulayem appears over 4,700 times.
