Court documents recently unsealed in the US raise allegations of inappropriate conduct against former President Bill Clinton, among others. The documents stem from a defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an accuser of the late Jeffrey Epstein, against Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
One of Epstein’s victims alleges in a deposition that Epstein boasted about President Clinton’s preference for “liking them young”. While the term could be referring to minors, these claims are unsubstantiated and remain unproven in court.
The unsealed documents also name over 170 individuals associated with Epstein, including former President Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
Prince Andrew is a senior member of the British royal family and the brother of King Charles.
While the documents do not allege any wrongdoing against these individuals, Prince Andrew made an out of court settlement with the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct when she was underage.
Manhattan federal Judge Loretta Preska ordered the release of these documents last month. The trove contains various allegations of inappropriate behaviour linked to Epstein’s powerful associates that included senior politicians, business moguls and entertainment iconic figures.
These documents were part of a defamation lawsuit filed in 2015 by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, which has since been settled.
Among the hundreds of pages of filings, another victim Johanna Sjoberg spoke about what she knew about Mr Clinton’s ties to Epstein as part of a 2016 deposition that also made allegations against Prince Andrew.
Under sworn testimony, she said that Epstein had told her the former president liked girls “young”.
“[Epstein] said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls,” she testified.
When asked if she knew Mr Clinton was a friend of Epstein, she said: “I knew he had dealings with Bill Clinton. I did not know they were friends until I read the Vanity Fair article about them going to Africa together.”
Summary of the Epstein Sex-Trafficking Scandal Timeline
2005 – Investigation Launched: An investigation into Jeffrey Epstein begins in Palm Beach, Florida, after a 14-year-old girl reports being molested at his house.
2006 – Epstein Arrested: Epstein is arrested on charges of unlawful sex with a minor. A grand jury indicts him on a count of soliciting prostitution, prompting an FBI investigation.
2008 – Epstein Pleads Guilty: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution, including from a minor, and is sentenced to 18 months in jail. He serves most of his sentence in a work-release program and is released in July 2009.
2019 – Financier Jailed Again: Epstein faces new federal sex trafficking charges in New York, related to crimes committed between 2002 and 2005. He pleads not guilty.
2019 – Epstein Found Dead: While in a Manhattan prison, Epstein takes his own life on August 10, 2019, preventing a trial on the sex trafficking charges.
