Several well-known Jeffrey Epstein associates are in for a New Year's shock, as they are likely to be named in court documents set to be released in early 2024. Over 170 people connected to Epstein, comprising former employees and victims, are set to be named in a trove of court documents, a Manhattan federal judge has ordered to be unsealed in the coming weeks.
On Monday, Judge Loretta Preska issued an order for the release of a substantial collection of previously sealed documents in the defamation lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre against the pedophile's madam Ghislaine Maxwell. The lawsuit, which was settled, dates back to 2015.
Dozens of Epstein Associates to be Exposed
According to the ruling, several individuals, previously only referred to as "Jane Does" or "John Does" in various court filings related to the lawsuit, are expected to be revealed when materials linked to them are fully unsealed, the Daily Mail reported.
The judge has granted these individuals a 14-day window to appeal the decision, as stated in Monday's order.
The ruling notes that several individuals who are expected to be named have already publicly discussed their professional associations with Epstein or shared their experiences of sexual abuse by him in media interviews.
Despite the unsealing of documents, a few individuals identified as "Does" will maintain their anonymity in court filings as the judge determined that they were purported underage victims of sexual abuse.
Others will also be shielded from disclosure as revealing their names in certain court documents would, as the judge pointed out, "disclose sensitive information regarding an alleged minor victim of sexual abuse who has not spoken publicly and who has maintained his or her privacy."
A total of 177 people will be revealed across numerous files, providing fresh insights into the late financier's sex trafficking operation and his influential network.
Court documents that were once sealed and connected to Giuffre's defamation lawsuit against Maxwell, which was ultimately settled in 2017 for an undisclosed sum, have gradually become public over the years.
Out in Public
The released documents are expected to contain information about one of Prince Andrew's accusers, who alleges that Epstein fondled her breasts at his New York mansion. Additionally, there will be material about Haley Robson, identified as a recruiter in police files during Epstein's initial 2006 investigation in Palm Beach.
Robson, however, has more recently claimed that she was a victim as well. The filing suggests that certain documents will be related to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French model scout closely associated with Epstein, who faced numerous sex charges and hanged himself in a Paris prison cell in 2022 while awaiting trial.
The court documents in this case have been gradually released since 2019, starting with the first batch made public just days before Epstein's death by suicide in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Previous document releases contained revelations such as emails between Prince Andrew and Epstein in 2015, a period when allegations were made against the prince by Virginia Roberts.
This final group of 177 individuals, referred to as Does, includes many who were informed by the court but did not object to the public release of documents bearing their names.
The materials are expected to encompass depositions, emails, legal documents, and other materials that have not been previously disclosed to the public.
