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| Epstein and his "closest friend" |
Legally, it goes back to 2005, when the mother of a
14-year-old contacted Palm Beach Police alleging Epstein’s sexual abuse of her
daughter.
It was predicated on the compelling testimony of a teenage
girl (read it here).
She was a troubled kid who initially just wanted to make
some money for her shopping trips to the mall, a visit that, with Epstein’s
encouragement, escalated far beyond just the massage she believed she was hired
to give. The investigation also revealed more than a dozen other high school
girls describing their very similar experiences with Epstein.
But the testimony of a child, it appears, was no match for the
Epstein defense.
Epstein’s legal team was composed of high‑powered
lawyers known for representing wealthy and famous clients, as well as figures
tied to the GOP establishment. It included Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law
professor and celebrity attorney (consultant on O.J. Simpson’s defense and adviser to Harvey Weinstein, and defended Trump in
his first impeachment); Roy Black, a prominent criminal defense attorney who
represented William Kennedy Smith and Rush Limbaugh; Kenneth Starr, the former
Independent Counsel who investigated Bill Clinton (and also defended Trump in his
first impeachment); and Jay Lefkowitz, a former White House attorney under
President George W. Bush.
Together, they formed what was likely the most formidable
legal team ever assembled for a sex crimes case; certainly, for what turned out
to be simply State of Florida charges.
And, wow, they fought fiercely for their client, Jeffrey
Epstein.
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| Justice is not blind for the rich |
They challenged the case’s strength, arguing that many
victims were reluctant to testify publicly, and that witness accounts were
inconsistent — making a federal trial risky.
They leaned into their political and institutional
leverage—with lawyers like Starr and Dershowitz, the team had deep connections
in Washington and the legal establishment, which added weight to their
negotiations.
And it worked.
In 2008, Epstein, instead of facing federal charges, was prosecuted
only on two State of Florida charges: solicitation of prostitution and
solicitation of prostitution from a minor, keeping the case from a federal
trial and further scrutiny. This was granted by U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of Florida Alexander Acosta—interestingly, a man Trump named Secretary
of Labor during his first term.
In Florida, solicitation of prostitution from a minor can
bring up to 15 years in prison.
Any sentence under 10 years for doing so to a child of 14
would be unusual.
Epstein got 18 months.
He was able to leave the prison with work privileges—heading
out to his office up to 12 hours six days per week—before having to come back
to the prison at night.
He was released in 2009, after only 13 months.
In addition to a sentence that was (and is) termed by many a
“sweetheart deal,” Epstein’s team secured a non‑prosecution agreement that not
only protected Epstein from federal charges but also brought an extraordinary
concession which gave immunity to “potential
co‑conspirators.” The team also assured
that the deal was hidden from victims until it was finalized, seemingly
violating federal victims’ rights laws.
And that’s how we got here—Trump desperately trying to
distance himself from a man who Epstein once called
“his closest friend,” and many in Congress looking to hold Trump to his 2024 pledge
to release even more information about Epstein and his pals.
Mu cut: The legal saga may have begun in 2005, but, even twenty
years later, it’s a long way from being over—
for Trump, the American people, and for the survivors
demanding the truth.
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