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Documents that were once in the possession of the late financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein suggest that he was connected to several influential individuals, such as a former Israeli Prime Minister, a former treasury secretary, and famed movie director Woody Allen. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, these documents, which consist of various emails and schedules, reveal Epstein’s interactions with major figures like former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Emeritus Lawrence Summers, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management.
The documents reportedly span the years 2013 to 2017, which is after Epstein initially faced legal consequences in 2008 when he pleaded guilty to solicitation charges, including soliciting a minor. While it is important to note that the Journal could not confirm if all the meetings listed with these powerful individuals took place, nor the purpose of these meetings, many sources indicated that they met with Epstein for charitable donations or to establish connections with influential figures.
New docs show closer ties than previously known between Epstein and Larry Summers, Leon Black, Bill Gates, Ehud Barak, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Woody Allen
— K. C. Boyd (@KCBoyd3) May 3, 2023
In April 2014, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers reportedly reached out to Epstein for advice on small-scale philanthropy as Summers sought to help his wife, Elisa New, raise $1 million for an online poetry project she was working on. New is an American literature professor at Harvard. The couple eventually met with Epstein for dinner in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Despite Harvard University stopping the acceptance of Epstein’s donations in 2020, it appears that Summers and Epstein continued to maintain a relationship. According to tax records, an Epstein-linked nonprofit donated $110,000 to New’s poetry nonprofit in 2016. Nonetheless, a spokesperson for Summers said that he ‘deeply regrets being in contact with Epstein after his conviction,’ and that New’s nonprofit ‘regrets accepting funding from Epstein’ and subsequently made a donation ‘exceeding the amount received, to a group working against sex trafficking.’
Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, is another powerful figure who appears to have had connections with Epstein. Hoffman reportedly visited Epstein’s Caribbean island Little St. James and intended to stay at Epstein’s New York City townhouse in 2014. He had been working with Joi Ito, then-director of the media lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to raise funds for the institution.
Hoffman and Ito attended several fundraising events related to Epstein. Ito confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that they did so after he told Hoffman that Epstein was an ‘approved donor target for MIT in accordance with university rules and regulations.’ However, after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, Ito publicly apologized for accepting Epstein’s financial support and resigned from his position at MIT Media Lab. MIT later donated $850,000 to nonprofits that help sexual abuse survivors.
This may explain why the federal government has no intention on investigating Epstein’s inner circle.
Joe Rogan is now floating a theory that Epstein was involved in an intelligence operation.
"It was an intel operation… They were bringing in people & compromising them.”
This… pic.twitter.com/olNJ84u7yU
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 2, 2023
Hoffman acknowledged and apologized for his error in judgment in an email, stating, ‘It gnaws at me that, by lending my association, I helped his reputation and thus delayed justice for his survivors.’ He further said, ‘While I relied on MIT’s endorsement, ultimately I made the mistake, and I am sorry for my personal misjudgment.’
According to the documents, legendary filmmaker Woody Allen was set to meet with Epstein nearly every month between 2014 and 2015. Epstein also invited Allen to dinner parties at his New York City residence. However, a representative for Allen stated that Allen never had a formal business meeting with Epstein and that the gatherings always included other guests.
Notably, the documents also included evidence of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s multiple trips on Epstein’s private jet and visits to Epstein’s mansions. Barak admitted the encounters, but claimed his knowledge of Epstein during that time was limited. He told the Journal, ‘In retrospect, [Epstein] seems to be a terrible version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but at the time seemed to be an intelligent person, socially well-connected and of wide areas of interest, from science to geopolitics.’
Barak further stated that he ‘flew only twice on (Epstein’s) airplane, together with my wife and Israeli security detail.’ He added that he had never participated in an improper event with Epstein, nor had he ever encountered Epstein with underage girls or women engaging in improper behavior or context.
Other notable individuals who were reported to have potentially scheduled meetings with Epstein, according to the documents, include philanthropy advisor Barnaby Marsh, hedge fund billionaire Glenn Dubin and his wife, and Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen. Each of these individuals has since distanced themselves from Epstein, and Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black declined to comment on the matter.
These recent discoveries follow a prior Wall Street Journal report that showcased Epstein’s correspondence with even more influential figures. Among them were current CIA Director William Burns, Bard College President Leon Botstein, Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and renowned academic Noam Chomsky.
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Despite his ghastly crimes, his intricate web of connections to powerful individuals has continued to be the subject of numerous investigations and reports.
As the Epstein saga unfolds, some may find it troubling that such a controversial figure could wield such influence among the elite. His connections highlight the importance of maintaining transparency and ethical conduct when dealing with powerful and wealthy individuals.
The revelations surrounding Epstein’s relationships with notable figures is a stark reminder that even the most respected individuals must be held accountable for their actions and choices. As more information comes to light, those whose judgment failed them must face the consequences of their own missteps and learn the necessary lessons to prevent repeating these mistakes in the future.