A new wave of political and legal fallout has followed the release of thousands of previously undisclosed US Justice Department documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The revelations have already led to the resignation of a top official in Slovakia and renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s long-standing ties to powerful global figures, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew.
The developments come just a day after the US Department of Justice began publishing a massive archive of records shedding light on Epstein’s interactions with politicians, business leaders, royalty, and influential personalities in the years following his conviction for sex crimes in Florida.
On Saturday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accepted the resignation of Miroslav Lajčák, a former foreign minister and past president of the United Nations General Assembly. Although Lajčák has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing, his position became untenable after emails and photographs revealed meetings with Epstein after the financier’s release from prison.
At the same time, attention has once again turned to Prince Andrew, a long-time associate of Epstein. Questions are resurfacing over whether the former British royal should formally cooperate with US authorities investigating Epstein’s international network and the individuals who may have enabled his crimes.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly stated that Mountbatten-Windsor should provide any information he possesses to American investigators. The US House Oversight Committee has previously requested a transcribed interview with the former prince regarding his “long-standing friendship” with Epstein, a request he has so far declined.
The Justice Department confirmed that it plans to release more than three million pages of documents, along with over 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 images, under transparency laws designed to reveal the bulk of material gathered during two decades of investigations into Epstein.
Among the files made public are documents detailing Epstein’s relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as email correspondence with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, and other prominent figures across politics, business, and philanthropy. Names referenced include billionaires Bill Gates and Elon Musk, neither of whom has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Other records offer insight into multiple investigations, including those that led to Epstein being charged with sex trafficking in 2019 and to the conviction of his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2021. The documents also revisit an earlier federal inquiry that uncovered evidence of Epstein’s abuse of underage girls but failed to result in charges at the time.
Senior Slovak Official Steps Down
Prime Minister Fico confirmed that he had accepted Lajčák’s resignation from his role as Slovakia’s national security adviser following mounting political pressure.
Emails revealed that Epstein had invited Lajčák to dinners and meetings in 2018. Another document includes a March 2018 message from Epstein’s office to former Obama White House general counsel Kathy Ruemmler, inviting her to a gathering with Epstein, Lajčák, and Steve Bannon.
Lajčák maintained that his interactions with Epstein occurred in a diplomatic context. However, opposition parties and even nationalist allies within Fico’s governing coalition intensified calls for his removal, arguing that the association damaged Slovakia’s credibility.
Draft Indictment Reveals Disturbing Abuse Details
Newly released records show that the FBI began investigating Epstein as early as July 2006 and that federal prosecutors anticipated indicting him by May 2007. A draft indictment was prepared after multiple underage girls told police and federal agents that Epstein paid them for sexualized massages.
The documents indicate that prosecutors intended to charge not only Epstein but also three of his personal assistants. Interview notes from 2007 include testimony from an employee at Epstein’s Florida estate, who described disturbing tasks such as delivering gifts to a high school student and cleaning up after Epstein’s encounters with young girls.
According to the testimony, the employee also alleged that he was instructed to place cash near Epstein’s bed, store a firearm between mattresses, and dispose of used condoms after massages.
Ultimately, a controversial plea deal approved by then-US Attorney Alexander Acosta spared Epstein from federal prosecution. Epstein pleaded guilty to a state charge of soliciting prostitution from a minor and received an 18-month jail sentence. Acosta later served as President Donald Trump’s first labor secretary.
Prince Andrew and Epstein’s Correspondence
The documents contain thousands of references to Donald Trump, including emails in which Epstein discussed Trump’s policies or shared news articles. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing by any Epstein victim and has said he was unaware of the abuse.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s name appears hundreds of times in the records, including in personal correspondence. In one 2010 email exchange, Epstein appeared to arrange a dinner date for the former prince.
“I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with,” Epstein wrote. Mountbatten-Windsor responded that he “would be delighted to see her.” Epstein later described the woman as “26, Russian, clever, beautiful, trustworthy.”
Criticism of Justice Department Transparency
The Justice Department has faced criticism over how the documents were released. Advocacy groups representing Epstein’s victims argue that the disclosures make it easier to identify survivors while failing to fully expose those who may have enabled Epstein’s crimes.
“As survivors, we should never be the ones named, scrutinized, and retraumatized while Epstein’s enablers continue to profit from secrecy,” one group said in a statement.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called for lawmakers to review unredacted versions of the files to determine whether redactions were legally justified or improperly shielded influential individuals.
Officials acknowledged that many documents are duplicates and that redactions were applied inconsistently, with some names blacked out in one version but visible in another.
Epstein’s Network of Power
The released files confirm that Epstein maintained relationships with both Trump and former President Bill Clinton prior to his legal troubles. Neither has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s victims, and both have denied knowledge of his abuse.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019, one month after being charged with federal sex trafficking offences.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for aiding Epstein in recruiting underage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
No other individuals have been charged in connection with Epstein’s abuse. One victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, sued Prince Andrew, alleging sexual encounters when she was 17. The former prince denied the claims but settled the case for an undisclosed amount. Giuffre died by suicide last year at the age of 41.
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