One of his lawyers seem to say today that sexually abusing underage girls is a normal consumer transaction.
Does anyone doubt that one reason Alex Acosta agreed to the sweetheart deal Epstein got in Florida was that Epstein's lawyers made it clear that if he agreed to the deal his career would prosper but that if he didn't Epstein's friends in high places would destroy his career.
NO Bail. Period.
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Offers his mansion and jet as collateral? Two things he is likely to lose anyway? He must think we're stupid.
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The article forgot to mention that the deal Alan Dershowitz negotiated in 2008 granted immunity to “any potential co-conspirators” (including Trump and Dershowitz himself).
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Watch the video by the Miami Herald highlighted in this article.Retired police officers give testimony. This is just so outrageous. These young women were truly abused again. Acosta not only needs to step down, he needs to be disbarred.
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Terrific guy, that Epstein. No wonder the senate republicans agreed to nominate the eminently unqualified Acosta to Donnie's cabinet position as Sec. of Labor. Anyone who is a friend of a wealthy rapist is a friend of republican senators and gets an appointment on the SCOTUS, on Don's cabinet, or is supported without dispute as POTUS, as the rapist president Donnie is today supported. This is your "Christian" nation at work, America. Really doing God's work now, huh?
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And I wonder how many abortions these guys caused!
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I'll believe this is a serious prosecution when Ghislaine Maxwell, named in numerous complaints by the victims as the (alleged) procurer and enforcer is behind bars and tried in a court of law. She may be a wealthy socialite, close to the royals, and a Friend of Bill, but justice must prevail.
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When I practiced law (47 years) the most important question a client wanted answered was do I have a case? When you tell a client no, you don't have a case, more often than not they are relieved. Generally, you are telling the client what the client already knows. Be in no doubt Epstein knows.
His lawyers need to have a heart to heart sit down with the office of the US attorney for the SDNY. Then they need to tell him on the merits (as you know) you don't have a case, what happened last time won't happen this time, and the best you can hope for is damage control. In no uncertain terms they should explain he is as toxic as it gets and needs to name all and tell all: do what Cohen did, not what Manafort did.
They should advise him to get to the next stage of his life asap, get that over with, and try to come out of it a better person.
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@John i can't even fathom what your point is here. that the dozens and like of hundreds of children he raped should just ignore his reign of horror and hope he becomes a "better person"? stunning.
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He ain’t coming out...
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One wonders about Alan Dershowitz. The dragnet is widening and I can only imagine the backroom negations........
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Were R.Kelly and Epstein friends?
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if he stays in the hoosegow until his court case comes up ,lord knows what names will be flowing from his mouth.he will offer up names more precious than mansions ,jets or money.
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Not pedophilia, but Ephebophilia, a preference for adolescents as sex partners. If he wasn't rich he'd have been in prison a long time ago, and stayed there. I feel sadness for his many victims, and hope and pray that all those who enabled him will be identified and brought to justice. Lookin' at you, Donny!
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@David. There's a difference between 13 and 14 and 16 and 17. 13 is a child.
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“ underage “ women are called children.
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There's a rapist in the WH and 2 on the SC so this is just normal in the land of the corrupt rich white guy
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There seems to be no mention that in February, a district court judge in Florida ruled that the 2008 non-prosecution agreement reached by Mr. Epstein’s lawyers and the FBI was invalid because the victims were not informed of the agreement and had no opportunity to comment. The NYT reported briefly on the judge’s decision which could have a major impact on the current prosecution.
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Would a billionaire who pledged 7% or 8% of his net worth for bail ($77 million or so) sacrifice that bail and skip to another country that would not allow him to be extradited back to the U.S.?
Isn’t Roman Polanski living in France?
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Epstein's lawyers certainly made a deal with Acosta but a judge ultimately approved the deal. Is there any mention of this? Who was the judge?
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The special favors Epstein got in Florida are nothing compared to what the Swiss have been giving Roman Polanski for years. I admit I’m hardly shocked at anything anymore after growing up in the fifties and sixties.
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@John Doe the scope of the crimes is beyond comparable. please read up.
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Why is there no mention anywhere of the June 20, 2016, complaint brought by the SDNY against Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein? The charges were rape, sexual misconduct, and other offenses. I understand the suit was dropped because at least one of the anonymous (Jane Doe) complainants received death threats. Despite that, should there not at least be some daylight on this suit which accused both men of egregious offenses allegedly committed in Epstein’s NYC residence?
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Epstein was trying to live the fantasy life of a wealthy Ottoman Sultan, having a harem of beautiful young girls. Well, it's not the 17th century anymore and that sort of behavior is illegal. He knew it and should pay the penalty.
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I’m sorry. Did I read “over a decade”. But that is way before Trump took office. How can we blame Trump?
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@John
I don't believe there are any statute of limitations re. child rape and that is what Trump and Epstein, as co-defendants in a 2016 lawsuit, are accused of.
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@John I believe that we are not blaming the president for Epstein's acts, but are asking why Acosta is Secretary of Labor.
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This timeline appears to omit certain figures who have been involved with Epstein and have been parties to lawsuits or accusations related to Epstein's activities: Alan Dershowitz, for one; or Donald Trump and the allegations of rape leveled at him by a woman who claimed she was raped by Trump in Epstein's mansion. These allegations may or may not be true, but they should be part of the timeline.
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Why has there been nothing mentioned about the women who procured these girls for Epstein?
He did not act alone. According to reports they are, Sarah Kellen, a former assistant. Nadia Marcinkova, personal relationship. Adriana Ross, a former model from Poland. Lesley Groff, another assistant.
Were they ever charged? What does the FBI have to say about all of it? They just dropped it?
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That was another time when a Democrat was President. There probably are Democrats involved in the scandal and that is why Vance wanted it all to go away. The FBI followed Obama’s wishes and didn’t investigate. Remember, Bill Clinton was involved too.
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Martha Stewart did hard time in the federal pen for acting on untimely advice regarding stock purchasing ( net gain approx 50k)
Yes, insider trading is a bad crime .
Sex Trafficking kids? Not so much.....
One would think the deck is set up by connected white guys, for connected white guys.
Vance needs to be fired.
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@r mackinnon--my recollection is that Martha did hard time for lying to federal officials about receiving the untimely advice and not actually acting the advice.
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@Sendero Caribe meh, the point is the irony that someone who molests young teen girls got a better deal than someone who lied about making a few thousand on a tip-timed stock trade.
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@r mackinnon In New York, the DA is elected, so it will take the voters to fire him.
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Does Epstein have dirt on his old pals? Do his co-conspirators have information they'd barter for leniency or immunity?
The plot thickens...
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@Taz, It is possible that he shared
these "beautiful women on the younger side"with his old connected men. Epstein used this info to have
them grant a share of their loot.That
is how to be billionaire.
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@Taz
The plot sickens
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2016
A woman using the pseudonym Katie Johnson, sued Mr. Epstein and Donald Trump for repeated abuse and rape, after being promised money and a modeling career. She claimed the assaults described in detail took place at Epstein's East Side mansion when she was a 13 year-old girl. She offered two corroborating witnesses, one of them claiming to be an Epstein procuress.
The pattern of recruitment, grooming and abuse Katie J. outlined in video testimony are nearly identical to that of the dozens of victims in the new charges against Epstein filed by the SDNY. Her first suit filed in California was dismissed on an address technicality. She refiled in New York, but withdrew the suit, claiming threats against her and her family on the eve of Trump's presidential campaign announcement.
Although, at the time Trump believed Epstein was a "terrific guy,” and ..."a lot of fun to be with," socializing regularly with him, he categorically denied all charges in the lawsuits.
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@Sal A. ShussTHIS is the part of this puzzle that is the most curious to me. The lawsuits filed against Trump AND Epstein as co-defendants alleging the exact same things that Epstein has been arrested for - yet the media does not mention it. This has to be brought up constantly.
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I think it is important to keep in mind that there is no such thing as and underage woman (the article references multiple times). It sanitizes the crime. A woman is a female adult, this man is a child sex trafficker.
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@Kate It seems the expression "underage woman" is only used once, and that appears to be a quote from the prosecutors: "women believed to be underage, prosecutors said".
The other two times the word "underage" is used in the article it does refer to a girl in one case, and, in the other, it says the women were not believed to be underage.
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And the GOP Senators voted to confirm Mr. Acosta. I hope the next time one fo them claims to be tough on crime, every reporter brings this up at once.
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The list of powerful and influential men utilizing political, financial as well as religious advantage is long. Susceptible women and men as well as children have been victims.
It includes names like David Petraeus, JFK, Martin Luther King, a broad and wide array of religious leaders, FDR, and many, many, many others.
These observations are not meant to condone such behaviors...but acknowledge that such behaviors are part of the imperfect human condition.
Members of society who have achieved financial and political power and influence also manipulate the legislative process as well as media to maintain their influence and authority and create social conditions advantageous to themselves at the expense of everyone else.
Something worth reflecting upon as our nation deliberates important policy on Healthcare, Immigration, the environment and affordable access to higher education.
Does media attention directed towards these shenanigans advance the public interest or serve as a distraction from important deliberation and discourse ?
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@David Loiterman
This comment doesn't recognize one of the key distinctions in the Epstein case: the victims appear to have all been underage girls. This was not the case with the other people you catalog (Petraeus, JFK, etc.).
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@ MG
I agree with your observation and because of brevity and context did not address that in my earlier post .
But since you’ve raised the observation I will respond.
The context, in my opinion , is about the powerful manipulating the vulnerable.
The actual chronologic age of the vulnerability is more nuanced. In the Bible there are many references to adult maturity occurring at the age of 13. There are many adults today over the age of 21 who have the emotional and intellectual maturity of a 12 year old. The Bible and Greek mythology ( to name just a few ) are filled with stories and tales of women young and old manipulating men ( rich- poor- young- old ) achieve an agenda or an advantage or some material or other benefit.
There is a legal definition on the age of consent in our society and that is the standard by which criminal activity will and should be judged. Prominent personalities and artists such as Vladimir Nabokov, Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin all skated very close to that line...and in the opinion of some may have crossed the line.
In the end it comes down to the very human trait of those with power or influence or control manipulating those who lack and seek those elements. Can humans do better or improve ? The Bible, other texts of faith and philosophy are filled with analysis. People can decide for themselves.
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This is a case of sex-trafficking of minors on an industrial scale. How you can so blithely compare it to adults who engaged in extra-marital sex is beyond me.
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Julie K. Brown, journalist of the Miami Herald should be mentioned. She on her own over 2 years put together the puzzle pieces that brought life back to this tragic and sordid story. Without here the SDNY may not have entered the case.
Ms. Brown is deserving of a Pulitzer prize for investigative journalism.
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@cherrylog754 I would agree with you completely.Julie K.Brown is a heroine to all women!
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Agreed!
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Hear hear!
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This is not the first time that Cy Vance has been on the wrong side of justice when a rich, powerful, and well-connected defendant was involved.
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@Merle Kaufman
Including Ivanka and Donnie Jr. for fraud.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-ivanka-trump-and-donald-trump-jr-avoided-a-criminal-indictment
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We can at least take some schadenfreude from this story because Epstein will learn that friendship with Trump is a one-way street. If he thought he had an ally in the WH he will find out how mistaken he was now that he is toxic, unless he was smart enough to stash away some dirt to extort assistance.
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I would not be surprised, Pat, if there might be an underage skeleton in trump’s closet! Time will tell.
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@Granny already was... victim dropped suit due to threats and intimidation. imagine that.
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Finally, a photograph that is appropriate for a man accused of child rape! All the photographs, up to this point, have been celebrity glamour shots of a handsome rich man.
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Yes, now you see the loser without the benefit of makeup, special lighting, and photoshop. He’s just a homely, old man.
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