Additional Coverage:
- Epstein files: A list of people facing consequences over the DOJ’s release (businessinsider.com)
Epstein Files Continue to Ripple, Leading to High-Profile Resignations and Repercussions
The fallout from the Justice Department’s extensive release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents continues to expand, ensnaring prominent figures and leading to significant professional consequences.
The more than 3 million pages of documents, broadly known as the Epstein files, have shed new light on the disgraced financier’s connections and communications, even after his 2008 conviction for sex offenses. While none of the individuals mentioned in this report have been accused of participating in Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme, their associations, once considered private, are now having very public repercussions. This latest wave of revelations follows earlier document releases that led to consequences for individuals like Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
Here’s a look at some of the individuals facing consequences following the Justice Department’s January 30 data dump:
Kathy Ruemmler
Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer, Kathy Ruemmler, has tendered her resignation, effective June 30, following weeks of scrutiny over her communications with Epstein. The recently released documents reveal Ruemmler offered legal advice to Epstein regarding lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual abuse, accepted expensive gifts including a $9,350 Hermes handbag, and referred to him as “Uncle Jeffrey” in an email. Ruemmler has previously expressed “regret” over what she described as a “professional association” and stated her resignation prioritizes Goldman Sachs’ interests.
Brad Karp
High-powered corporate lawyer Brad Karp has stepped down as chairman of Paul Weiss, citing reports about his relationship with Epstein as a “distraction.” He also resigned from Union College’s board of trustees.
Emails from the documents show Karp collaborating with Epstein to surveil a woman in a dispute involving one of Karp’s clients, confirmed to be billionaire private equity titan Leon Black. Karp also visited Epstein’s Manhattan residence and sought his help in securing a job for his son with director Woody Allen.
Howard Lutnick
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing bipartisan calls for his resignation after emails indicated he planned a family visit to Epstein’s island in 2012.
This contradicts Lutnick’s previous statements about severing ties with Epstein, his former Manhattan neighbor, after their initial meeting in 2005. Lutnick testified before Congress, stating he, his wife, and children were on the island “for an hour” for lunch.
The White House has reiterated its support for Lutnick, with the Commerce Department stating his interactions with Epstein were “very limited.”
Steve Tisch
Steve Tisch, owner of the New York Giants, is under review by the National Football League after numerous emails exchanged with Epstein in 2013 discussed women, including their ages, nationalities, and “working girl” status. Tisch has expressed regret for his association with Epstein and stated the women discussed were adults. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the league is reviewing the communications for potential violations of its personal conduct policies.
Sarah Ferguson
The charity “Sarah’s Trust,” chaired by Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has closed following the Justice Department’s document release. Records show Ferguson sent warm emails to Epstein in 2009 while he was imprisoned for soliciting sex from a minor, referring to him as the “brother I have always wished for” and signing off with “love you.” Ferguson has previously expressed regret for any association with Epstein.
Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson has resigned from his role as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States and left the British Labour Party. The Epstein files revealed he provided sensitive government information to Epstein during his time in senior posts under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Emails show Mandelson informing Epstein about changes in tax rules, the sale of government assets, and a European Union bailout of Greece. The records also indicate Epstein sent money to Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating Mandelson, who denies illegal activity, attributing his husband accepting funds to “a lapse in our collective judgment.”
Morgan McSweeney
Morgan McSweeney has resigned as chief of staff for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. McSweeney recommended Mandelson for the ambassadorship, stating, “In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
Casey Wasserman
Talent firm Wasserman is losing clients, including soccer player Abby Wambach and singer Chapell Roan, over Casey Wasserman’s past communications with Ghislaine Maxwell. Wasserman flew on Epstein’s jet with a group that included former President Bill Clinton.
The files also show Wasserman and Maxwell exchanged “racy and flirtatious emails” in 2003, predating police investigations into Epstein and Maxwell’s arrest. Wasserman stated he regretted his messages with Maxwell, which occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light,” and denied any personal or business relationship with Epstein.
Peter Attia
CBS News contributor and longevity expert Peter Attia has stepped down as chief science officer of David Protein and is no longer an adviser to Eight Sleep. Emails from the mid-2010s show Attia giving Epstein health advice that included crude remarks about women, including a comment that a woman’s genitalia was “low carb.” Attia denied criminal activity in a social media post, calling the emails “embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible.”
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was replaced as chairman and CEO of Dubai-based logistics firm DP World on February 13, following the publication of emails between the Emirati executive and Epstein. DP World, owned by Dubai’s royal family, did not explicitly mention bin Sulayem in its announcement of a leadership transition.
Emails show Epstein referred to bin Sulayem as his “close personal friend” in 2010. In a 2015 email to Epstein, bin Sulayem made a crude remark about a woman he met “two years ago.”
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- Epstein files: A list of people facing consequences over the DOJ’s release (businessinsider.com)