Newly released federal records show Jeffrey Epstein surfaced in a University of California, San Diego research proposal after an introduction from wellness author Deepak Chopra, with emails describing small payments routed to the campus. The correspondence centers on a 2017 discussion of a proposed study involving an autistic savant who displays telepathy and includes references to budget ranges and a $25,000 payment linked to the work.
The material appears in the Department of Justice’s January 30 document release, according to the Department of Justice. Reporting that reviewed the records says Epstein instructed his accountant to send $25,000 from his Gratitude America foundation to the University of California Board of Regents in support of work at UCSD’s Center for Brain and Cognition, as reported by NewsGram and others. Coverage notes that the payment was to be mailed to a campus administrator and appears in email threads about a proposed pilot study.
What the documents say
One exchange dated Sept. 25, 2017, refers to a pilot study of autistic savants and names a subject described as an autistic savant who displays telepathy, according to outlets that reviewed the emails. In messages quoted by reporters, V. S. Ramachandran is said to have written that he did not have a problem with my lab being funded by Epstein, so long as there was no UC connection, and suggested that something like 500,000 to 3 million dollars would get administrators’ attention, per ThePrint.
UCSD and Chopra respond
Chopra’s correspondence with Epstein appears repeatedly in the newly posted files. He has said some of the resurfaced messages reflect poor judgment in tone and has denied any involvement in criminal activity, according to outlets that covered his public statement. Chopra has also told reporters he suggested Epstein visit a UCSD lab to learn about ongoing brain research, a point noted in recent coverage. UC San Diego’s communications office told the campus paper it is aware of this issue and are reviewing the matter, per NewsGram, while Chopra’s statement was reported by Parade via Yahoo News.
How to read the records
Advocates and lawmakers have cautioned that the massive document dump includes unverified tips and extensive redactions, and that appearing in the files does not imply criminal liability, a point stressed by legal analysts and reviewers of the release. The Department of Justice has also warned that the production runs to millions of pages and that redactions were applied to protect victims, even as critics argue the rollout still raises transparency concerns, as detailed by The Guardian and the department’s own materials.
Why it matters for campus research
For UC San Diego and other research universities, the disclosures reopen long-running questions about how institutions vet donors, handle controversial gifts and disclose potential conflicts. The national response to the DOJ release shows lawmakers and advocacy groups are watching how campuses respond and what they disclose next, as reporting by CBS News and others has documented…