The newly released Epstein documents have been underwhelming.
In December, 2023, Sr. United States district Judge Lorreta Preska ordered the public release of sealed documents from Virginia Giuffre’s 2015 lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell. Names of Epstein’s associates were accompanied in the release by deposition transcripts from the trial and officially publicized allegations against some of the named figures, according to a Forbes article by Zachary Folk.
The documents first began to be released on Jan. 3, 2024, and more have been released in following days. Speculation on social media was high and people theorized about what might be unveiled in the days leading up to the release. However, the documents dropped and the splash was not that big.
The misinformation and rumors about the contents of the documents have specifically involved Stephen Hawking and Jimmy Kimmel. After the documents dropped, I remember seeing posts containing images of “transcripts from the deposition” detailing a fetish Hawking allegedly had and that Epstein enabled. Not having researched the information in the document or seen anyone call out the posts for misinformation, I believed what I had seen and shared what I learned with friends and family, lost in the absurdity of the claims. The allegations were false and the photographs were altered.
Looking back it feels obvious that what was being said was fake. A main impact of the Epstein documents is this gravity that comes with them, being so sensational that the truth can be easily lost. The excitement of more Epstein documents being released provided a perfect opportunity for people to say bizarre things and rack up those sweet views.
The documents themselves “largely mention figures whose names were already known, including high-profile friends of Epstein’s and victims who have spoken publicly,” according to an AP News article by David B. Caruso. No new major names were in the documents and there were no new bombshell accusations or claims.
Preska said her decision was “largely” impacted by the prior publicity of most of the information, according to Caruso. The intention when releasing the documents was not to cause a big stir, but appears to simply be making court records and documents publicly accessible.
Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former lawyer and friend, was mentioned in the documents, along with the allegation of assault made against him by Giuffre. Nothing is revealed that makes him look more guilty or is a story of his horrific crimes. Dershowitz, someone who I feel should definitely be further investigated, does not come away from the documents worried, and he has reinforced his confidence following the release. Dershowitz is a gross human being. He was heavily associated with and defended Epstein, defended Israel on charges of genocide, and has one of the most problematic legal takes I have seen a “respected” lawyer make.
In a 1997 Op-Ed for the LA Times, Dershowitz makes the case for lowering the age of consent on the ground that people under the age of 18 already have sex a lot, so the law should be changed to account for that. An old man should not think about children having sex this much to have an opinion on the subject. “Reasonable people can disagree over whether it should be as low as 14,” Dersowitz wrote, referring to the age of consent in his 1997 Op-Ed. More people need to pay attention to Dersowitz, so the Epstein documents can be thanked for shining more light on this weird man.
Another big takeaway from the documents can be found in the further information revealed about Epstein’s pedophilic behavior. Again, while not dropping any bombshells, more is added to the story of Epstein and to his list of crimes. The world is reminded of Epstein’s evil and of the rich and powerful people that enabled him. Epstein was able to assault and distribute minors large in part because so many let him.
While the documents do not give enough information to further pursue anyone for their potential roles in Epstein’s abuse circus, Epstein’s associates, like Dersowitz, must remain in an uncomfortable situation, always being investigated and confronted about their alleged actions.
Harvie Marcotti can be contacted at
hmarcotti@kscequinox.com
