EFTA00029499.pdf

134 KB

Extraction Summary

12
People
5
Organizations
3
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
3
Quotes

Document Information

Type: Email chain / internal government communication
File Size: 134 KB
Summary

This document is an internal email chain from the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) dated October 2020, discussing a press inquiry from the NY Daily News. The reporter, Stephen Rex Brown, provides details of a story alleging that in 2016, SDNY prosecutors (specifically an AUSA named Kramer) met with victims' lawyers but declined to pursue new charges against Jeffrey Epstein or perjury charges against Ghislaine Maxwell. The internal SDNY response suggests they have no record of the second meeting mentioned and decide not to push back against the story.

People (12)

Name Role Context
Stephen Rex Brown Manhattan Federal Court reporter, NY Daily News
Author of the inquiry email seeking comment on SDNY's 2016 decisions regarding Epstein.
Jim USANYS Contractor/Press Officer
Recipient of the initial inquiry from Stephen Brown.
Jeffrey Epstein Subject of Investigation
Focus of the 2016 pitch by victims' lawyers and the 2020 news story.
Ghislaine Maxwell Subject of Investigation
Mentioned regarding perjury charges, depositions, and legal bills paid by Epstein.
Stan Pottinger Attorney for Epstein's victims
Met with SDNY in Feb 2016 and Aug/Sept 2016 to push for investigation.
Brad Edwards Attorney for Epstein's victims
Met with SDNY in Feb 2016; author of a book referencing the meeting.
Peter Skinner Attorney for Epstein's victims
Met with SDNY in Feb 2016.
David Boies Attorney
Took Maxwell's depositions; re-approached SDNY in Aug/Sept 2016 regarding perjury conspiracy.
Sigrid McCawley Attorney
Took Maxwell's depositions.
Kramer Likely SDNY Prosecutor/Official
Met with Boies and Pottinger in Aug/Sept 2016.
Preet Bharara Former US Attorney
Referenced as 'Preet' in questions asking if he made the decision not to pursue the case.
Geoffrey Berman Former US Attorney
Investigation opened under his tenure after Miami Herald articles.

Organizations (5)

Name Type Context
USANYS
US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York; recipient of the emails.
NY Daily News
Employer of reporter Stephen Rex Brown.
DOJ
Department of Justice; referenced regarding traditions of not second-guessing other US Attorneys.
FBI
Referenced in reporter's questions asking if they were looped in.
Miami Herald
Referenced for articles that changed the investigation landscape.

Timeline (2 events)

2016-02-29
Meeting between Epstein victims' attorneys (Pottinger, Edwards, Skinner) and a female AUSA (likely Kramer) to pitch an investigation.
SDNY Office
2016-08-01
Meeting (Aug or Sept 2016) between David Boies, Stan Pottinger, and Kramer pitching perjury charges against Maxwell.
SDNY Office

Locations (3)

Location Context
Venue for potential crimes and investigation.
Location of previous NPA and case.
Reporter's beat.

Relationships (2)

Jeffrey Epstein Financial/Conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell
Epstein was paying Maxwell's legal bills; attorneys believed they were in a perjury conspiracy.
David Boies Professional/Accused Collusion SDNY
Maxwell claims she was victim of a perjury trap set by Boies in cahoots with SDNY.

Key Quotes (3)

"The AUSA acted confident that a case would be brought against Epstein for crimes committed against [Redacted] and others in New York."
Source
EFTA00029499.pdf
Quote #1
"Don't hold your breath, the Southern District obviously doesn't know who they're dealing with yet."
Source
EFTA00029499.pdf
Quote #2
"She's said in filings she was the victim of a 'perjury trap,' presumably set by Boies in cahoots with SDNY."
Source
EFTA00029499.pdf
Quote #3

Full Extracted Text

Complete text extracted from the document (5,087 characters)

From: [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>
To: [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>, "[Redacted] (USANYS) [Contractor]" <[Redacted]>
Cc: "[Redacted] (USANYS)" <[Redacted]>, "[Redacted] (USANYS)" <[Redacted]>, "[Redacted] (USANYS)" <[Redacted]>
Subject: RE: Epstein and SDNY in 2016
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2020 21:01:13 +0000
Agreed. To my knowledge, we've never spoken to [Redacted] about or heard about a second meeting or a meeting about a perjury charge, so while I don't know that such a meeting occurred, I'm not sure we're in a position right now to push back.
From: [Redacted] (USANYS)
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2020 4:54 PM
To: [Redacted] (USANYS) [Contractor]
Cc: [Redacted] (USANYS) ; [Redacted] (USANYS); [Redacted] (USANYS) ; [Redacted] (USANYS)
Subject: Re: Epstein and SDNY in 2016
Don't think there much we can do here so I'd leave it alone.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 12, 2020, at 4:37 PM, [Redacted] (USANYS) [Contractor] <[Redacted]> wrote:
Stephen Brown is filing his story shortly on the Epstein investigation (which includes discussion of the apparent decision by the Office in 2016 not to pursue the matter). If there's any guidance you think we can and should provide, please let us know in the next hour.
From: [Redacted] (USANYS) [Contractor]
Sent: Friday, October 9, 2020 11:15 AM
To: [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>; [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>; [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>; [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>
Cc: [Redacted] (USANYS) <[Redacted]>
Subject: FW: Epstein and SDNY in 2016
Stephen Brown at the Daily News is working on a story for next Tuesday about Epstein, Maxwell, and pitches made by victims' lawyers to [Redacted] in 2016 that "went nowhere." His email below explains further. His actual questions are at the end of his email. He has no expectations about guidance, but would appreciate any. Don't know if we should be forwarding this to [Redacted] presumably Stephen could contact her on his own.
From: Brown, Stephen <[Redacted]>
Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2020 4:40 PM
To: [Redacted] (USANYS) [Contractor] <[Redacted]>
Subject: Epstein and SDNY in 2016
Hi Jim, Here's a rundown of the story I'm working on. Am seeking guidance from SDNY on the office's thinking at the time, if FBI was looped in, and who the decision-maker was on this. Apologies for the long email but I figure better to provide as much detail as possible. My editors are pretty interested in this one.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Epstein victims' attorneys Stan Pottinger, Brad Edwards and Peter Skinner met with then-AUSA [Redacted] and pitched her on an investigation of the Epstein scheme. I'm told [Redacted] had questions about establishing venue, the South Florida NPA, statute of limitations issues and the general DOJ tradition of not second-guessing another US Attorney. She wondered if the attorneys were proposing an investigation of new conduct, or rather a re-do of the South Florida case. (This is all from sources familiar).
According to Edwards's book, the team of attorneys left the meeting feeling hopeful.
The AUSA acted confident that a case would be brought against Epstein for crimes committed against [Redacted] and others in New York. Of course, first
EFTA00029499
she had to have facts, witnesses, evidence, and victims of a New York crime.
We assured the prosecutor that the number of victims in New York far exceeded those discovered in Florida. The group walked out excited that New York was finally going to bring a case against Epstein. I said to David and Pete, "Don't hold your breath, the Southern District obviously doesn't know who they're dealing with yet."
The effort went nowhere, as far as the victims' attorneys know. Then, after attorneys David Boies and Sigrid McCawley took Maxwell's depositions in the [Redacted] case, Boies re-approached SDNY, I'm told. The meeting took place in August or September between Boies, Pottinger and Kramer. They pitched SDNY on charging Maxwell with perjury. They also believed Epstein, who was paying Maxwell's legal bills, was in a perjury conspiracy. They saw this as a work-around to [Redacted] concerns about the NPA etc.
But that also went nowhere. Obviously everything changed after the Miami Herald articles and SDNY opened an investigation under Berman.
In addition to the headline that SDNY initially passed on tackling the case, this story will also note how the contact between victims' attorneys and SDNY relates to the perjury counts in Maxwell's criminal case. She's said in filings she was the victim of a "perjury trap," presumably set by Boies in cahoots with SDNY. (From her perspective).
Questions:
Why didn't SDNY pursue the Epstein case in 2016?
Why didn't it pursue perjury counts?
Did SDNY contact the FBI or South Florida prosecutors about Epstein during that period?
Who was the decision maker after Kramer met with the victims' attorneys?
Did Preet make the call?
This story is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, so this is not super urgent. Hope to hear from you tomorrow.
Thanks,
Stephen Rex Brown
Manhattan Federal Court reporter
NY DAILY NEWS
[Redacted]
EFTA00029500

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