The rise and fall of Jeffrey Epstein

By Fr. Shay Cullen

No person has had so much influence and power over so many high-ranking world figures — politicians, royalty, businessmen, members of the Silicon Valley elite, even foreign intelligence officers — than the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. So much so that it defies explanation.

The United States Department of Justice has so far released to the public about 3.5 million files, among them 180,000 images and 2,000 videos, referring to the contacts of Epstein that gave details of his extensive and close connections to the rich and powerful. These were revealed after the US Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. These once-secret details include wide networks with Russian figures, Israel’s Mossad and other intelligence-gathering operatives.

Most of these high-profile and powerful people — many of them holding public office —were shocked and embarrassed, and also disturbed that their reputation was negatively impacted, when Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with child sexual abuse offenses for allegedly abusing dozens of underage girls in his New York mansion and in Palm Beach, Florida. He also had an isolated island home, named Little Saint James, in the US Virgin Islands, and a home in New Mexico. Many underage girls were allegedly kept for sexual abuse and trafficking by Epstein in these homes, which had many powerful people come as his special guests. There is no indication these guests were involved with any wrongdoing.

Epstein’s friends and colleagues were clearly aware of the constant availability of underage girls in these homes and may have welcomed sexual favors. They had no tolerance of any protector or opponent of child sexual abuse. The late pope Francis was an outspoken critic of such abuse and human trafficking. The documents released by the US Justice Department showed that Epstein discussed with Steve Bannon, a Catholic who served as Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign chief and White House top strategist, how to bring down Francis, whom he considered “the Enemy.” This was rooted in Bannon’s right-wing political ideology and populist nationalism, of which the Jesuit pontiff was a harsh critic. Bannon worked with Epstein, and he reportedly told European populist politicians that Francis is “the Enemy” due to the pope’s support, compassion and universal welcome for migrants. Epstein had no respect for Francis’ hard stance against child sexual abuse and their perpetrators, and clearly found a common cause with Bannon.

According to the files released by the Justice Department, Epstein sexually abused and trafficked more than 1,200 people, many of them children. A lawsuit alleged that Epstein trafficked girls as young as 11 years old. Media reports say child sex traffickers and well-paid recruiters brought dozens of girls to Epstein’s New York mansion to give massages and sexual services to friends and visitors. In 2005, police at Palm Beach began an investigation and identified as victims 36 girls between 14 and 17 years old.

Blaming the victims

Some of the victims tried to speak out, and there were several documented reports of suspected child abuse in his properties well before his first arrest and charges in 2006. But a combination of systemic institutional failures, aggressive legal intimidation, and Epstein’s immense social and financial influence, effectively buried them. Victims noted that when they tried to report to local authorities, they faced extreme victim-blaming. Released grand jury transcripts and investigation reports revealed that, from the start, law enforcement officers often treated the girls like prostitutes or criminals, rather than victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. This discouraged other victims from pressing charges and seeking justice. Finally, after public outrage and successful court actions, a victims’ compensation fund was set up and used to pay over $120 million to 150 survivors.

A close colleague of Epstein was Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland. He served 10 years as secretary-general of the Council of Europe, ending his tenure in 2019. He was also the head of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee from 2009 to 2020. According to the released documents, Jagland and Epstein had a close relationship from 2011 to 2019. Jagland ignored Epstein’s convictions of child sex abuse and human trafficking. Jagland visited the many homes of Epstein, where child sexual abuse was allegedly rampant. He wrote to Epstein about his visits to Albania to see “extraordinary girls” and in 2013 told him in an email: “I can’t keep it going with young women, as you know.” Although that could imply sexual exhaustion with minors, there is no direct evidence to link Jagland to any alleged sexual misconduct or crimes against them.

His luxury travel was paid for by Epstein, who, in return, reportedly asked Jagland for access to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to pass “insights” to President Vladimir Putin. What those insights could be is open to speculation. Some say, perhaps, compromising sex videos of high-profile Western politicians or businessmen that could be used for blackmail to silence opposition to his war in Ukraine. Epstein gave Jagland money to buy an apartment in Oslo. As head of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, he selected every candidate nominated to be voted on by the panel. Child protectors were not selected. He was removed as chairman in 2015 after controversial decisions in awarding the said prize.

The Preda Foundation was nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize for defending the rights of sexually abused and trafficked children and defending their rights and was likely denied the prize by Jagland every time. Considering that he was best friends with Epstein and had fully paid visits to the latter’s sex dens, it is not surprising that Jagland would reject such nominations of child rights defenders, no matter how deserving. Jagland also lied to the committee that he had ever known Epstein, for which he later apologized. Norwegian anti-corruption police raided his homes for evidence and charged him with gross corruption. He could get 10 years in prison. He was also removed from the committee and is now exhausted from his endeavors in Albania and elsewhere. As he said to Epstein, “I can’t keep it going with young women, as you know.” Now, he lives in disgrace and is awaiting trial.

The story continues unraveling as more high-profile US millionaires, tycoons, European elites, royalty and politicians who were allegedly caught in the Epstein honey traps are still being blackmailed and living in fear that child sex videos recorded in secret might surface one day. How indeed the mighty have fallen.