General Discussion

"Law-enforcement agencies on both sides of the Atlantic have been – and continue to be – adverse to making inquiries into VIP child sex-abuse. This has been the position for decades.
...
In the US, the FBI has covered-up for an ‘intelligence’ agency for whom Epstein and Maxwell ran ‘honey traps’. Their victims should brace themselves for another round of betrayal by the FBI which has acted deplorably thus far. Ghislaine Maxwell may be thrown to the wolves but the intelligence agencies involved in the scandal will escape justice."

Connections to Russian officials: Epstein was known to have close contacts with Sergei Belyakov, then Russia's Deputy Minister of Economic Development and later head of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum Foundation. The Dossier Center notes that Belyakov is a graduate of the FSB Academy, which trains Russian intelligence officers. The Dossier Center also indicates that Belyakov helped Epstein deal with a Russian model who was allegedly blackmailing American businessmen, and Epstein in turn advised Belyakov on the Russian economy and recruited high-profile guests for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Meetings with Russian diplomats: Epstein scheduled meetings with Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, and his son Max Churkin, a New York business student who later worked at Russia's largest bank, Sberbank.

Financial dealings and ignored red flags: Deutsche Bank faced a $150 million fine for ignoring warning signs while processing billions of euros from Russia and other former Soviet states. Additionally, payments to a Russian model and a Russian publicity agent from Epstein's accounts were not scrutinized, as a compliance monitor dismissed them as "normal for this client". These payments may have been used to further or cover up criminal activity.

Russian state media focus on Epstein: Russian government-funded media, including RT and Sputnik, dedicated significant coverage to the Epstein scandal after his arrest and suicide. They focused on narratives criticizing Western media, casting doubt on official explanations, and portraying Epstein as a symbol of Western moral decline, according to the Alliance For Securing Democracy. This extensive coverage of the Epstein case, despite limited direct Russian interests, highlights the Kremlin's strategy to discredit the West.

Book exploring Epstein's connections to the Russian underworld: Publisher Dutton announced a new book by journalist Craig Unger that explores Jeffrey Epstein's ties to the Russian underworld and Russian connections to powerful politicians and financiers.

• How the Epstein-Maxwell ring helped enable young women with possible ties to Russian intelligence to gain access to the highest levels of Silicon Valley and the worlds of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and the internet. This, at a time when Vladimir Putin has asserted, “Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere (artificial intelligence) will become the ruler of the world.”

• How Epstein had ties to Russia through sex-trafficking. Epstein partnered with Jean-Luc Brunel, head of MC2 modeling agency and a major sex trafficker, who, in turn, had worked with Peter Listerman, the celebrated procurer, or “matchmaker” as he prefers, for Russian oligarchs.

• How John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Mar-a-Lago’s Palm Beach County, says he acquired 478 videos confiscated from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, fled to Moscow, became only the fourth American to win asylum in Russia, and immediately gained access to Putin’s inner circle, showing the ongoing power that comes from kompromat and how its value is highest before it is “used.”