Epstein Secrets

Evidence ...............................60 3. September 7, 2007: Acosta, Other USAO Attorneys, and FBI Supervisors Meet with Epstein Attorneys Starr, Lefkowitz, and Sanchez ...............................................................................................62 VI. SEPTEMBER 2007: TH

to the NPA, two attorneys from the firm of Kirkland & Ellis, one of the largest law firms in the country, contacted the USAO on Epstein’s behalf: Kenneth Starr, former federal judge and Solicitor General, who was serving as Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law while of counsel to the firm; and Jay Le

ll, but he did remember an occasion on which he entered Acosta’s office as Acosta was finishing a phone conversation, and Acosta stated, “[T]hat was Ken Starr,” and told Menchel the call related to the Epstein case. 60 jurisdiction), while making clear that we are not talking about the details o

shington, D.C.; approximately four years as a policy fellow and law school lecturer; and nearly two years as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department’s Civil Rights Division. He was presidentially appointed in 2002 as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, and in 2003 as Assistant Attorney General in charge of

t. 1, 2007. ABC News later reported that federal charges “could carry more substantial prison time. Now, Epstein’s high-powered lawyers, including Kenneth Starr, . . . may try to get him out of registering as a sex offender . . . .” Scott Michels, “Money Manager Said to Plan to Plead Guilty to Prostitution

of Hearing (Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Dec. 7, 2007). 151 In a meeting with Acosta and Sloman on November 21, 2007, Lefkowitz informed them that Starr had placed a call to Fisher. 95 not recall for OPR the substance of his conversation with Starr, other than that it was likely about Epst

, the legal prowess, if you will, of the attorneys [ ] [became] something to consider. . . . . I think that the ability of Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr and Jay Lefkowitz to convince Alex Acosta that I didn’t know what I was talking [about] also, all came into play. So I think there were a number

ial issues,” his own focus had been on “the legal side of things.” Notably, during his prior tenure as the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acosta had been involved in efforts to address sex trafficking. He told OPR that one of the “background issues” that the Civil Rights Division ad

was dissatisfied with the NPA, “we stand ready to unwind the Agreement” and proceed to trial. Shortly thereafter, Acosta informed defense counsel Starr by letter that he had directed prosecutors “not to issue victim notification letters until this Friday [December 7] at 5 p.m., to provide you with t

ictim interviews. x Villafaña revised the prosecution memorandum to focus “on victims who are unknown to Epstein’s counsel.” x The USAO informed the Department’s Civil Rights Division “pursuant to USAM [§] 8-3.120,” of the USAO’s “ongoing investigation of a child exploitation matter” involving Epstein and others. x Villafaña se