Internal DOJ email from April 2020 showing prosecutors reviewing allegations from Annie Farmer's civil lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, describing sexual abuse at Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch.
This is an internal communication between federal prosecutors at the Southern District of New York (SDNY), including U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, dated April 15, 2020—just weeks before Maxwell's arrest in July. The email contains excerpts from a civil complaint describing how Maxwell allegedly pressured a minor victim into a massage at Epstein's New Mexico ranch, touched intimate parts of her body, and exposed and groped her while Epstein watched. Berman's follow-up question asking 'So massaging her chest is as explicit as it gets? What about her complaint?' suggests prosecutors were evaluating the strength of evidence for potential criminal charges.
From: To: "Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS)" Subject: RE: Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:45:25 +0000 Attachments: show_temp.pdf From her complaint (attached): 62. Epstein, Maxwell, and returned to Epstein's ranch. Upon returning from the movie, Maxwell repeatedly told that she wanted to give her a massage. was very uncomfortable with the idea of Maxwell touching her, but realized that she was completely alone with Epstein and Maxwell. feared what would happen if she did not comply with their demands. said that she had never had a massage and tried to avoid having Maxwell touch her body, but Maxwell continued to pressure her. Maxwell directed to take off all of her clothes and lay on the massage table. was extremely scared to be naked in front of Epstein and Maxwell. 63. Maxwell left the door open so that Epstein could view naked body during the massage. 64. Maxwell touched intimate parts of body against her will for the sexual benefit of Maxwell and Epstein. 65. Maxwell exposed breasts and groped her. 66. was extremely distressed and afraid. She was a child in a massive ranch in New Mexico, away from her family in Arizona, and isolated from any source of help. She was alone with Epstein and Maxwell. She had no way to access a phone or other method of communication without Epstein or Maxwell knowing. She had no way of leaving. Original Message From: Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS) alMIE> Sent: Wednesda Aril 15 2020 10:38 AM To: Subject: Re: So massaging her chest is as explicit as it gets? What about her complaint? > On Apr 15, 2020, at 10:24 AM, wrote: > In the article version accom an in the dail it is written like this: > also recalled Ms. Maxwell repeatedly asking whether she wanted a massage. Eventually relenting, followed directions by taking off her clothes and bra and etting under a sheet on a massage table. Ms. Maxwell performed the massage, at one point having lie on her back as Ms. Maxwell pulled down the sheet to massage her chest. > "I don't think there was any reason for her to be touching me that way," said. > Original Messa e > From: > Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 10:23 AM > To: Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS) > Subject: RE: EFTA00019246
> From the daily: > Mike Baker • then remembers Ghislaine repeatedly asked whether - > Have you ever gotten a massage? > Mike Baker > - wanted a massage. > I'm very skilled in massage, right, and so I want to make sure you get a massage. > Mike Baker > She said that she was very - > She was skilled in massage. Yeah. > Mike Baker > And she eventually relents. > But I had never had a professional massage before. So I didn't know what really was invol . ed in that. And so she said that I would take off my clothes and lay under the sheet. > Mike Baker > Ghislaine performs the massage. > She had me, you know, flip over to my back. And then she pulled the sheet down so that my breasts were exposed. > Mike Baker > And she remembers how Ghislaine then went on to massage her chest. > Like it just - this feels weird. This feels uncomfortable. I don't think this is probably right, but I don't know. > Mike Baker > And all this time, she's struggling to figure out what's going on. Jeffery Epstein, she says, wasn't participating in the massage. But she has this sense that he's in the area, that the doors are open, it's kind of an open area where she's getting the massage. > I could feel his presence, like, oh, I'm sure he can see me from where he is. > Original Message > From: Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS) EFTA00019247
> Sent: Wednesda Aril 15, 2020 10:08 AM > To: > Subject: > Can you resend me the quote from NYT about Maxwell massaging her breasts. EFTA00019248


