Who is mentioned in this document?

Geoffrey S. Berman (SDNY prosecutor who led the Epstein/Maxwell case), Ghislaine Maxwell (the subject of the investigation), Jeffrey Epstein, and Mike Baker (New York Times reporter). A victim's name is redacted but her testimony is quoted extensively.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals that federal prosecutors were actively reviewing victim allegations against Maxwell in April 2020, three months before her July 2020 arrest. It shows Berman personally involved in evaluating the strength of testimony, asking 'So massaging her chest is as explicit as it gets?' about the allegations.

What victim testimony is discussed?

A victim describes Ghislaine Maxwell repeatedly offering massages, instructing her to undress and lie under a sheet, then pulling down the sheet to expose her breasts and massage her chest. The victim states 'I don't think there was any reason for her to be touching me that way.'

What is the significance of this document?

This email shows the internal workings of the federal prosecution that ultimately led to Maxwell's arrest and conviction. It demonstrates prosecutors gathering and evaluating evidence from media coverage of victim accounts, building the case that resulted in Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence.

Who is mentioned in this document?

Geoffrey S. Berman (SDNY prosecutor who led the Epstein/Maxwell case), Ghislaine Maxwell (the subject of the investigation), Jeffrey Epstein, and Mike Baker (New York Times reporter). A victim's name is redacted but her testimony is quoted extensively.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals that federal prosecutors were actively reviewing victim allegations against Maxwell in April 2020, three months before her July 2020 arrest. It shows Berman personally involved in evaluating the strength of testimony, asking 'So massaging her chest is as explicit as it gets?' about the allegations.

What victim testimony is discussed?

A victim describes Ghislaine Maxwell repeatedly offering massages, instructing her to undress and lie under a sheet, then pulling down the sheet to expose her breasts and massage her chest. The victim states 'I don't think there was any reason for her to be touching me that way.'

What is the significance of this document?

This email shows the internal workings of the federal prosecution that ultimately led to Maxwell's arrest and conviction. It demonstrates prosecutors gathering and evaluating evidence from media coverage of victim accounts, building the case that resulted in Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence.

EFTA00022086 - EFTA00022087

An internal DOJ email exchange between prosecutors discussing victim testimony about Ghislaine Maxwell personally giving massages to an alleged victim, as reported by Mike Baker in The New York Times Daily podcast.

This April 15, 2020 email chain shows Geoffrey S. Berman, then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and a colleague reviewing victim testimony about Ghislaine Maxwell. The emails quote from The New York Times' 'The Daily' podcast where a victim describes Maxwell asking about massages, having the victim undress, and inappropriately touching her chest during a massage. Berman asks follow-up questions about the level of explicit detail in the allegations, suggesting active case-building just three months before Maxwell's July 2020 arrest.

Key Highlights

•Geoffrey Berman, SDNY prosecutor, personally reviewing victim testimony against Maxwell in April 2020
•Victim describes Maxwell performing massage that included inappropriate chest touching
•Testimony quoted from The New York Times' Mike Baker reporting for 'The Daily' podcast
•Evidence of federal prosecutors building the case that led to Maxwell's arrest in July 2020

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

The Spider: Inside the Tangled Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00022086 - EFTA00022087

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00022086

From: " 1. )' To: "Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS)" Subject: RE: Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:38:43 +0000 I'll check the complaint/other sources beyond NYT. Original Message From: Berman, Geoffrey (USANYS) < 1.> Sent: Wedneslai Aril IS 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: > 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 - EFTA00022086

Page 2 - EFTA00022087

> 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 involved 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) > Sent: Wednesda Aril 15, 2020 10:08 AM > To: > Subject: > Can you resend me the quote from NYT about Maxwell massaging her breasts. EFTA00022087