An internal SDNY prosecutor email from August 2019 discussing Governor Bill Richardson's legal status in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, clarifying that while Richardson was not being actively pursued at that time, he could not be classified as entirely outside the investigation.
This is a significant internal communication from the Southern District of New York (SDNY) prosecutor's office dated August 21, 2019, just weeks after Jeffrey Epstein's arrest and days after his death. The email corrects statements made by Jeffrey Brown (likely Richardson's attorney at Dechert LLP) about Richardson's status in the case. The prosecutor pushes back against characterizing Richardson as 'neither a target, subject, or witness,' explaining that while they had no current intent to subpoena Richardson, he could not be placed entirely outside the investigation's scope. This document provides rare insight into how federal prosecutors internally discussed powerful individuals connected to Epstein.
From: To:" )" Subject: RE: RE: Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2019 21:28:26 +0000 (USANYS)" Okay, thanks. From: Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 4:58 PM To: (USANYS) Subject: FW: RE: FYI From: Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 16:57 To: Brown, Jeffrey Subject: RE: RE: Jeff, The reference to not seeking a response from Governor Richardson at this time about current allegations is correct, and I believe accurately conveys what I said on the phone. What I think remains inaccurate is the statement that I said he was neither a target, subject, or witness in the case — in response to your question about his status, what I said was that in the general sense, anyone who we don't have reason to know has no exposure (witness), or believe does have exposure (target), would be a subject, and that specifically with respect to Governor Richardson, we do not currently intend to subpoena or request to speak with him based on our investigation at this time. That's directly from my contemporaneous notes. I think you could reasonably infer from my description that we don't currently consider him a witness or target, but I don't think it's accurate to infer or interpret from my description on Sunday of the three categories that Governor Richardson is in none of them. If you had asked me to specifically place Governor Richardson in one of those categories, separate from a general description, I would have, and if that would be useful now, I can; similarly, if it would be useful for me to give you our specific view on just whether he is currently a target, I can do that. With respect to the quote, I don't have a view on anyone expressing their own personal inferences, and I recognize the revision that limits the view to this particular moment in the investigation; that said, I expect that if asked whether the Office in fact does believe at this time that the Governor did not participate in or witness the alleged criminal activity by Jeffrey Epstein, we likely would simply say that the investigation is ongoing and we are pursuing all possible leads. I hope this is useful. thanks, From: Brown, Jeffrey Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 13:20 To: Subject: Re: RE: EFTA00027244
Governor Bill Richardson offered his assistance in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation through his lawyer, Jeff Brown of Dechert LLP, to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In response to this offer, Mr. Brown was informed by the Assistant US Attorney responsible for the case that Governor Richardson is neither a target, subject, nor witness in the case and that there is no allegation against Governor Richardson about which the government is seeking a response from Gov. Richardson at this time. "It's fair to conclude that the federal prosecutors investigating this matter do not believe at this time the Governor participated in or witnessed the criminal activity Jeffrey Epstein is alleged to have committed," said Mr. Brown. Furthermore, Governor Richardson has never been contacted by any party to a lawsuit involving Epstein, nor by any law enforcement investigating Epstein. Governor Richardson hopes that the investigation continues so that Epstein's victims can finally have their day in court and see the justice they deserve. Jeffrey Brown Dechert LLP 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York New York 10036 On Aug 21, 2019, at 1:12 PM, Hey no attachment, please re-send? Thanks. From: Brown, Jeffrey Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 13:00 To: 1 4 Subject: ) < > wrote: is this the edit you are looking for? I apologize again for this. Jeffrey Brown Dechert LLP 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10036 Direct: Fax: This e-mail is from Dechert LLP, a law firm, and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, copy or distribute the e-mail or any attachments. Instead, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and any attachments. Thank you. EFTA00027245
This e-mail is from Dechert LLP, a law firm, and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, copy or distribute the e-mail or any attachments. Instead, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and any attachments. Thank you. EFTA00027246



