What is document EFTA00028418?

This is a letter filed on July 11, 2019, by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to Judge Richard Berman. It addresses procedural issues with Jeffrey Epstein's bail motion, specifically the defense's failure to provide any financial disclosure information that prosecutors needed to respond to the bail request.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein (the defendant in the sex trafficking case), Judge Richard M. Berman (the presiding judge who would later deny Epstein's bail), and references defense counsel including Martin Weinberg and Reid Weingarten, though the letter itself is from the Government's prosecution team.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals the contentious early stages of Epstein's 2019 bail proceedings, showing that his defense team delayed providing financial information despite the Government needing it to evaluate his flight risk. This foreshadowed what would become a major issue in the case—Epstein's vast but opaque fortune of over $559 million, which ultimately contributed to Judge Berman denying bail on July 18, 2019, finding him both a flight risk and danger to the community.

Why was Epstein's financial disclosure important for bail?

Epstein's financial disclosure was critical because the Government argued his extraordinary wealth—later revealed to exceed $559 million—combined with complex international financial ties, made him an extreme flight risk. Judge Berman ultimately agreed, noting that Epstein could easily transfer funds to places the Government would never find them to live comfortably as a fugitive.

What happened after this filing?

On July 12, 2019, Epstein's defense finally filed a one-page financial disclosure showing $559 million in assets. After a July 15 bail hearing where two alleged victims testified, Judge Berman denied bail on July 18, 2019, ordering Epstein detained pending trial. Epstein died in custody on August 10, 2019.

What is document EFTA00028418?

This is a letter filed on July 11, 2019, by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to Judge Richard Berman. It addresses procedural issues with Jeffrey Epstein's bail motion, specifically the defense's failure to provide any financial disclosure information that prosecutors needed to respond to the bail request.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein (the defendant in the sex trafficking case), Judge Richard M. Berman (the presiding judge who would later deny Epstein's bail), and references defense counsel including Martin Weinberg and Reid Weingarten, though the letter itself is from the Government's prosecution team.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals the contentious early stages of Epstein's 2019 bail proceedings, showing that his defense team delayed providing financial information despite the Government needing it to evaluate his flight risk. This foreshadowed what would become a major issue in the case—Epstein's vast but opaque fortune of over $559 million, which ultimately contributed to Judge Berman denying bail on July 18, 2019, finding him both a flight risk and danger to the community.

Why was Epstein's financial disclosure important for bail?

Epstein's financial disclosure was critical because the Government argued his extraordinary wealth—later revealed to exceed $559 million—combined with complex international financial ties, made him an extreme flight risk. Judge Berman ultimately agreed, noting that Epstein could easily transfer funds to places the Government would never find them to live comfortably as a fugitive.

What happened after this filing?

On July 12, 2019, Epstein's defense finally filed a one-page financial disclosure showing $559 million in assets. After a July 15 bail hearing where two alleged victims testified, Judge Berman denied bail on July 18, 2019, ordering Epstein detained pending trial. Epstein died in custody on August 10, 2019.

EFTA00028418 - EFTA00028419

A federal prosecutor's letter to Judge Richard Berman requesting more time to respond to Jeffrey Epstein's bail motion because the defense had failed to provide any financial disclosure as required.

This July 11, 2019 court filing is a letter from the U.S. Attorney's Office (Southern District of New York) to Judge Richard Berman regarding Jeffrey Epstein's bail proceedings. The Government expresses frustration that over three days after Epstein's initial presentment, and just hours before their deadline to respond to his bail motion, they still had not received any financial information from the defense. The letter requests an extension of at least 24 hours after receiving the financial disclosure to properly respond, and if necessary, asks for the bail hearing to be adjourned.

Key Highlights

•Government had not received any financial disclosure from Epstein's defense team three days after his arraignment
•Defense waited until the evening before the Government's response deadline to file a sealing motion for financial documents
•Prosecutors requested a 24-hour extension from when they received financial information to respond
•Part of the 2019 sex trafficking case that ultimately revealed Epstein had over $559 million in assets

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

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

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00028418 - EFTA00028419

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00028418

Case 1:19-cr-00490-RMB Document 8 Filed 07/11/19 Page 1 of 2 U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Southern District of New York VIA ECF The Honorable Richard M. Berman United States District Court Southern District of New York United States Courthouse July 11, 2019 Re: United States v. Jeffrey Epstein, 19 Cr. 490 (RMB) Dear Judge Berman: The Government respectfully submits this letter in response to the defendant's motion for leave to file a supplemental financial disclosure under seal (the "Sealing Motion") in connection with his motion for pretrial release (the "Bail Motion"). The Government takes no position on the defendant's application, but notes that as of this filing the Government still has not yet received any financial disclosure or information from the defense in connection with the defendant's application for bail. It is now more than three days following the defendant's initial presentment, more than seven hours after the defendant's deadline to file his Motion, and less than 24 hours before the Government's deadline to reply. There is no reason that the defendant need have waited until this evening to submit his Sealing Motion, and the Government cannot meaningfully respond to a Bail Motion that contains no material financial information, either under seal or otherwise. Accordingly, the Government respectfully requests that its deadline to respond to the defendant's Bail Motion be extended to at least 24 hours following the defendant's disclosure of any financial information upon which he intends to rely in connection with the Motion. Should EFTA00028418

Page 2 - EFTA00028419

Case 1:19-cr-00490-RMB Document 8 Filed 07/11/19 Page 2 of 2 Honorable Richard M. Berman United States District Judge July 11, 2019 Page 2 that require adjourning the bail hearing, the Government respectfully requests that the hearing be moved to a date and time convenient for the Court and sufficient to permit the Court to review the Government's reply. Very truly yours, GEOF REY S. BERMAN United tates Attorney By: Assistant United States Attorney Southern District of New York Cc: Martin Weinberg, Esq., and Reid Weingarten, Esq., counsel for defendant EFTA00028419