What is document EFTA00037281?

This is an internal FBI email chain from July 2019 showing agents from the New York Field Office discussing a media inquiry from CNN about a victim who reported Jeffrey Epstein to the FBI in 1996.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and CNN reporter Mirna Alsharif. FBI personnel names are redacted, but positions including SSA (Supervisory Special Agent) and ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) from the New York Field Office are referenced.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that by July 2019, the FBI was aware of victims who had reported Epstein as far back as 1996 and was actively working to interview them. The document shows internal coordination between FBI field offices and headquarters when media inquiries about these early reports emerged.

Why is the 1996 FBI report significant?

The 1996 report, believed to be from Maria Farmer, was one of the earliest complaints to federal law enforcement about Epstein's crimes. It went uninvestigated for years, and Epstein was not charged until 2006 in Florida. This document shows the FBI tracking these early reports in 2019 after renewed public scrutiny.

What was CNN asking about?

CNN reporter Mirna Alsharif was asking the FBI to verify whether a document existed showing that a victim reported being sexually assaulted by Epstein to the FBI in 1996, based on Miami Herald reporting about early complaints.

What is document EFTA00037281?

This is an internal FBI email chain from July 2019 showing agents from the New York Field Office discussing a media inquiry from CNN about a victim who reported Jeffrey Epstein to the FBI in 1996.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and CNN reporter Mirna Alsharif. FBI personnel names are redacted, but positions including SSA (Supervisory Special Agent) and ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) from the New York Field Office are referenced.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that by July 2019, the FBI was aware of victims who had reported Epstein as far back as 1996 and was actively working to interview them. The document shows internal coordination between FBI field offices and headquarters when media inquiries about these early reports emerged.

Why is the 1996 FBI report significant?

The 1996 report, believed to be from Maria Farmer, was one of the earliest complaints to federal law enforcement about Epstein's crimes. It went uninvestigated for years, and Epstein was not charged until 2006 in Florida. This document shows the FBI tracking these early reports in 2019 after renewed public scrutiny.

What was CNN asking about?

CNN reporter Mirna Alsharif was asking the FBI to verify whether a document existed showing that a victim reported being sexually assaulted by Epstein to the FBI in 1996, based on Miami Herald reporting about early complaints.

EFTA00037281 - EFTA00037282

An internal FBI email chain from July 2019 showing agents coordinating their response to a CNN inquiry about a victim who reported Jeffrey Epstein to the FBI in 1996—long before his crimes were publicly investigated.

This document is a July 2019 FBI internal email thread between the New York Field Office, FBI headquarters, and the Office of Public Affairs. CNN reporter Mirna Alsharif reached out asking the FBI to verify the existence of a 1996 report from a victim who said she was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein. The emails reveal that FBI agents already knew about this victim and her younger sister, who had been interviewed during the earlier Palm Beach investigation, and were actively working with an attorney to arrange a meeting. This document is significant because it shows the FBI was internally acknowledging victims who had reported Epstein decades earlier—reports that went uninvestigated for years.

Key Highlights

•CNN inquired about a victim who filed an FBI report against Epstein in 1996—over a decade before he was first charged
•FBI agents confirm they know the victim and that her younger sister was interviewed in the Palm Beach investigation
•Agents were coordinating with an attorney to meet with the victim in July 2019
•References the Miami Herald reporting that brought renewed attention to early Epstein complaints

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

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

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00037281 - EFTA00037282

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00037281

From: To: Subject: RE: Re: CNN - Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 15:38:26 +0000 Importance: Normal Inline-Images: image001.jpg Correct. We will likely be speaking with both of them. From: Sent: Monday, July 29, 2019 11:35 AM To: Subject RE: Re: CNN - Am you going to interview both of them or just_? Looks like= was an underage victim not_ am I right? From: Sent: Monday, July 29, 201911:12 AM To: Subject Fwd: Re: CNN -= Yes we know her. Her younger sister= was interviewed by FBI in the Palm Beach investigation. We am working with attorney to set up a time to meet with her. On Jul 29, 2019 10:30 Am, • ," wrote: See below, you guys know this person? SSA FBI New York ---- Forwarded message ----- From: Date: Jul 29, 2019 10:25 AM Subject: Re: CNN - To: Cc: Does the team know this victim? Does she show up in Sentinel? The 2006-2007 reference may be because MM interviewed her as part of their investigation. ASAC New Yolk Field Office Criminal - Btanch C from: Seat: Friday, July 26, 201912A2:18 PM To: Subject: FW: CNN -= see below. Does this make any sense to you both? Thanks — From: NY Sent: Friday, July 26, 2019 12:38 PM To: Subject: Fw: CNN-__ Hello OPA, This email was received from a person claiming to be from CNN. Regards EFTA00037281

Page 2 - EFTA00037282

FBI NY • Federal Bureau of Investigation New York Division 26 Federal Plaza New York, NY 10278 Email: From: Alsharif, Mirna Sent: Friday, July 26, 201912:34 PM To: NY < =11=1:. Subject: CNN - Hello, My name is Mirna and I'm contacting you from CNN in New York. We've seen reports that a who says she was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein in 1996, reported her assault to the FBI in 1996. Can you please verify this document's existence? Please find below excerpts from the Miami Herald alleging the existence of this report: • A new victim has gone public in the Jeffrey Epstein case, filing a sworn affidavit in federal court in New York Tuesday, saying that she was sexually assaulted and her then-ls-year-old sister molested by Epstein and his companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 1996. then 26, claims that she was employed by Epstein, a multimillionaire financier who lived in a vast mansion on New York's Upper East Side, and that she frequently saw "school-age girls" wearing uniforms come into the mansion and go upstairs. She was told that the girls were auditioning for modeling work, according to her affidavit. Then an art student in New York, Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you. Mima Aisharif CNN j NY Bureau Desk: EFTA00037282