General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs Epstein an intelligence asset? If so, for which country?
Note: I did NOT say a US intelligence asset.
Link to tweet
Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]? Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day hed had just one meeting on the Epstein case. Hed cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epsteins attorneys because he had been told to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. I was told Epstein belonged to intelligence and to leave it alone, he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)
... snip
For almost two decades, for some nebulous reason, whether to do with ties to foreign intelligence, his billions of dollars, or his social connections, Epstein, whose alleged sexual sickness and horrific assaults on women without means or ability to protect themselves is well-known in his circle, remained untouchable.
I'd sure like to know who told Acosta Epstein is an intelligence asset.
An AP reporter asked Acosta if knew whether Epstein was an intelligence asset.
He follows with an grand non-denial-denial.
Link to tweet
With all those video cameras all over his homes and the way he collected VIPs all over the world, who was he sharing his kompromat with?
hlthe2b
(102,225 posts)and bizarre story.
Curious, at a minimum.
4139
(1,893 posts)louis-t
(23,292 posts)"Acosta let him go and he continued to molest children." It is imperative.
JHB
(37,158 posts)..."who in the Bush administration told him?"
They're already trying to pretend it happened under a Democratic admin.
And, of course, if it wasn't anyone in the Bush administration: Who did they work for and why did he pay any attention to them?
samir.g
(835 posts)MelissaB
(16,420 posts)tanyev
(42,550 posts)far above Acostas pay grade.
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)tanyev
(42,550 posts)Doesnt mean it was completely true. On the other hand, Epstein had a lot of contacts with Russia and a lot of unexplained wealth, so who knows?
klook
(12,154 posts)To jump to him being an actual agent of a foreign power, we would need more than speculation.
DURHAM D
(32,609 posts)I am going to remember that tactic.
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)You don't think he shared his info/videos of the rich and famous?
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)... snip
But what was that life, really? Thats a key question which nobody has been able to publicly answer. How Epstein maintained his fantastically extravagant lifestyle has long been a topic of speculation and mystery. He claimed to have made his vast fortune as a financial guru to the super-rich, but nearly all of his clients were unnamed. Moreover, in a business where overwork is standard, Epstein seemed to have unlimited free time to pursue his avocation of obtaining massages from young women.
A major hint was dropped this week by Vicky Ward, the intrepid investigative journalist who has tried to expose the ugly reality behind the Epstein facade longer than anyone. In a report for the Daily Beast, Ward shed light on the Justice Departments 2007 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein, that sweetest of sweet deals, since it got Epstein a laughably lenient sentencefor crimes which any normal person would have gone away for decades after admitting to.
Alexander Acosta, the current U.S. Labor Secretary, is in the hot seat, since a dozen years ago he was the U.S. Attorney for South Florida who cut that deal with Epstein. Ward explained the background of that deal, which is now a noose for Acosta. Specifically, she elaborated that the Epstein issue came up when Acosta was appointed to the cabinet by President Donald Trump. Ward writes:
Hed cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epsteins attorneys because he had been told to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. I was told Epstein belonged to intelligence and to leave it alone, he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)
Wait, what?
So, Acosta, according to himself, backed off on prosecuting Epstein back in 2007, despite the possession of ample evidence proving his guilt, because he belonged to intelligence. Whose intelligence, exactly? is the first of many questions that arise here.
More: https://observer.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-spy-intelligence-work/
This claim was met with an appropriate degree of skepticism, and Acosta had a chance to explain what he meant in a press conference this afternoon. On camera, Acosta maintained that he did the best he could with that case, while admitting that it hardly looks like a fair punishment now.
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)So there has been reporting to that effect and let me say, theres been reporting to a lot of effects in this case, not just now but over the years and, again, I would hesitant to take this reporting as fact. This was a case that was brought by our office, it was brought based on the facts and I look at the reporting and others, I cant address it directly because of our guidelines, but I can tell you that a lot of reporting is going down rabbit holes.
To anyone acquainted with our nations capital, thats a non-denial denial of an epic kind. Given the chance to refute Wards report, specifically that the Epstein case involved intelligence matters, Acosta did nothing of the sort. Indeed, he functionally admitted that its true.
What then can we conclude at this point? It appears that Jeffrey Epstein was involved in intelligence work, of some kind, for someoneand it probably wasnt American intelligence either. The U.S. Intelligence Community is lenient about the private habits of high-value agents or informants, but they wont countenance running sex trafficking rings for minors on American soil, for years. While its plausible that Epstein was sharing some information with the FBImany criminals do so to buy themselves some insuranceits implausible that he was mainly working for the Americans.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)And what about all of the tapes? Were copies made?
machI
(1,285 posts)It was clearly stated on a hand written note at the bottom of that suitcase full of money.
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)Kid Berwyn
(14,876 posts)That guy could be playing everybody off everybody else.
Surprised he is still above ground, so he must have at least one good friend, as Bartcop used to say.
lostnfound
(16,173 posts)Elite girls high school at the time.
When Epstein was just twenty and had dropped out of two colleges.