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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kelly Rissman

Epstein’s brother claims dead sex trafficker was ‘just having a good time’

New York State Sex Offender Registry

The brother of Jeffrey Epstein defended the late sex trafficker following the release of bombshell documents, saying he was “just having a good time.”

While speaking on NewsNation’s On Balance, Mark Epstein was asked about the explosive allegations against his brother and insisted “Jeffrey liked to have a good time.”

Host Leland Vittert interrupted, “There’s a, there’s a big difference though between having...”

Before Vittert could finish his sentence, Mr Epstein said he refused to speculate “because I wasn’t there.”

He also blasted the investigation into the death of his brother, who was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial: “We need more answers. There hasn’t been much of an investigation at all.” Epstein’s death was reported to be a suicide.

“The medical personnel, the pathologist — none of them have been questioned, which is highly unusual, especially in high-profile cases,” Mr Epstein told the network.

Jeffrey Epstein has resurfaced in the headlines in recent weeks after a trove of documents listing associates and victims connected with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were unsealed. Epstein was accused of sexually abusing girls at his homes in New York, Florida, the Virgin Islands and New Mexico.

Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 after being convicted of five charges, including sex trafficking. A federal jury found her guilty of recruiting and grooming four girls over 10 years for sexual encounters with Epstein.

The documents were released as part of a lawsuit brought by victim Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Giuffre brought civil action against Epstein in 2015, in which she accused Maxwell of introducing her to Epstein and of engaging in the trafficking of other underage girls. Maxwell denied the claims, prompting Ms Giuffre to sue her for defamation.

The suit was settled in 2017, but the documents were under seal until now.

The filings name a host of high-profile figures, including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield and Prince Andrew. The filings don’t make any formal accusations or charges against those named.

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