A federal judge has ordered secret court documents containing the names of people associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to be released. The identities of more than 170 Epstein associates will be revealed within the next few weeks. The documents are part of Virginia Giuffre's settled defamation lawsuit against Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre, who is an alleged Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking victim, took to X to celebrate the release of the documents. "Merry early Christmas-Dozens of Jeffrey Epstein associates, victims likely to publicly ID'd in court docs in coming weeks- thank you and many blessings for Judge Preska. A truth seeker & justice maker ♥️ ," Giuffre wrote on X.
The release of the court documents was ordered by Manhattan federal Judge Loretta Preska. The documents will reveal the identities of more than 170 people connected to Epstein. They were previously anonymous, referred to as "Jane Doe" or "John Doe."
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In another tweet, Giuffre thanked the judge. "Finally we are hearing members of the US government senators about the need for transparency and a call to arms for accountability!!" she wrote on X.
"There’s going to be a lot of nervous ppl over Christmas and New Years, 170 to be exact, who’s on the naughty list? This would t be possible without the Honourable Judge Preska ❤️ " she continued.
Some of the victims listed in the documents will remain anonymous. This is being done to avoid “[disclosing] sensitive information regarding an alleged minor victim of sexual abuse who has not spoken publicly and who has maintained his or her privacy.”
Giuffre's defamation lawsuit against Maxwell accused Maxwell of damaging Giuffre's reputation by publicly saying that Giuffre lied about being sexually abused by Epstein as a minor.
The lawsuit was settled in 2017 and the documents remained sealed. Though some of the people named in the documents might already have known connections to Epstein, the release of the documents will still put them back in the spotlight in an unfavorable way.
Those who do not want their identities revealed have 14 days to appeal the decision (until December 31).
One person who has been publicly associated with Epstein is Britain's Prince Andrew, who was photographed with Giuffre when she was a teenager. Giuffre also sued Prince Andrew for sexual assault. She alleges that Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old. The case was settled in 2022, and Andrew has denied the allegations.
Epstein died in prison in 2019, and Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving out a 20-year prison sentence.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential 24/7 support. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online at RAINN.
