Ex-butler claims Jeffrey Epstein was offered Trump admin job, ‘loved life too much’ to kill himself
WASHINGTON, DC: Jeffrey Epstein’s former butler is publicly speaking out for the first time.
Valdson Vieira Cotrin, who managed Epstein’s residence in Paris for eighteen years, believes the disgraced financier “loved life too much” and was not suicidal in the days leading up to his death in August 2019.
Valdson Vieira Cotrin says Jeffrey Epstein was in 'good spirits' before death
Valdson Vieira Cotrin told The Telegraph that he had spoken to Jeffrey Epstein shortly before he died and described him as being in “good spirits.”
He recalled Epstein sounding calm and optimistic. “I am like his brother. I don’t believe this was suicide. He loved life too much,” Cotrin told the publication.
He added, "We got the news that he had hanged himself, and honestly, he loved life too much to float away like that."
The former employee claimed that Epstein had been talking about new financial ventures and showed no signs of despair.
Jeffrey Epstein allegedly turned down a role in Donald Trump's administration
Valdson Vieira Cotrin further claimed that Jeffrey Epstein was offered a job in Donald Trump’s administration in 2016, but turned it down.
“I was surprised, because I would have thought such a position could be interesting, but I asked no more questions as it wasn’t my place,” Cotrin said.
Trump has claimed that he cut ties with Epstein in 2004. “But in my opinion, if he did turn it down, it was because he liked his freedom," Cotrin added.
The former butler went on to claim that Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Epstein of sexual abuse, died as a result of foul play.
He also said that young women were hired to give Epstein massages and to cut his nails, claiming it didn't go beyond that. “The girls did that to him, but it stopped there," Cotrin told the publication.
Cotrin’s comments come as the government faces renewed pressure to release the Epstein files, which are believed to contain critical information about the disgraced financier's network.
Valdson Vieira Cotrin met Bill Clinton aboard Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous private jet
Valdson Vieira Cotrin also revealed that he chauffeured Prince Andrew during visits to Jeffrey Epstein’s homes in Paris and New York, “five or six times.”
He shared that he met former President Bill Clinton aboard Epstein’s private jet, the infamous "Lolita Express," during a layover in Paris.
The butler gave The Telegraph a photo showing him posing with Clinton on the jet. He also presented images of Peter Mandelson, British Ambassador to the US, attending Epstein’s birthday party in 2007.
Cotrin said he also drove filmmaker Woody Allen and met Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates several times during his service under Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell fights to keep grand jury material sealed
Valdson Vieira Cotrin's bombshell interview was released days after reports emerged that Ghislaine Maxwell wants to prevent the release of grand jury records related to her case.
Maxwell’s attorneys said she had not seen the material herself because the grand jury process is closed. They argue that unsealing the transcripts would be an unfair breach of her rights.
“Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable and her due process rights remain,” attorneys David O Markus and Melissa Madrigal wrote in a filing.
Prosecutors responded in court papers on Monday, August 4, stating that most of the relevant details had already been disclosed during Maxwell’s 2021 trial or through victims’ lawsuits. They added that only two grand jury witnesses, both law enforcement, had testified.
