Trump's DOJ resists NBC push to unseal names of two associates whom Epstein wired money
WASHINGTON DC: The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to block NBC News’ request to unseal the identities of two associates who received large payments from Jeffrey Epstein in 2018.
Court filings show that prosecutors cited the individuals’ privacy concerns as the reason for keeping their names redacted.
Jeffrey Epstein associates received payment in 2018
NBC News reported that the first associate received a payment of $100,000 and the second was paid $250,000, both in 2018.
The payments came just days after the Miami Herald began publishing investigative stories that criticized Epstein’s 2008 nonprosecution agreement in Florida.
“The payments became public after Epstein was indicted and arrested in New York in 2019 and asked to be released on bail," the outlet noted.
Federal prosecutors in New York filed a memorandum on July 16, 2019, arguing that Epstein should remain in jail to prevent him from tampering with witnesses.
Epstein “wired $100,000 from a trust account he controlled, to an individual named as [REDACTED] a potential co-conspirator, and for whom Epstein obtained protection in, the NPA," prosecutors wrote in 2018.
Prosecutors also wrote, “this individual was also named and featured prominently in the Herald series," according to the report.
Prosecutors said Jeffery Epstein tried to influence co-conspirators in 2019
On or about December 3, 2018, the defendant wired $250,000 from the “same trust account to [REDACTED], who was also named as a potential co-conspirator, and for whom Epstein also obtained protection in — the NPA.”
Prosecutors at the time reportedly said, “This individual is also one of the employees identified in the Indictment,” which alleged that she and two other identified employees facilitated the defendant’s activities at his residences in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.
Prosecutors said in the filings that Epstein’s payments may be evidence of “efforts to influence witnesses,” the report states.
“This course of action, and in particular its timing,” they said, “suggests the defendant was attempting to further influence co-conspirators who might provide information against him in light of the recently re-emerging allegations.”
DOJ tells Judge Richard Berman names must stay sealed amid privacy objections
Last month, NBC News sent a letter asking US District Judge Richard Berman to unseal the redacted names, arguing that Epstein is deceased, the criminal proceedings have ended, and the Justice Department stated in a July memo that no additional charges would be filed against uncharged third parties.
Berman gave federal prosecutors until September 5 to respond. In a reply letter that day, Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote, “Individual-1 and Individual-2 are uncharged third parties who have not waived their privacy interests; indeed, both Individual-1 and Individual-2 have expressly objected to the unsealing of their names and personal identifying information in the July 2019 Letter.”
According to the report, Clayton said the two unnamed individuals sent letters to the US attorney’s office expressing their concerns, but those letters remain under seal.
The judge has given NBC News until September 12 to respond to the Justice Department’s request that the names remain sealed. It is not yet known when Berman will rule on NBC News’ request.
