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CIA chief, Rothschild, Ehud Barak, WH Counsel on Epstein schedule: WSJ

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
1 May 2023 15:44
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A new report by The Wall Street Journal with new emails and schedules reveals new names as regular guests of Jeffrey Epstein, including senior US government officials.

In this courtroom sketch, FBI analyst Kimberly Meder testifies during Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-abuse trial about a photo, shown on video, showing Maxwell, left, massaging Jeffery Epstein's foot at his home, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in New York. (AP)

Years after being convicted as a sex offender, prominent names once again associate themselves with Jeffrey Epstein as new documents, including Epstein's schedule, are revealed in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges on one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18, and another count of soliciting prostitution.

While he was sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein managed to reach a secret arrangement that would not only make the US attorney's office agree to not take the case to a federal court but also allow him to serve his sentence through a work-release program.

In 2019, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. This came after the federal prosecutors in New York found that they were not bound by the terms of the non-prosecution deal signed in 2008.

After his arrest, Epstein was charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. According to the official statement of the US Attorney’s Office in New York, "Epstein allegedly worked with several employees and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse, and paid several of those victims themselves to recruit other underage girls to engage in similar sex acts for money."

Epstein kept a "black book" of contacts which was made public after he was charged. Media has widely reported on the Epstein case and much was revealed in connection with the "black book" and public flight logs of passengers who took a trip on his private jet.

WSJ now reveals information that was neither found in the black book nor in a large number of flight logs. In fact, the journal reports from thousands of pages, that remained unreported, of emails and schedules that extend from the year 2013 to 2017.

It is significant to remember that the WSJ made it clear that the schedules and emails were only that. They could not verify whether the meetings did or did not take place, only that they were scheduled.

CIA Chief William Burns

FBI Director Christopher Wray (R), joined by Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns (L), testifies during the House Select Committee on Intelligence's annual open hearing on worldwide threats at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 9, 2023. (AP)

William Burns, who became the director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2021, was one of the prominent names that were highlighted in the WSJ report. According to the documents, in 2014, Burns, who served as Deputy Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama, had three meetings scheduled with Epstein.

According to the information divulged by the WSJ, Burns met Epstein in Washington and visited him, for the first time, in the latter's townhouse in Manhattan.

In Washington, on August 2014, a "lunch was planned" at the office of law firm Steptoe & Johnson. Later, according to the new documents, Epstein had scheduled two evening appointments in September at his townhouse. The documents also revealed that Epstein "planned for his driver to take Mr. Burns to the airport" after one of the appointments.

Alternatively, CIA spokesperson Tammy Kupperman Thorp argued, “The director did not know anything about him [Epstein], other than that he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on the transition to the private sector,” adding “They had no relationship.”

As for the car ride to the airport, Thorp said Burns does recall being introduced to Epstein through a mutual friend, but “The director does not recall any further contact, including receiving a ride to the airport."

Soon after the scheduled meetings, Burns stepped down from his position at the State Department and was offered the presidency position at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In 2021, US President Joe Biden called on Burns to serve as a CIA Director.

White House Counsel and top Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler

Then White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler listens as then-President Barack Obama speaks in Washington, Oct. 28, 2013. (AP)

The White House counsel under President Barack Obama, Kathryn Ruemmler, conducted dozens of meetings with Epstein according to the WSJ report.

It was even noted that the two appeared to know each other pretty well, to the extent that Epstein had scheduled visits to apartments she looked into buying and asked his assistant to upgrade Ruemmler to First Class on certain flights he knew she would be having.

Ruemmler, who in 2020 became a top lawyer at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., was also invited to join Epstein on a trip to Paris in 2015 and a trip to his private Caribbean Island in 2017.

Despite that, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said Ruemmler never visited his island and “never accepted an invitation or an opportunity to fly with Jeffrey Epstein anywhere."

Ruemmler, at the time, was a partner specializing in white-collar defense at Latham & Watkins. It has been alleged that Ruemmler had more than three dozen appointments with Epstein in her capacity as a partner at the law firm.

“In the normal course, Epstein also invited her to meetings and social gatherings, introduced her to other business contacts and made referrals,” the Goldman Sachs spokesperson said.

“It was the same kinds of contacts and engagements she had with other contacts and clients.”

Chief Executive of the Edmond de Rothschild Group Ariane de Rothschild

Ariane de Rothschild, CEO of the Edmond de Rothschild Group. (Bloomberg)

As part of Epstein's public relations approach, the sex offender had also connected Ruemmler with Ariane de Rothschild, who currently serves as CEO of the Edmond de Rothschild Group.

Back then Rothschild's bank had hired Ruemmler's firm following the introduction by Epstein.

According to the emails, WSJ revealed, Epstein had sought Rothschild's help with certain staffing and furniture endeavors. Moreover, the two discussed a number of business deals.

According to the emails, in 2013 Epstein asked Rothschild for help in "finding a new assistant." The email specified "female…multilingual, organized,” to which Rothschild responded, “I’ll ask around.”

During that time period, a number of people mentioned noticing a number of young women working at Epstein's townhouse.

Several people who visited Epstein during this time period said they noticed young women at his townhouse. One of the visitors, Helen Fisher, an anthropologist who studies romantic love and attachment, had lunch with Epstein in January 2016 to discuss her work.

The documents also revealed that Epstein discussed with his staff, previously, if Ruemmler would be uncomfortable seeing young women working around the townhouse as his assistants and staffers.

Similarly, Helen Fisher, an anthropologist who studies romantic love and attachment who had visited Epstein once, allegedly, in 2016, said that Epstein invited her to speak with his staff. “Six young women,” Fisher said, “All of them good-looking. All of them young.”

As for the bank CEO, Rothschild had allegedly bought "nearly $1 million worth of auction items on Epstein’s behalf in 2014 and 2015," WSJ wrote.

In October of 2015, just after Rothschild was named chairwoman of the bank, the two negotiated a $25 million contract for Epstein’s Southern Trust Co. to provide “risk analysis and the application and use of certain algorithms” for the bank the WSJ revealed.

After Epstein was charged, the first response from the bank's spokesperson was that Rothschild never met with Epstein and that she had no business links with the sex offender.

Soon after, the bank acknowledged to the Journal that its earlier statement was false and that the two had indeed met but only in the context of normal bank duties, adding that Epstein offered the bank great introductions to US finance leaders; he also "recommended law firms and provided ax and risk consulting."

“In parallel to that, Epstein solicited her personally on a couple of occasions for advice and services on estate management,” the bank said.

Significantly, the bank insisted that Rothschild was not aware of any legal proceedings against Epstein and “was similarly unaware of any questions regarding his personal conduct.”

Significant names have been tied to Epstein in visits and schedules

Then Israeli Security Minister Ehud Barak attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's offices, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012. (AP)

Among other regular guests, Epstein met with Joshua Cooper Ramo, then co-chief executive of Henry Kissinger’s corporate consulting firm.

Epstein even introduced Ramo to Rothschild during one of their gatherings, according to WSJ.

Ramo visited Epstein often, the documents show, and often the visits were confined to the latter's townhouse after 5:00 pm. Epstein knew Ramo well enough to request special snacks, believing Ramo, who at the time served on the boards of Starbucks Corp. and FedEx Corp, was a vegetarian.

The documents also revealed that Ramo also once met another of Epstein's regular guests, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Barak confirmed that he "often met with Epstein on trips to New York" and explained that Epstein "often brought other interesting persons, from art or culture, law or science, finance, diplomacy or philanthropy.”

Unlike Ruemmler, Rothschild, and Burns, Barak never said that he regrets having met Epstein.