The names connected to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are set to be released to the public, drawing attention to a sex-trafficking operation that has made international headlines for years.
A United States judge authorized the unsealing of court documents last month as part of a 2015 defamation lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, an accuser of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The revelations are expected to shed light on more than 150 names of people linked to Epstein, including alleged sex-trafficking victims and witnesses to crimes.
The names appear in court documents from the 2015 defamation lawsuit filed against Maxwell, a British socialite. The case was ultimately settled in 2017, but the documents have continued to provoke interest.
The US District Court judge overseeing the case, Loretta Preska, decided some of the names could be unsealed, but some names will remain sealed to protect privacy interests of alleged minor victims.
Some prominent names are expected to be included in the released documents, such as the United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton, though they have denied any wrongdoing.
The release of the names is considered important in shedding light on the scale of Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring and his influence among powerful members of society. The unsealing of the documents has been described as significant for transparency and public interest.