Prince Andrew’s assertion that he was “totally unaware” of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s lifestyle is “very hard” to sustain, a lawyer working for one of Epstein’s alleged victims has said.
David Boies told Sky News that he would consider bringing a lawsuit against the Duke of York – and urged him to “just come clean”. Boies represents Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has previously alleged in court papers in Florida that she had sex with Andrew “three times, including one orgy” at Epstein’s home and on his private island in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, SkyNews gives the following review of who’s who in Epstein’s Scandal
Jeffrey Epstein: American financier and convicted sex offender
After starting work as a teacher, Epstein moved into high finance when he persuaded the father of one of his pupils to give him a job at Bear Stearns. He moved quickly through its ranks, impressing bosses with his ability to keep wealthy clients happy, and set out on his own as a financial consultant after just five years with the bank. He kept the identities of his business associates under wraps and just a handful of names are known publicly.
In 2008, Epstein was charged with soliciting prostitution from underage girls, but served a short jail sentence thanks to a plea deal widely seen as too lenient. He was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking when he took his own life in a jail cell in New York in 2019.
Prince Andrew: The Duke of York, third child of the Queen
Prince Andrew met Epstein in 1999, after his marriage to Sarah Ferguson broke up. He was drawn into the scandal after a picture emerged of him with one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre), said to have been taken at Epstein’s London address.
Further claims were made by a witness in one of Ms Giuffre’s legal actions. Andrew has since said he saw Epstein once or twice a year and stayed “in a number of his residences”, but cut ties with him in 2011 after a photo of the pair walking together attracted criticism.
The duke says in a statement: “At no stage… did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction”. A previous Buckingham Palace statement said: “The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes. His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent.”
Ghislane Maxwell : The daughter of publishing mogul Robert Maxwell
Ghislaine Maxwell was living, travelling and working with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has been accused of coaching teenage girls into sex with her and Epstein.
She is being sued over her alleged role in a sex-trafficking ring, but has never been charged with anything linked to Epstein. It is thought Maxwell and Epstein dated in 1991 and then stayed friends after breaking up. She denies the allegations.
Bill Clinton : Former US president
Bill Cinton was close to Epstein when he left the Oval Office, but says he knew nothing of Epstein’s “terrible crimes”. Clinton flew on Epstein’s jet 26 times between 2001 and 2003, according to NY Mag. A Gawker report in 2015 found Epstein had 21 different email contacts and numbers for Clinton.
Donald Trump: US President
Donald Trump was pictured with Epstein at various events through the years and once called him “terrific”.
They moved in the same circles in Florida and New York for many years, but Mr Trump has since denied he was close to Epstein, saying he just knew him because of his own club in Palm Beach, where Mr Trump was photographed with Epstein and Ms Maxwell in 2001.
Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre) : One of Epstein’s alleged victims
Ms Giuffre says she was recruited by Ms Maxwell to be a masseuse for Epstein and was subsequently abused by him. She was one of the first alleged victims to speak out publicly and was pictured in a now famous photo with Prince Andrew in London.
She has claimed she was lent out to some of Epstein’s other friends and forced to have sex with them. She filed defamation lawsuits against Ms Maxwell and lawyer Alan Dershowitz over their claims she was lying. Many of the allegations against Epstein and his associates that have been made public have emerged because of her various legal actions.
Via Sky News
