Maria Farmer Reports Epstein to FBI — 1996
Artist Maria Farmer reports Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the FBI and New York Police Department after experiencing and witnessing abuse. Farmer was one of the earliest known complainants against Epstein. Despite her detailed report and follow-up attempts, law enforcement took no action for over a decade.
People Involved
In 1996, Maria Farmer became one of the first known people to formally report Jeffrey Epstein to both the New York Police Department and the FBI.
Maria Farmer’s Account
Farmer had worked for Epstein as an art advisor in 1995-1996, and was living at his Manhattan townhouse when she described being assaulted by both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her sister Annie Farmer also reported being touched inappropriately by Epstein around the same time.
The Reports
Farmer went to law enforcement with her account. She reported what had happened to the NYPD and also attempted to report to the FBI. According to Farmer’s later interviews and legal testimony, law enforcement did not follow up meaningfully on her complaint.
Attempted Media Report
Farmer also approached journalist Vicky Ward when Ward was reporting on Epstein for Vanity Fair in 2002-2003. Ward’s editor Graydon Carter ultimately removed Farmer’s account from the published profile.
FBI Inaction
The failure of the FBI to act on Farmer’s 1996 report would later be cited as one of the earliest and most damning examples of how Epstein escaped accountability. His connections — and potentially the influence of Ghislaine Maxwell — may have contributed to the lack of followup.
Significance
Farmer’s report came nearly a decade before the Palm Beach Police investigation that ultimately led to Epstein’s 2008 plea deal. Had law enforcement acted in 1996, years of subsequent abuse might have been prevented. Farmer became a prominent voice in the survivor community and later won a settlement from Epstein’s estate.