Question
What was the “Epstein list” and what documents were released?
Answer
The term “Epstein list” is popularly used to refer to documents unsealed from the civil case Giuffre v. Maxwell in the Southern District of New York — primarily deposition transcripts and exhibits that named individuals who may have had contact with Epstein’s network.
What the documents are: The documents are discovery materials from the civil lawsuit Virginia Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015 (which settled in 2017). They include:
- Deposition transcripts (including Epstein’s and Maxwell’s sworn testimony)
- Deposition excerpts referencing named individuals
- Exhibits submitted during the litigation
When they were released:
- 2019: Initial unsealing ordered by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, first documents released
- 2020-2022: Additional phased releases
- January 2024: Final major unsealing round, releasing documents that had been extensively redacted in prior rounds
What they contain: The documents contain references to numerous names drawn from Giuffre’s accounts of people she said she encountered in Epstein’s orbit. It is critical to understand:
- A name appearing in the documents does not establish criminal conduct
- Many names appear in contexts of having attended social events or traveled on flights
- Some individuals were already publicly known; others were newly identified
What they do NOT constitute: The documents are not a list of people who committed crimes. They are civil discovery materials in which one participant in litigation described her experiences. Documentation that someone’s name appears is different from evidence of criminal conduct.
Sources
- In re: Doe v. Maxwell, SDCA #18-2868, Second Circuit Court of Appeals (2019)
- SDNY unsealing orders (2019-2024)