Chief Reiter’s Role
Michael Reiter was the Palm Beach Police Chief who oversaw the department’s Epstein investigation. When detective Joe Reiter (no relation) built a solid case for prosecution, Chief Reiter decided the case merited federal prosecution of a more serious character than state court could achieve.
The Federal Referral
Chief Reiter made the decision to refer the case to federal authorities specifically to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. This was an unusual step for a local police chief to take.
The Political Pressure
Chief Reiter later described feeling the case was being handled inadequately. He indicated awareness that pressure from Epstein’s lawyers and the Palm Beach establishment was influencing the pace and character of the case response.
His Post-Plea Statement
When the 2008 NPA terms became public, Reiter was publicly critical. He stated it was ‘extraordinary’ that a deal was negotiated without notifying the victims, and expressed concern that federal law had been violated in the process.
His Continued Advocacy
Reiter continued to speak publicly about the case in subsequent years, providing credibility to victim advocates’ concerns about the inadequacy of the original prosecution.