Late 2007 Documents Show Continued Effort to Shield Epstein From Federal Exposure (Part 1) (10/20/26)
Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyers mounted a broad attack on the federal investigation, arguing that prosecutors had built their case on unreliable witness accounts, distorted police reports and evidence that the defense said had been taken out of context. They accused investigators of ignoring statements favorable to Epstein, mischaracterizing physical evidence and failing to reconcile later FBI reports with the original recorded interviews. The defense repeatedly challenged the credibility of individual accusers by pointing to inconsistencies, criminal histories, drug use and personal behavior, while arguing that some of the young women had represented themselves as being 18. Kenneth Starr and Jay Lefkowitz urged U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta to personally review the underlying evidence rather than rely on the conclusions reached by investigators and line prosecutors, contending that the federal case was far weaker than prosecutors had portrayed it. Epstein’s attorneys also argued that the federal government had improperly transformed what they characterized as a state prostitution matter into a much broader federal sex-trafficking investigation. They challenged the use of federal statutes involving interstate communications, enticement and money laundering, accused prosecutors of pushing for harsher punishment than Florida authorities originally contemplated, and objected to provisions of the Non-Prosecution Agreement that protected victims’ ability to pursue civil claims. The defense also resisted efforts to notify victims, involve them in Epstein’s sentencing and facilitate representation for possible lawsuits. Their larger argument was that federal prosecutors had exceeded the proper boundaries of the case and were interpreting the Non-Prosecution Agreement more aggressively than Epstein’s lawyers believed had been agreed upon, while insisting that they were not asking Acosta to cancel the deal itself. to contact me: [email protected] source: EFTA00208923.pdf