Pictures: New Epstein files appear to show Andrew on knees crouching over female
Among the millions of documents released by the US justice department on Epstein are images appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor on his hands and knees crouching over what looks to be a female lying on the floor.
In one of the pictures, the former prince appears to have his hand on her stomach.
The womanâs face has been obfuscated.
Key events
Lawyers representing Epsteinâs victims release statements: ‘This fight isn’t over’
Multiple lawyers representing Epsteinâs victims have released statements following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files by the justice department.
Sigrid McCawley, managing partner at Boies Schiller Flexner and longtime lawyer representing Epstein survivors, released the following statement:
âIt is without question that a significant piece of Epstein and Maxwellâs vast sex trafficking operation was to provide young women and girls to other wealthy and powerful individuals. This practice gave Epstein and Maxwell control and power over individuals who were implicated in the sex trafficking. Those who find themselves entangled in the mire of newly released information, no doubt, will play the deny and distance card, but that doesnât change the fact that this is exactly how the sex trafficking operation worked.â
Jennifer Freeman, lawyer for Maria Farmer, said:
âThe DOJâs handling of the Epstein files has been a mess from the start, filled with missed deadlines and ham-fisted redactions, while exposing the identities of survivors. This fight isnât over â we wonât allow the federal government to simply dump a couple million documents and wash their hands of one of the largest law enforcement failures in U.S. history. At this point, we have more questions than answers. Where is the rest of Maria Farmerâs FBI file? Where are the records of complaints that so many other women made to FBI and how the FBI investigated those complaints? And why is the DOJ hiding the names of perpetrators while exposing survivors?â
Spencer Kuvin of Goldlaw, who has also represented many of Epsteinâs victims, said the following:
âWe know for certain from direct testimony of victims that Epstein provided girls to other famous and notable people. Usually these were favors with the hope that he would get something in return from these people. The recent documents only confirm what the victims have been saying all along. The absence of a formal âclient listâ is not the same thing as proof that no third parties participated.â
Elon Musk has responded to a post about his inclusion in the latest Epstein file release on his social media platform X.
Emails in the files reportedly reveal exchanges between Epstein and Elon Musk. They appear to show the pair messaging each other about potential plans for the Tesla CEO to visit Epsteinâs island. It is unclear from the messaging if the two actually met up on the island.
âNo one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and Iâm glad that has finally happened,â Musk wrote.
âI had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his âLolita Expressâ, but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name,â he continued. âI donât care about that, but what I do care about is that we at least attempt to prosecute those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially regarding heinous exploitation of underage girls.â
Here are some images of the email exchanges released by the US justice department that apparently relate to Sarah Ferguson. Some of those exchanges show Epstein sending an email to Mike Sitrick, thought to be the publicist of crisis management PR firm Sitrick and Company.
Summary of events so far
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was again engulfed by the Epstein scandal after newly released files included photos appearing to show him on his hands and knees crouching over what looks to be a female lying on the floor. The images, which do not show the femaleâs face, were among millions of documents released by the US justice department related to the late sex offender.
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Documents also suggest that the former prince invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace shortly after he was released from house arrest in 2010. Epstein served almost 13 months in a Florida prison, which he was allowed to leave during the day to work in his West Palm Beach office, for soliciting prostitution from underage girls.
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Epstein reportedly asked his publicist in 2011 for Sarah Ferguson to release a statement saying he was ânot a pedoâ, according to email exchanges that make reference to a person called âFergieâ. Other exchanges between Epstein and a person named only as âSarahâ, whose email address is redacted, appears to show âSarahâ thanking Epstein for âbeing the brother I have always wished forâ.
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The files also shed new light on how Ghislaine Maxwell, Epsteinâs coconspirator, manipulated victims by being playful and treating them âlike they were sistersâ. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of recruiting and grooming vulnerable teenage girls to be sexually abused by her then-boyfriend Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
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Epstein is also said to have sent thousands of pounds in bank transfers after his release from prison in 2009 to Peter Mandelsonâs husband, according to emails released in the files. It raises fresh questions about Epsteinâs relationship with Mandelson, who was sacked as the UKâs ambassador to Washington when details of his support for the disgraced financier emerged in September.
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Emails in the files reportedly reveal the exchanges between Epstein and Elon Musk. They appear to show the pair messaging each other about potential plans for the worldâs richest person to visit Epsteinâs island.
If youâre just joining us, millions of files related to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released by the US justice department, the largest disclosure by the government since a law passed last year ruled that the documents should be published.
The disgraced financier was convicted of child sex offences in 2008 but the files indicate that many high-profile figures, including the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, continued friendships with him after this point.
Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on new child abuse charges. His accomplice, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year sentence in the US for child sex trafficking.
My colleague Geraldine McKelvie has written this explainer on what what we have learned from the latest Epstein files release:
Epstein wanted Ferguson to release a statement saying he was ‘not a pedo’, documents show
Epstein wanted Sarah Ferguson to release a statement saying he was ânot a pedoâ and she had been âdupedâ into believing false allegations about him, newly released emails appear to show.
PA reports files showing that in March 2011, the Epstein asked publicist Mike Sitrick to âdraft a statement that in an ideal world Fergie would put outâ.
Epstein wrote:
I think that Fergie can now say, I am not a pedo.. She was DUPED into believeing false stories, by Civil Plaintiffs Attorneys from Florida.
They represented themselves as law enforcment (fisten), and she was told horrible things and she reacted.
She now knows that what she was told was based on false hoods, and fabrications desiened to enhance their civill suit. She should out the newspaperes on the offering of money for stories.
Sarah Ferguson thanked Epstein for âbeing the brotherâ she always wished for, according to files
The PA news agency has reported an email exchange included in the millions of released documents in which Sarah Ferguson appeared to thank Epstein for âbeing the brother I have always wished forâ.
The file that the report refers to can be found here. The email exchange, dated 3 August 2009, is between Epstein and a person referred to as âSarahâ. The senderâs email address is redacted.
This is what the email to Epstein from âSarahâ says:
Thank you so much Jeffrey. I had the best discussion with Target on Friday, and they want desperately the whole Mothers Army project. They also want to get behind my entire Sarah Ferguson brand, books etc.
Tommy Hilfiger wants to build my entire apparel, Fragrance etc etc brand, and sell it on QVC. NBC want my Mothers Army TV Show
Ben Silverman wants it
So too does Ryan Seacrest.
In just one week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted.
I have never been more touched by a friends kindness than your compliment to me infront [sic] of my girls.
Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for
The documents released by the US justice department also show Epstein received and sent multiple news articles related to the former duchess regarding her divorce from Mountbatten-Windsor and her finances, PA reported. The news agency contacted Ferguson for comment.
Multiple charities severed ties with Ferguson in September last year after it emerged she had described Epstein as a âsupreme friendâ. Her spokesperson said at the time that the comments were made in a letter of apology to Epstein that was written in 2011 to head off threats of legal action after she had linked him to paedophilia in a newspaper interview.
Democrats accuse DoJ of not releasing millions of Epstein files despite legal requirement
Lauren Gambino
Survivors, lawmakers and watchdog groups accused Donald Trumpâs justice department of withholding records it is legally required to release following the disclosure of millions of files from the investigation into the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The justice department on Friday released 3m pages of documents from its investigation into the millionaire financierâs sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with wealthy and powerful figures, including Trump and former president Bill Clinton. The release was an effort to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and, according to US deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, includes more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, all subject to âextensive redactionsâ.
In a letter to Congress, the attorney general, Pam Bondi, and Blanche indicated that Fridayâs document âmarks the endâ of the governmentâs efforts to comply with the law, drawing sharp condemnation from Democrats and the billâs authors.
Robert Garcia, the Democratic ranking member on the House oversight committee, which has taken a lead role in investigating the governmentâs handling of the files release, accused Bondi of breaking the law.
âDonald Trump and his Department of Justice have now made it clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law. This is outrageous and incredibly concerning,â Garcia said in a statement.
Emails reportedly show Epstein scouted women for New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch
New York Giants chairman and co-owner Steve Tisch appeared throughout a newly released trove of emails related to Epstein, including communications in which the late sex offender arranged for Tisch to meet specific women.
The emails, dated 2013, were released on Friday by the US justice department among the millions of documents related to Epsteinâs sex trafficking case and were first reported on by the Athletic.
One communication from May 2013 appeared to show Epstein offering to connect Tisch with a Russian woman. The document suggests Tisch replied a minute later to ask: âIs she fun?â
The next month, Tisch appeared to asked Epstein multiple questions about a different woman from Tahiti, including if she was a âworking girlâ. To that, Epstein replied: âNever.â
The Athletic published the following statement from Tisch that was issued by the Giants:
We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.
You can read more about this story below:
According to one file, Mountbatten-Windsor was said to be âvery focusedâ on financier Harlan Peltzâs girlfriend during a dinner with Maxwell.
The apparent FBI document details a 2020 interview with Peltz in which he provided information to agents about Maxwell.
A summary of that interview highlights an occasion Peltz met Mountbatten-Windsor at a dinner party, although it is unclear when this is meant to have taken place.
This is what the document says about that alleged encounter:
Peltz was at a dinner with Maxwell and Prince Andrew and Peltzâs then girlfriend. Prince Andrew was very focused on Peltzâs girlfriend. Maxwell would sometimes mention Prince Andrewâs name and that they were friends.
The file also states that Peltz never met Epstein. Maxwell had reportedly mentioned Epstein to Peltz in the past âbut not to any detailâ.
The file noted the following from the Peltz interview:
Maxwell would have outrageous parties back then. She liked to put people in uncomfortable positions for her entertainment. Peltz realised that he was a pawn to her and she would try to use him. Sometime later on he found out that he was listed in Epsteinâs black book.
People in the finance world never seemed to know how Epstein got his money.
Photo: Never-before-seen mugshot of Maxwell
An apparent FBI document released among the US governmentâs files on Epstein appeared to show a mugshot of Ghislaine Maxwell at the time of her arrest in 2020.
It is thought to be the first time this image has been released publicly.
The document dated 2 July 2020 includes two images of Maxwell with her hair tied up and dressed in an orange jumpsuit akin to a prison uniform.
The record states that she was born in France and was living in Bradford, New Hampshire, at the time of her arrest.
It also lists the six charges she was arrested on, including sexual exploitation of minors, transportation across state lines for sexual activity and perjury.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for procuring teen girls for Epstein for him to abuse. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a minimum-security prison in Texas.
Epstein documents shed new light on âmanipulatorâ Ghislaine Maxwell
The documents released by the US justice department provides further insight into how Epsteinâs ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, kept victims in check.
Maxwell, a British socialite who once rubbed shoulders with royals, billionaires and presidents, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in trafficking girls abused by Epstein.
She deployed a powerful mix of jocular familiarity and cutting iciness in dealings with his victims and others in her orbit, according to accusersâ accounts that were included in Fridayâs document tranche, Victoria Bekiempis reports.
Read more on this story below:
Trump commerce secretary Howard Lutnick arranged to visit Epstein island, files show
Anna Betts
Howard Lutnick, currently serving as Trumpâs US secretary of commerce, arranged to visit Jeffrey Epsteinâs island in 2012, according to Epstein-related files released by the Department of Justice on Friday.
According to the newly released documents, on 20 November 2012, Epsteinâs longtime assistant emailed Lutnick saying that âJeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St Thomas some over the holidaysâ and that âJeffrey requested I please pass along some phone numbers to you so the two of you can possibly get together.â
On 19 December 2012, Lutnick sent an email to âJeffâ telling him that that he and several others, including his wife, children and some friends and their children, were visiting the Caribbean and were on Lutnickâs boat.
âWe are landing in St Thomas early Saturday afternoon and planning to head over to St Bartâs/Anguilla on Monday at some pointâ Lutnick wrote. âWhere are you located (what is exact location for my captain)?? Does Sunday evening for dinner sound good?â
An individual whose name is redacted replied: âBelow from Jeffrey: come sat or sunday lunch? little st james on the map, behind christmans cove.â
The documents appear to suggest that a meeting took place.
We reported earlier that Mountbatten-Windsor invited Epstein to meet him at Buckingham Palace after the child sex offender was released from house arrest, according to the newly released documents.
Apparent email exchanges between the two in 2010 suggest Epstein contacted the former prince to let him know that he was in London. This was shortly after Epstein was released from house arrest in August 2010, following a 13-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from underage girls.
Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to have responded to Epstein, saying: âDelighted for you to come here to BP. Come with whomever and Iâll be here free from 1600ish to 2000.â BP is thought to refer to Buckingham Palace.
In a separate email exchange in 2010, Epstein appears to have arranged for Mountbatten-Windsor to have dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman. The former prince had apparently responded that he would be âdelighted to see herâ, and asks what information about himself Epstein has given to the woman.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles in October last year amid continued headlines about his friendship with Epstein, has strenuously denied wrongdoing.
Our reporter Harry Taylor has more on this story here:
Elon Musk had more extensive ties to Epstein than previously known, emails show
Nick Robins-Early
Elon Musk had more extensive â and more friendly â communications with the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously publicly known, according to documents released on Friday by the Department of Justice.
Emails in the files appear to show the two cordially messaging each other on two separate occasions to make plans for Musk to visit Epsteinâs island.
The documents include Musk and Epstein emailing in both 2012 and 2013 to determine when Musk should make the trip to Little St James. Neither exchanges appear to have resulted in Musk visiting the island, due to logistical issues.
âWill be in the BVI/St Bartâs area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit?â Musk states on 13 December 2013.
âany day 1st – 8th . play it by ear if you want. always space for you,â Epstein replies.
Jeffrey Epstein sent money to Mandelsonâs husband after prison release, emails suggest
Emine Sinmaz
Jeffrey Epstein sent thousands of pounds in bank transfers after his release from prison in 2009 to Peter Mandelsonâs husband, according to emails published by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
The latest documents raise fresh questions about Epsteinâs relationship with Mandelson, who was sacked as the UKâs ambassador to Washington when details of his support for the disgraced financier emerged in September.
The latest dataset published shows that Mandelsonâs husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, emailed Epstein on 7 September 2009, about two months after Epstein was released from prison. Epstein had served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender. Mandelson was business secretary at the time and in a relationship with da Silva. The pair married in 2023 after 27 years together.
Da Silva asked Epstein to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses, saying: âI sent you a couple of emails last week regarding my osteo course expenses, incl fee, anatomical models, laptop if you can help me with this. I hope you received them.
âI just managed to speak to the fees office at the osteo school and confirmed that my annual fee is of ÂŁ3,225 ⊠They accept bank transfer and the details are as follows.â
Epstein responded later that day and said: âI will wire your loan amount immediatedây [sic].â
The next day, Da Silva emailed Epstein again to ask if a ÂŁ10,000 payment included his school fees or if that amount had been transferred to the school itself. Epstein responded: âincludeddâ [sic].
Pictures: New Epstein files appear to show Andrew on knees crouching over female
Among the millions of documents released by the US justice department on Epstein are images appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor on his hands and knees crouching over what looks to be a female lying on the floor.
In one of the pictures, the former prince appears to have his hand on her stomach.
The womanâs face has been obfuscated.
Andrew invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace, files suggest
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor invited Epstein to visit him at Buckingham Palace shortly after the convicted sex offender was released from house arrest, files released by the US justice department appeared to suggest.
A document dated 27 September 2010 suggests Epstein contacted Mountbatten-Windsor during a stay in London. He apparently wrote: âWhat time would you like me ⊠we will also need (to) ⊠have private time.â
Mountbatten-Windsor responded to say that he was about to leave Scotland and apparently suggested they âcould have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacyâ.
Two days later, according to the document, Mountbatten-Windsor emailed again, writing: âDelighted for you to come here to BP. Come with whomever and Iâll be here free from 1600ish to 2000.â
âBPâ is believed to refer to Buckingham Palace.
It is not clear whether the meeting at Buckingham Palace took place. The former prince lost his royal titles last year after growing controversy over his links to Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Opening summary
Good morning, Taz Ali here to bring you live coverage of the latest release of files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Millions of new files were released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, including more than three million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, making it the largest document dump since a law was passed last year requiring the government to release any information in its possession related to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Among those mentioned in the files is the worldâs richest person, Elon Musk, the former prince Andrew, and Peter Mandelson.
You can read our previous coverage of the files below:
Weâll bring you further developments throughout the day.