3 Names On Epstein List to Remain Sealed Until At Least Jan. 22 (UPDATE)
New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File
Three names on the sealed list containing over 150 names associated with the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein will remain sealed until at least January 22.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York announced the delay in filing on Wednesday. The extension came after Judge Loretta Preska approved a 30-day extension requested by an unidentified “John Doe 107” who wished to maintain their anonymity out of “a risk of physical harm.” The filing read:
Letter filed by John Doe 107. ENDORSEMENT: Doe 107’s request for a 30-day extension is approved. Doe 107 shall, by January 22, 2024, submit to the Court for in camera review an affidavit (1) supporting her assertion that she faces a risk of physical harm in her country of residence and (2) providing detail concerning the hate mail she has received. Doe 107’s counsel may also provide by this date any additional factual support for Doe 107’s contention that unsealing the relevant records would put her at risk of physical harm. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Loretta A. Preska on 12/21/2023)
News broke at the end of the year that documents containing an extensive list of people associated with Epstein — which reportedly includes names of associates, possible clients, and victims — would be unsealed after January 1. This was the ruling of Preska, who also approved the extension request. The documents in question are related to the settled case between victim Virginia Giuffre and Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for multiple charges including sex trafficking and conspiracy.
While several well-known people are expected to appear on the list, including former President Bill Clinton (who has been identified by ABC News as “Doe 36”) and Prince Andrew, it is unlikely that any of those parties will face prosecution. NewsNation spoke to defense attorney Janet Johnson who explained: “These names were actually kept secret because the judge found that because they did not do anything wrong, there wasn’t any reason at that point to release them and embarrass them.”
CORRECTION (12:20 p.m.) — The initial version of this post incorrectly stated that all 150 names on the list would be withheld until Jan. 22. However, new reporting from several outlets has confirmed that is not the case. The story has been updated accordingly.
