“First and most obviously in the firing line are the men against whom direct allegations have been made, chief among them Prince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre, who is currently attempting to bring a civil suit against the prince accusing him of a sexual assault he has vehemently and repeatedly denied, can only be encouraged by a verdict she welcomed with a pointed tweet, arguing that “Maxwell did not act alone. Others must be held accountable.” Whether her lawsuit succeeds or fails, however, the unmasking of his good friend Ghislaine as a convicted sex trafficker makes it almost impossible to envisage a way back to royal ribbon-cutting duties for the prince.
But there are plenty more high-profile men who flew on Epstein’s planes, enjoyed his lavish parties, even stayed overnight in one of those mansions hung with tacky erotic art, and say they saw nothing amiss. Was he simply so discreet that nobody could possibly have suspected a thing? Or could it be that a predilection for teenage girls simply didn’t seem all that shocking, inside a rich man’s world where trading in an ageing first wife for someone barely older than your daughter is no big deal?
Meanwhile, in the US, there are disturbing questions to answer about a long, oddly flat-footed investigation into Epstein that left victims fearing they would never get their day in court and conspiracy theorists emerging to fill a judicial vacuum. That Maxwell held her tongue even when she eventually came to trial, refusing to testify in her own defence in a way that meant she could be asked no incriminating questions about the household names peppering the victims’ testimony, has only encouraged the latter.
Some still hope she might share whatever she knows now, given the conviction has left her with nothing much to lose. The family’s decision to appeal makes that unlikely at least in the near future, and it remains to be seen whether a woman who has traded on her connections all her life is capable even now of turning on them. But she cannot be the only one who knows more than she is telling about that tainted circle through which so many powerful men have moved. Justice is surely neither done, nor seen to be done, until all their dirty little secrets are out.” The Guardian
It’s all the techies, “the help”, that did the mundane work of documenting all the kompromat that will be the weak links. And then there are the archives and backups…
There is a lot of focus in the article of what they (Epstein and Maxwell) did rather than why they did it. The assumption behind the article is that everything happened only because of Epstein’s sexual appetite. Is that all? Couldn’t this be more because of entrapment operation by an intelligence agency (by deception we do war!)?
How to prove the ‘whys’ of the operation? Of course, ask the Bills (Clinton and Gates), the rich billionaires like Leon Black, and politicians. And of course, no one will go there. They have been ordered to not go there. The article tried to put a full stop to the whole affair – all because of Epstein’s ‘voracious sexual appetite’. Of course! What else can be the reason? What about this friends? Same ‘voracious sexual appetite’ reason works well there as well. Yes, but what did Epstein and Maxwell get in return? Is it possible that they were actually working for another party (or parties, as the good Colonel here tells us) and if you go looking for reasons you will eventually uncover that other party(ies)?
And that’s why no one wants to go there, neither law enforcement (the case is done!) or the media – of course, the very independent media we have come to expect after the Iraqi WMD, Russiagate, Trump’s Jan 6 coup, and whatever else – yes, very independent and not at all under the thumb of external parties.
That the entire MSM peddles the same lies, all at the same time, looks a bit suspicious, no? When I was in my undergraduate, there was a rather difficult assignment that no one wanted to do. Two guys did it and everyone else copied from them but one of the guys who originally did it had an error in his calculations. The prof figured out of course, because all who copied had the same error. The original guy got passing marks and the others got zero. Now we see the presstitute all peddling the same lie as if the script was written by the same author. There have been many instances. And still, they expect us to believe that the press is independent! Please!!
Epstein reportedly had sex three times a day. For a 60 yr old, that was some performance. Gotta give him that!
ancientarcher
“There is a lot of focus in the article of what they (Epstein and Maxwell) did rather than why they did it”
Exactly. My impression has long been that the Guardian is little more than an unofficial channel for British Intelligence disinformation, the absence of searching questions is thus to be expected. The very headline is misdirection. So yes, the Guardian wants the spotlight turned anywhere but on the kompromat op’s organizers and the paymasters. With the notable exception of the very brave Whitney Webb, few have dared to do much in depth research into Epstein & Maxwell’s bosses.
Andrew is the ideal patsy to keep tabloid readers focused on a salacious side story with the magic ingredients; sex, scandal and the British royal family. Anything to keep Wexner’s and Ehud Barak’s names out of the press.
In an interview with the Trump administration while getting vetted, Acosta said he made non-prosecution deal with Epstein in 2007 because he was told the financier ‘belonged to intelligence’
This is where the spotlight should be shining. Unfortunately, this will never happen.
cofer
I doubt that it was US intelligence.
I worry more about the young ladies in the primarily Chinese-staffed “relaxing stations” and foot massage parlors, along with the recent proliferation female Mexican street sellers hawking bags of oranges and flower bouquets to pay off their human traffickers that brought them across the border, than these high-profile perverts and their prey who apparently kept coming back for more payoffs.
Ghislaine has nothing to lose…but nothing much to gain either. Her word is but the word of a convicted felon/sex trafficker now, against any well funded legal team? Next to worthless, except to the tabloids. They have nothing to offer a lifer behind bars either.
It’s the victims themselves who could speak. Indeed only they could provide testimony which could convict anyone. If you’re going to get a conviction against a john the jury is going to want to hear for the person the john had sex with. Most in this have opted to have their names redacted, the gal going after Randy Andy is the only exception.
I think it unlikely most will change their minds. Making that accusation against the sort of high-rollers that chicken ranch catered to would carry significant personal and legal risk, with little hope of convictions.
Mark Logan
Nah! She will hope to save herself.
Like Epsteins’s “suicide” this will be buried by the swamp and it’s throughly corrupt legal arm – the DOJ.
Too many “connected” people involved.
She was a 60 year old pimp and was effectively given (35 years) a death sentence. Her life’s over. She’d talk for a big reduction of sentence. How many correspondents think she’ll “last” while incarcerated? She’ll have to die and the people charged with insuring her safety will be in cahoots with arranging her murder. What have we become.
It seems that a large quantity of detailed evidence was seized by the FBI from Epstein’s house never to be seen again. We can only speculate what was in it. As to Intel involvement, as her Dad seemed to be involved in Israel maybe they are a possibility.
Also the Judge in the case has sealed all the evidence, apart from one, probably large, document being released in the next few days.
From that it would be logical that no-one in power has any intention of throwing their mates, apart from the sacrificial lamb Andrew was is of course a Brit, to the wolves.
As to Ghislane, if she doesn’t want to be suicided, she will keep her mouth shut and maybe get a deal to get out.
Iraq WMD hoaxer, war criminal, and Gulf money launderer Tony Blair is being knighted. Andrew should get his fixer a similar title. Least he can do for her for all the pedo trysts she arranged. Mama should be able to come through for her favorite.