In a significant legal development, a US judge has ruled that the names of more than 170 associates of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public next month. Among the notable figures expected to be revealed is Prince Andrew, who may face additional scrutiny in connection with evidence from a woman alleging that he groped her in 2001.
The ruling, issued by New York Judge Loretta Preska on Monday, stems from a settled lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein and a convicted sex trafficker. The order mandates the complete disclosure of Epstein’s connections, giving those listed until January 1 to appeal for the removal of their names.
Jeffrey Epstein, a millionaire financier with connections to high-profile figures like Prince Andrew, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges. Despite his death being officially ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner, the aftermath of the case continues to unfold.
This ruling is part of a case initiated by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison term for crimes committed with Epstein. Giuffre’s defamation lawsuit, initiated in 2015 and settled in 2017, has kept the names of numerous Epstein associates under a court-ordered seal.
Among the evidence contributing to the disclosure is Johanna Sjoberg’s testimony, alleging that Prince Andrew groped her breast in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace has strongly denied these allegations, categorizing them as “categorically untrue.” Notably, Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit with Giuffre last year, wherein she accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old.
Judge Preska’s ruling acknowledged that some individuals named in the lawsuit had already been publicly identified by the media or during Maxwell’s criminal trial. However, certain names, particularly those belonging to child victims, will remain sealed.
The impending release of the names has reignited public interest in the scandal, shedding light on the network of associates connected to Epstein’s illicit activities. Additionally, US congressional Republicans are actively pursuing the subpoena of flight logs for Epstein’s private plane, aiming to further uncover the extent of his social connections with influential figures in business and politics.
As the legal proceedings continue, the revelation of these names raises the specter of renewed public attention on the Epstein case, potentially exposing the depth of the scandal and the high-profile individuals associated with Epstein’s reprehensible activities.
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