Jeffrey Epstein court documents: Bill Clinton ‘threatened’ magazine not to publish articles about his ‘good friend’
Bill Clinton “threatened” a prominent magazine and told staff not to publish articles about Jeffrey Epstein, newly unsealed court documents suggest.
The claim is made in an email that was written by Virginia Giuffre – Epstein’s first public accuser – in 2011.
In the message to a journalist, Ms Giuffre alleges that the former US president had walked into the offices of Vanity Fair, and said stories about his “good friend” should not be written.
Latest updates: Second batch of files released
Virginia Giuffre
Graydon Carter, a former Vanity Fair editor, told The Daily Telegraph: “This categorically did not happen.”
Ms Giuffre was preparing to release a new book at the time – and describes being worried about what the magazine might publish about her.
Mr Clinton is among several high-profile figures who have been named in court filings relating to Ghislaine Maxwell, her relationship with Epstein and alleged victims of sexual abuse.
In documents released on Wednesday, it was claimed that Epstein had said Clinton “likes them young, referring to girls”.
Back in 2019, a spokesperson for the former president said he had “not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade” and “knows nothing about the terrible crimes”.
There is no indication of any wrongdoing by Mr Clinton, and Sky News has contacted his foundation for a response to the latest court documents.
Epstein – a disgraced financier – had been accused of abusing underage girls as young as 14. In 2019, he killed himself in prison as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of helping recruit and groom teenagers for Epstein to molest.
Read more:
Names mentioned in unsealed documents
Why are the files being released now?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Prince Andrew named in court files
Prince Andrew reported to police
Allegations of sexual assault made against the Duke of York have also re-emerged in the unsealed court documents.
Republic, a pressure group calling for the abolition of the monarchy, has reported Prince Andrew to the police after the filings were made public.
The group’s chief executive, Graham Smith, is urging the Met to reopen its investigations – and has called on the King to make a public statement on the matter.
Mr Smith said: “To date, there appears to have been no serious criminal investigation, no interview of the accused or other witnesses, and no clear justification for taking no action.”
Prince Andrew has strenuously denied the allegations against him in the past.
In 2022, he settled a civil case out of court with Virginia Giuffre after she claimed she was sexually assaulted by the prince when she was 17 years old.
That settlement, which was reported to be as much as £12m, carried no admission of guilt.
Buckingham Palace, which no longer speaks on behalf of the duke after he stepped down as a working royal in 2019 over his friendship with Epstein, has not commented on the documents.
Among the unsealed filings was evidence given by Johanna Sjoberg, who had worked for Epstein as a masseuse.
She alleged that Prince Andrew had touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001.
In other court documents, Ms Giuffre alleges she was sex trafficked to the duke and “two of the world’s most respected politicians” – but their names remain redacted.
Another filing shows that Ghislaine Maxwell claimed a journalist helped “concoct” the allegations against Prince Andrew and knew them to be “false”.
More documents to emerge
The court documents being unsealed relate to a 2015 civil lawsuit filed by Ms Giuffre against Maxwell, who was Epstein’s former girlfriend and household manager.
Ms Giuffre was suing Maxwell for defamation after her spokesperson issued a statement describing her allegations as “obvious lies”.
In December, New York district judge Loretta Preska ruled papers related to the case should no longer remain secret as many of the individuals mentioned have already given media interviews.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
About 60 documents have been released so far, and approximately 190 more are set to enter the public domain in the coming days.
Dozens of Epstein’s associates are being named as a result, although many of them are not accused of wrongdoing.
Michael Jackson, Donald Trump, Stephen Hawking, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz are among those referred to in the filings.
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
Read more from Sky News:
Who could replace Gary Lineker on Match Of The Day?
How do Labour avoid the Democrats’ fate?
Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
More from Sky News:
Ex-Fulham captain makes Al Fayed allegation
Timeline of accusations against ex-Harrods boss
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈
“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports7 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway