Lawsuit lists Epstein abuse through 2018
New evidence shows Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused and trafficked hundreds of young women and girls on his private Caribbean island, some as recently as 2018, significantly expanding the scope of his alleged conduct, a top law enforcement official said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Epstein, a wealthy financier who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail last year, was bringing girls as young as 11 and 12 to his secluded estate in the Virgin Islands, known as Little Saint James, and kept a computerized database to track the availability and movements of women and girls, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit, which was filed by Denise N. George, attorney general of the Virgin Islands, broadened the dimensions of the wrongdoing in which Epstein was said to have engaged. He had been charged by Manhattan prosecutors in July with sexually exploiting dozens of women and girls in New York and Florida, but they did not point to any actions beyond 2005.
Judge halts policy
WASHINGTON — State and local officials cannot block refugees from being resettled in their jurisdictions, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, finding the Trump administration’s new refugee policy is likely to be “unlawful” and “does not appear to serve the overall public interest.”
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte of Maryland temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring governors and local officials nationwide to agree in writing to welcome refugees.
“Giving states and local governments the power to consent to the resettlement of refugees — which is to say veto power to determine whether refugees will be received in their midst — flies in the face of clear Congressional intent,” Judge Messitte wrote in a 31-page decision.
Avenatti arrested again
Michael Avenatti, the attorney who rose to prominence as the legal counsel for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during her lawsuit against President Donald Trump over a hushmoney deal, was rearrested by IRS agents Tuesday evening after prosecutors alleged he continued to commit financial crimes while out on bail — including mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, court records show.
Mr. Avenatti — who is accused of extorting athletic apparel maker Nike for up to $25 million and stealing millions of dollars from those he once represented, including Daniels — was arrested while appearing before the State Bar Court in Los Angeles, in the middle of a disciplinary hearing alleging he stole about $840,000 from a former client.
Prosecutors alleged in court filings made public Wednesday that Mr. Avenatti had “brazenly attempted” to hide his money and defraud people and entities to whom he was millions of dollars in debt.
Flynn’s plea request
WASHINGTON — Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn filed court papers Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea, saying federal prosecutors had acted in “bad faith” and broken their end of the bargain when they sought prison time for him.
The request came one week after the Justice Department changed its position on Flynn’s punishment by recommending he serve up to six months behind bars for lying to the FBI during its investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.