Fact, fiction compete after Epstein’s death
Conspiracy theories abound as public drip-fed details
Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide in a federal jail has launched new conspiracy theories online in a saga that has provided fodder for them for years, fuelled by Epstein’s ties to princes, politicians and other famous and powerful people.
Online theorists quickly offered unsubstantiated speculation — including some retweeted by President Donald Trump — that Epstein’s death on Sunday wasn’t a suicide, or it was faked.
That chatter picked up on the conjecture that resurged after Epstein’s July 6 arrest on allegations that he orchestrated a sex-trafficking ring designed to bring him teenage girls. Some of his accusers have described being sexually abused by the wealthy financier’s friends and acquaintances.
The combination created fertile ground for theories and misinformation to breed on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial next year.
The details of how Epstein died in his Manhattan jail cell have yet to be released, but medical officials have performed an autopsy.
Epstein’s abrupt death cut short a criminal prosecution that could have pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of a high-flying financier with connections to the rich and famous, though prosecutors have vowed to continue investigating.
The manner in which he died remains a mystery, but guards on Epstein's unit were working extreme
overtime shifts to make up for staffing shortages the day of his apparent suicide, a person familiar with the jail's operations told the Associated Press.
Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after he was found a little over two weeks ago with bruising on his neck, according to the person familiar with the matter. But he was taken off the watch at the end of July and therefore wasn't on it at the time of his death, the person said.
Epstein's removal from suicide watch would have been approved by both the warden of the jail and the facility's chief psychologist, said Jack Donson, a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades.
Epstein’s relationships with US President Donald Trump, former US President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew were at the centre of the rumours and theories circulating online, many of which question what politicians knew about Epstein’s alleged sex crimes.
Others theories, however, have been easily debunked. For example, days after Epstein’s arrest, online memes and Facebook statuses wrongly claimed the Obama Administration, in order to protect Clinton, forged a once-secret deal in 2008 in Florida that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution to avoid more serious charges. The deal was actually executed before President Barack Obama took office.
Meanwhile, a manipulated photo, shared by thousands online, falsely claimed to show Epstein with Trump and a young Ivanka Trump, the President’s daughter.
Both Clinton and Trump have denied being privy to Epstein’s alleged scheme.
Clinton spokesman Angel Urena said Clinton “knows nothing about the terrible crimes Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York”. He said that, in 2002 and 2003, Clinton took four trips on Epstein’s plane with multiple stops and that staff and his Secret Service detail travelled on every leg.
Other Epstein theories floating online have been darker, especially after Epstein was found injured on the floor of his cell last month with bruises on his neck. Some online commentators described it as a “murder attempt”. “Men in high places want Epstein dead,” one Twitter use wrote.
Hours after Epstein’s death, as the hashtag #EpsteinMurder was trending worldwide on Twitter, the President joined Twitter speculation around Epstein’s death while under the federal Government’s watch.
Trump, who rose to conservative prominence by falsely claiming Obama wasn’t born in the United States, retweeted unsubstantiated claims about Epstein’s death.
Other politicians also took to social media to question the circumstances.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now a lawyer for Trump, tweeted out several questions about Epstein’s death. “Who was watching? What does camera show? . . . Follow the motives,” Giuliani tweeted on Sunday.
The FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General will investigate the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death, Attorney General William Barr said. “Mr Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” he said.
Epstein’s suicide was likely recorded by jail cameras, according to Preet Bharara, the former federal prosecutor in Manhattan.
“One hopes it is complete, conclusive, and secured,” he tweeted.
Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. US Labour Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was US attorney in Miami.
Epstein’s lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn’t had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida.