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A US judge has ruled that the names of more than 170 associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public next month. Among the listed individuals is expected to be Prince Andrew, who may face further scrutiny in connection with evidence from a woman alleging he groped her in 2001.
The disclosure of identities stems from a settled lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein and a convicted sex trafficker. The ruling, issued by New York Judge Loretta Preska on Monday, orders the unsealing of Epstein’s connections “in full.” Those listed have until January 1 to appeal for the removal of their names.
Jeffrey Epstein, a millionaire financier with ties to high-profile figures like Prince Andrew, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner.
The ruling is part of a case brought 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.
The list includes evidence from Johanna Sjoberg, who claims that Prince Andrew groped her breast in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace has vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as “categorically untrue.” Last year, Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit with Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old.
Judge Preska’s ruling noted that many individuals named in the lawsuit had already been publicly identified by the media or during Maxwell’s criminal trial. However, some names will remain sealed, particularly those belonging to child victims.
US congressional Republicans are actively pursuing the subpoena of flight logs for Epstein’s private plane. Epstein, previously convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, maintained social connections with influential figures in business and politics. The impending release of names raises the specter of renewed public attention on the scandal, shedding light on the network of associates connected to Epstein’s illicit activities.
Kiki Garba
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