But the tentacles of Epstein’s influence reach further than the United States.
The latest tranche of documents shows a very global social world ... bankers, politicians, philanthropists, across London, New York, the Caribbean, and beyond.
An Auckland academic - world-leading scholar on Russian and American writer Vladimir Nabokov, Brian Boyd - has even been connected.
Epstein once offered to fund a book Boyd hoped to write about Nabokov’s novel Lolita.
The controversial novel follows a poet protagonist who develops an obsession with a 12-year-old girl.
University of Otago international relations professor Robert Patman told The Front Page the release shows how deeply Epstein had embedded himself into elite circles.
“And not just in the United States either. Probably top of the list is Andrew Mountbatten, the former Duke of York. There are also connections with the Clintons, Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, and the Princess of Norway.
“It shows that this was highly organised. This was not just a very wealthy person occasionally seeking out the company of the rich and famous. This was a pretty systematic effort,” he said.
Patman said there are indications of others beyond Epstein and former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Apparently, there is evidence that there were 25 other co-conspirators, and the charges seem to be that Epstein arranged for rich and powerful men to receive the intimate services of numerous women, both very young and also adults.
“Some of those men, their identities have not been revealed. So, I think this is going to be a continuing story. It has huge implications for the US political system, but has huge international implications as well,” he said.
The delayed release of these files, the administration’s reluctance, and bipartisan figures pushing for more transparency all feed a narrative of an apparent cover-up.
Patman suggests this has similarities with the infamous Watergate scandal, which ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
“Watergate started off with complete blanket details and then partial details, and eventually Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace, but it took place over two years.
“It didn’t happen immediately. I have a feeling the Epstein case will probably make the Watergate case look quite small in comparison. It has huge domestic and international implications,” he said.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Echoes of the Watergate scandal
- How elite networks operate
- International ramifications
- Why this matters for New Zealand.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the NZ Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
