Some on social media are speculating that the public disclosure of more than 150 names associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been delayed. Judge Loretta A. Preska signed an order on December 18 for the public release of the identities of more than 150 people mentioned in court documents from a now-settled 2015 civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre that centered on allegations that Epstein’s associate and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell facilitated her sexual abuse.
Several prominent figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew are expected to be named. The list will also include sex abuse victims and Epstein’s employees.
The deadline for objections to the unsealing of the names passed at midnight on January 1.
With the names yet to be released by Wednesday, some have taken to social media to claim that the release has been delayed until later in January after an objection by Doe 107. However, that does not appear to be the case.
While the woman identified only as Doe 107 has requested that her identity be kept secret, she was not listed among those that will be named in Preska’s order.
The woman’s attorney, Richard Levitt, wrote to Preska on December 20 asking for clarification on what records related to his client could be released at a later date.
Doe 107 lives outside the United States in a culturally conservative country and lives in fear of her name being released, Levitt wrote in the letter.
Preska in late October had ordered Doe 107 to submit an affidavit supporting her assertion that she faces a risk of physical harm in her country of residence and providing detail concerning the hate mail she received as well as additional factual support for Doe 107’s contention that unsealing the relevant records would put her at risk of physical harm by November 22.
It came after Doe 107, the lawsuit parties, and the Miami Herald consented to redact Doe 107’s name and any personally identifying information in docket entries that the court previously ordered unsealed.
In his December 20 letter, Levitt requested an additional 30 days to provide the records requested, saying he was not Doe 107’s attorney of record in the district court at the time and did not receive notice of the court’s request.
Preska granted the request on December 21, giving Levitt until January 22 to submit an affidavit and evidence on his client’s behalf. There have been no additions to the court docket since.
Epstein took his own life in a jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage girls.
