With the arrest of billionaire financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, numerous high-profile acquaintances, and thus possible accomplices, are almost certainly feeling the pressure of being back in the spotlight.
Among those likely aware of the increasing heat is former President Bill Clinton who was a frequent passenger aboard Epstein’s infamous “Lolita Express” private jet, which appears to have played a key role in the criminal allegations that Epstein now faces.
Back where he belongs
The 66-year-old Epstein faced a rude awakening when he landed in New York Saturday on a return flight from Europe. Greeting him with a pair of handcuffs was the FBI-NYPD Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The arrest comes on the heels of a federal appeals court decision to release some 2,000 pages of court documents involving Epstein and partner Ghislaine Maxwell, both thought to be part of an international sex trafficking operation.
Epstein is expected to appear in court on Monday to face an indictment on one count of sex trafficking of minors and another count of conspiracy to engage in the same. Authorities are looking specifically at his activities between 2002 and 2005.
If convicted on these new counts, Epstein could face upwards of 45 years in prison, which at his age essentially amounts to a life sentence.
Troubling history
Dating back to at least 1999, Epstein has been the subject of allegations that he routinely lured underage girls, some as young as 14, by paying them to provide massages, before proceeding to sexually abuse them. It was further claimed that he used his private airplane as a means to transport his female victims to his Palm Beach mansion, his home in New Y0rk and his private retreat in the Virgin Islands, known to many as “Orgy Island.”
Roughly 10 years ago, Epstein entered into a plea deal with prosecutors in Florida on state charges of soliciting and procuring an individual under 18 for purposes of prostitution. The deal required him to serve just 13 months in jail, register as a sex offender in a number of jurisdictions and pay restitution to multiple victims.
The agreement, which has since been the focus of intense media scrutiny, curtailed a federal probe that had the potential to put Epstein behind bars for life.
Clinton connection
Epstein’s arrest will undoubtedly make uneasy the lives of some of his very famous friends, who may wind up being investigated simply by virtue of their association with him. This list includes Bill Clinton who is reported to have flown on the “Lolita Express” no less than 26 times, often ditching Secret Service protection to do so.
For many, the simple fact that Clinton has known links with this convicted pedophile is bad enough. The reality of their apparently close acquaintance begs the question of what the former president was really doing on Epstein’s notorious plane on so many occasions. Inquiring minds will also be curious as to whether any of the sex trafficking Epstein is alleged to have engineered took place during those jaunts.
As President Donald Trump once wisely cautioned, “Be careful with whom you associate. Loser’s rub off!”
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