Epstein uses Fifth Amendment 600 times in lawsuit
Late financier Jeffrey Epstein used his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination nearly 600 times during Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit, which accused him of sexual abuse. This information came to light in a recent Manhattan federal court filing, part of a trove of documents from the now-unsealed 2017 civil defamation case.
![Epstein uses Fifth Amendment 600 times in lawsuit](/Archive/2024/1/6/2134250/kapak_122815.jpg)
The U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment protects individuals from incriminating themselves. In a 2016 deposition, Giuffre's attorneys stated that Epstein consistently replied with "Fifth" to around 500 of their questions and 100 posed by Maxwell's lawyers.
Giuffre's legal team noted Epstein avoided answering questions that posed no risk of self-incrimination. These included whether he knew Maxwell, his 2008 guilty plea to a prostitution charge, and his fitness to testify.
The deposition also probed Epstein's ties with former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Epstein's lawyers later asserted he would have continued invoking the Fifth Amendment if called to testify, citing the media frenzy and other challenges.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 at 66, awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The newly released filings reveal several individuals connected to his abuse cases also pleaded the Fifth in related litigations.
Over 180 documents from Giuffre's lawsuit, including depositions, legal briefs, and email chains, have been released following an order by U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska. These documents name Epstein's victims and associates, including some celebrities and politicians, though none are accused of misconduct in these documents.
Figures like Kevin Spacey, David Copperfield, and Leslie Wexner are mentioned, along with Britain's Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew, who Giuffre accused of abuse when she was 17, has denied the allegations but settled the lawsuit in 2022 for an estimated 12 million pounds ($15 million).
Ghislaine Maxwell is appealing her December 2021 conviction and 20-year sentence for aiding Epstein's abuses. Her case is slated for review by a Manhattan federal appeals court as early as March.