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Jeffrey Epstein Co-Conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell Finally Convicted

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  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    Can somebody explain why rich people gave this guy power of attorney? Isn’t that when you give someone control over your entire legal life?

    Blackmail, presumably.

  • PhillisherePhillishere Registered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    Can somebody explain why rich people gave this guy power of attorney? Isn’t that when you give someone control over your entire legal life?

    It's actually common for the uber wealthy to give someone power of attorney. There are just so many documents to sign and deals to be made to manage that amount of money and property, so they give over the power of attorney to avoid having that become their full-time job.

    This is also the root of many, many financial crimes and scandals.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited July 2019
    Kipling217 wrote: »
    People where suspecting how Epstein made his money and try to explain how he became a billionaire. My I make my suggestion?

    1) He is a man without scruples willing to horrible things and also knows how to "handle" money. Who meets members of:
    2) Drug cartels needing people to turn their money legit. I.E. The services of a financial institution that can launder huge sums of money like a mutual fund. Leading to:
    3) Profit!

    The trafficking and blackmail was just insurance to protect his main job.
    Meaning there is a distinct chance that his best plan is to stay in solitary confinement.
    I think this has legs. It has the smell of truth to it.

    I'm willing to bet that once they start subpoenaing bank records and financials, that things start turning even darker.

    zepherin on
  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    And everything continues to get weirder

    When Acosta was being vetted (I didn't know this administration did that!) he was asked about Epstein:
    “Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]?” Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day he’d had just one meeting on the Epstein case. He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)

    This makes it sound like he was an intelligence service asset or informant or something.

    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    And everything continues to get weirder

    When Acosta was being vetted (I didn't know this administration did that!) he was asked about Epstein:
    “Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]?” Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day he’d had just one meeting on the Epstein case. He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)

    This makes it sound like he was an intelligence service asset or informant or something.

    Or acosta is just flat out lying to cover up powerful rich men told him not to.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • CalicaCalica Registered User regular
    Is there a single reliable source that explains the potential scope of this thing? So far all the articles I've found focus on Epstein himself, with no mention of why this is bigger than "yet another powerful man turns out to be a rapist and general scumbag." I'd like to be able to discuss it with other people without having to say, "Well, go read this thread on a videogame forum..."

    I'm endlessly grateful to posters here for connecting the dots on stories like this; thank you, everyone! :heartbeat:

  • QuiotuQuiotu Registered User regular
    TryCatcher wrote: »
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »
    Veagle wrote: »


    Secretary Acosta is the man that let Epstein off easy and tried to hide the extent of his crimes.

    I damn near choked on my lunch just now reading this. The fucking balls on these motherfuckers...



    Interesting how he's framing it as though Epstein got what he deserved back in the day... while leaving out what he actually got back in the day.

    It's not interesting, it's telling. He's creating a "reasonable sounding" lie, so that he can tell the right wing true believers that he had no idea, even though we have the fucking receipts that he did.

    That said, I don't think this saves him from getting Nifong'd, because the prosecutorial community does not want Alex Acosta to be their public image.

    For the prize of being able to say "Convicted Pedophile Bill Clinton" the right-wingers will easily throw Acosta under all of the buses.

    You'd think they would learn by now exactly how much it doesn't work in their favor. Having one scapegoat among Democrats does not give you carte blanche to do whatever the hell you want. Eventually it catches up, and you look like disgusting idiots.

    Skeeving on young women - Anthony Weiner
    Being unfathomably racist - Robert Byrd
    Being habitually unfaithful - Bill Clinton

    Never mind that despite a few examples on one side, there's dozens and sometimes hundreds of examples on the other side. And remember that the GOP are supposedly the party of 'Christian family values'.

    wbee62u815wj.png
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Is there a single reliable source that explains the potential scope of this thing? So far all the articles I've found focus on Epstein himself, with no mention of why this is bigger than "yet another powerful man turns out to be a rapist and general scumbag." I'd like to be able to discuss it with other people without having to say, "Well, go read this thread on a videogame forum..."

    I'm endlessly grateful to posters here for connecting the dots on stories like this; thank you, everyone! :heartbeat:

    https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html

    This is the paper that effectively brought this stuff back up.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    And everything continues to get weirder

    When Acosta was being vetted (I didn't know this administration did that!) he was asked about Epstein:
    “Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]?” Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day he’d had just one meeting on the Epstein case. He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)

    This makes it sound like he was an intelligence service asset or informant or something.

    That Daily Mail article from 1992 includes Ghislaine claiming that Epstein told her he was involved in uncovering embezzlement... but I feel like it's more likely he's just connected to people more powerful than Acosta was at the time.

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Is there a single reliable source that explains the potential scope of this thing? So far all the articles I've found focus on Epstein himself, with no mention of why this is bigger than "yet another powerful man turns out to be a rapist and general scumbag." I'd like to be able to discuss it with other people without having to say, "Well, go read this thread on a videogame forum..."

    I'm endlessly grateful to posters here for connecting the dots on stories like this; thank you, everyone! :heartbeat:

    I'd recommend starting with Julie K. Brown's series Perversion of Justice about the Acosta deal to get a better idea of how much of a monster Epstein is, and the major players involved.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • evilmrhenryevilmrhenry Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Is there a single reliable source that explains the potential scope of this thing? So far all the articles I've found focus on Epstein himself, with no mention of why this is bigger than "yet another powerful man turns out to be a rapist and general scumbag." I'd like to be able to discuss it with other people without having to say, "Well, go read this thread on a videogame forum..."

    I'm endlessly grateful to posters here for connecting the dots on stories like this; thank you, everyone! :heartbeat:

    Honestly, it's almost all speculation at this point. Best you can get is the involvement of Alexander Acosta and a generalized sense of someone being above the law for unknown reasons. This article was linked earlier.
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight

  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

    Thats alot of assumptions with little to no evidence

  • QuiotuQuiotu Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

    Trump has a history of not getting anyone in his Administration other than those who have nowhere else to go. Hell, his Vice President is that to the letter, a former Governor of Indiana who is political poison in his own home state now.

    wbee62u815wj.png
  • RedTideRedTide Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

    Listen I hate how white collar criminals get treated and how often they have guardian angels in public service softening what is already a light penalty for their malfeasance.

    But going light on a serial pedophile vs a Bernie Madoff type is not even in the same ethical universe.

    People who make deals like that to protect their careers aren't even people anymore, they are just tools of evil.

    RedTide#1907 on Battle.net
    Come Overwatch with meeeee
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

    Thats alot of assumptions with little to no evidence

    Yeah that's like giving him the highest of the high amounts of benefit of the doubt. And giving Acosta no agency in a decision that was almost entirely on him to do.

    And forgotten of course is how he absolutely harmed the actual victims the women that Epstein raped, and then sealed that information from them.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • JavenJaven Registered User regular
    I think there are jobs when ‘just forget about it, it’s above your pay grade’ is acceptable direction.

    But for a prosecutor to hear it and be completely okay with that and not ask any follow-up questions is less acceptable

  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    edited July 2019
    oh aye, complete speculation, easily as likely he's a complete lowlife. It just struck me, the idea that he could have abdicated every responsibility, completely sold his soul on orders from above, then have it all come around again to screw him anyway.

    And if that's the case, I want him to tell us who waved him off last time...

    spool32 on
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    I mean Acosta when he made that deal was a US attorney. That's not like some overworked ADA just doing what Adam Schiff told them to do. This is the person who issues the orders! Hell his awful deal directly fucked the FBI investigation. Now he wants to soft peddle some shit about "powerful men" threatened him or whatever and that's pure grade A bullshit.

    Like I highly doubt there was anyone really willing to go to bat for a pedophile rapist, certainly not that could win that argument against a fucking US attorney.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • PhillisherePhillishere Registered User regular
    edited July 2019
    One thing to realize is that, when tying all this together, you are dealing with the fact that this dude's name has been all over the media for being into young girls and flying around politicians on his private jets full of them for at least 25 years . I've been reading mentions about Epstein, Clinton, and the "Lolita Express" for nearly all that time. I remember it coming up as snickers and rumors when Al Gore was running for president. You could fill an encyclopedia with news articles mentioning it.

    It's less that there's some secret conspiracy, and more that a generational change is bringing in younger people not acclimated to snickering about sex trafficking pedophiles.

    Phillishere on
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  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    I mean Acosta when he made that deal was a US attorney. That's not like some overworked ADA just doing what Adam Schiff told them to do. This is the person who issues the orders! Hell his awful deal directly fucked the FBI investigation. Now he wants to soft peddle some shit about "powerful men" threatened him or whatever and that's pure grade A bullshit.

    Like I highly doubt there was anyone really willing to go to bat for a pedophile rapist, certainly not that could win that argument against a fucking US attorney.

    So, here's something to keep in mind - the deal was made in 2007. Why's this important? Well, it has to do with the fact that a US Attorney is an appointed position, meaning that as one, Acosta serves "at the pleasure of the President." Also, it is common for new Presidents, especially ones of a differing party from their predecessor, to "clean house" with their USAs and appoint new ones.

    Long story short, USA Acosta is looking at a very real possibility that in 2-3 years time, he doesn't have a job. Furthermore, he's going to be reliant on the conservative network to get a cushy landing spot when he does get ejected. Acosta knows this, but more importantly, so does Epstein. Which is why Epstein sends two notorious conservative legal fixers - Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz - to Acosta to make a deal. The message is clear - make this deal, and when you're forced out, there's a cushy legal position waiting for you.

    This was always about Acosta protecting himself.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    MorganV wrote: »
    But Acosta arguably has to peddle this shit, if he wants to keep his job and/or a future in conservative welfare. If he's not proactive here, how are they going to cover and spin for him?

    I mean, he can't admit he fucked up. That's a death sentence for his career. Spin it as someone else's fault, and hope the execs protect him (arguably so they can protect others too), and the rubes will buy it.

    Personally, I hope the heat gets too much, and he's properly punted, for his role in things. But from his perspective, I can see what he's trying to achieve.

    How do we know he thinks he fucked up.

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I think there are jobs when ‘just forget about it, it’s above your pay grade’ is acceptable direction.

    But for a prosecutor to hear it and be completely okay with that and not ask any follow-up questions is less acceptable

    Not a lowly ADA or something. A fucking US Attorney

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    And in a not a surprise to me, the AP article about Epstein had several Clinton references including one sited by god damn fox news.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    There’s just as much if not more evidence that Trump was involved if that’s the road they really want to go down

    And they really should go down that road, with both presidents

  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    I would really love to see a gigantic corruption map that details the links between all of these powerful vile people and the companies and organizations they hold sway over.

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    I would really love to see a gigantic corruption map that details the links between all of these powerful vile people and the companies and organizations they hold sway over.

    Wasn't this the Panama Papers and no one did anything?

    Whippy wrote: »
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  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited July 2019
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    I would really love to see a gigantic corruption map that details the links between all of these powerful vile people and the companies and organizations they hold sway over.

    Wasn't this the Panama Papers and no one did anything?

    The people who could have done something would be on said map.

    Edit: In this case a lot of media.

    Incenjucar on
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    I would really love to see a gigantic corruption map that details the links between all of these powerful vile people and the companies and organizations they hold sway over.

    Wasn't this the Panama Papers and no one did anything?

    No, Justice just moves slowly (especially for complicated paperwork) and journalism gets bored quickly.

    https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/what-happened-after-the-panama-papers/

  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    edited July 2019
    spool32 wrote: »
    Like, I almost feel for the guy if his story is true - he was told to go extremely easy on someone he knew could bury him, by people who were maybe promising to bury him themselves, and he did because he was legit fucked otherwise... and likely to lose even if he went hard-charging to his doom.

    Guy who sold his integrity to save his career, perfect member of the Trump cabinet.

    This guy was in a position where he was supposed to honor the rights of crime victims and work towards some semblance of justice and public safety. This is the special and privileged duty of prosecutors. He was one of the top prosecutors in our country.

    He took a shit on the victims and enabled a monster to keep victimizing. He betrayed everything his office stood for in order to maintain the status quo of rich white men staying in power, while young women and girls are trash to be disposed of by the oligarchy as they wish and without consequence.

    Sympathy isn't in the dictionary of words I have for this fucker.

    So It Goes on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I think there are jobs when ‘just forget about it, it’s above your pay grade’ is acceptable direction.

    But for a prosecutor to hear it and be completely okay with that and not ask any follow-up questions is less acceptable

    Not a lowly ADA or something. A fucking US Attorney

    Wouldn't the only people, who could tell a USA Accosta to drop something, be one of the four Attorneys General who held that title in 2007, or POTUS (technically, but not appropriately)?

    Or do USAs answer to the myriad deputy, assistant, assistant deputy AGs too?

  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I think there are jobs when ‘just forget about it, it’s above your pay grade’ is acceptable direction.

    But for a prosecutor to hear it and be completely okay with that and not ask any follow-up questions is less acceptable

    Not a lowly ADA or something. A fucking US Attorney

    Wouldn't the only people, who could tell a USA Accosta to drop something, be one of the four Attorneys General who held that title in 2007, or POTUS (technically, but not appropriately)?

    Or do USAs answer to the myriad deputy, assistant, assistant deputy AGs too?

    No. They answer to the AG.

  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    There are situations where prosecutors have to make tough decisions in cases with thin/conflicting evidence or where victims don't want to go through a trial, and they may face public backlash from people who don't know all the facts. I think we can be pretty sure this wasn't one of those situations.

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Remember, Acosta broke the law making this deal - he intentionally kept Epstein's victims in the dark to prevent them from scuttling it, even though he was legally required to.

    Acosta is a monster, and should be forced out and disbarred.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • RedTideRedTide Registered User regular
    edited July 2019
    So It Goes wrote: »
    There are situations where prosecutors have to make tough decisions in cases with thin/conflicting evidence or where victims don't want to go through a trial, and they may face public backlash from people who don't know all the facts. I think we can be pretty sure this wasn't one of those situations.

    Yeah the 2007 case seems like Shaq-with-hair-still breaking the backboard slam dunk that he decided to flush.

    RedTide on
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  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Both party's leadershil is defering Acosta's fate to the administration.

    wq09t4opzrlc.jpg
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    edited July 2019


    Wow I have not turned on someone as hard as I have on Nancy Pelosi....ever. Pelosi needs to resign as Speaker and leader of the House if she's not gonna fucking do her job.

    SyphonBlue on
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  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    Pelosi remains a coward. Nothing changes.

  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Both party's leadership is defering Acosta's fate to the administration.

    For now.

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