143. The law is the same everywhere

Imagine a scene in which the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor rests across five women's legs, with British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender, smiling down at him. 

But why bother imagining? Among the extensive collection of documents related to the US Department of Justice that has been released, there is such a picture. 

The Epstein files contain photographs of some of the most prominent figures, together with the two individuals known for their dirty-mindedness.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking. Epstein died in prison in 2019 before his trial. He was convicted of child sex offences in a separate case in 2008.

As the department hurried to meet a legally required deadline to release its files, little information was available about what it intended to disclose. The department will continue to produce documents on a rolling basis in the coming weeks.

However, it seems the US Justice Department is employing every trick to obscure Donald Trump’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Aside from a few pictures, the materials did not mention Trump.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates that Attorney General Pam Bondi submit a report within 15 days of releasing the records. This report should include all record categories, a summary of the redactions, and the legal justification for each. 

There are several photos of Mountbatten-Windsor who provided Epstein and Maxwell with access to British high society.

Actor Kevin Spacey is shown in a group with Maxwell and Clinton in Winston Churchill’s war rooms, the secret underground meeting place for the British cabinet during World War II. 

In an image, Michael Jackson is shown posing with Epstein next to a large painting, but there is no suggestion that Jackson was aware of or involved in any of Epstein’s crimes.

Several released images feature former US President Bill Clinton. He is seen relaxing in a hot tub, and in other photos, he appears with Maxwell, musicians Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, and actor Kevin Spacey. 

Mick Jagger, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones, is shown with Clinton and an unidentified woman. The woman’s face has been obscured, but the three seem to be dressed in cocktail attire. The US Justice Department did not disclose the location or timing of the photograph.

None of them has been charged with crimes related to Epstein, but their inclusion in the files could support Trump by implying that it was usual for well-known men to be linked with Epstein.

It is clear that the episode is likely to fade into obscurity during Trump’s presidency, and no one will be blamed.

The law is the same everywhere.