NYT: Elon Musk, among the worldâs richest men, once not only denied visiting Mr. Epsteinâs island, but framed his decision as an act of principle. In a social media post last September, Mr. Musk wrote that Mr. Epstein âtried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED.â But the documents released on Friday suggested that Mr. Musk was at one point eager to visit. âWhat day/night will be the wildest party on your island?â Mr. Musk emailed Mr. Epstein in November 2012.
Mr. Musk wrote Saturday in a social media post: âI had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his âLolita Express,â but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.â
On a podcast last year, Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, described being so revolted by a mid-2000s visit to Mr. Epsteinâs Manhattan mansion that he decided to ânever be in a room with that disgusting person ever again.â
Mr. Lutnickâs disgust appeared to prove temporary. In 2012, he emailed with Mr. Epstein to arrange a visit with his wife and children to Mr. Epsteinâs private island just before Christmas. An assistant to Mr. Epstein later forwarded Mr. Lutnick a message from Mr. Epstein: âNice seeing you,â it said. (On Friday, Mr. Lutnick said that âI spent zero time with him.â)
Kathy Ruemmler, a White House counsel under President Barack Obama who is now general counsel of Goldman Sachs, has said she provided Mr. Epstein with professional services and legal advice. But in newly released emails with Mr. Epstein and others, she discussed meeting up with him and what she described as âthe girlsâ; analyzed troubling dreams; and arranged to accept the delivery of expensive gifts from him. (A Goldman spokesman said on Friday that it was âwell known that Epstein often offered unsolicited favors and gifts to his many business contacts.â)
A 2013 email exchange with the British billionaire Richard Branson hinted that he, too, had a familiar relationship with Mr. Epstein. âIt was really nice seeing you yesterday,â Mr. Branson wrote, adding: âAny time youâre in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!â (A Branson representative said the two had a business meeting and stressed that the women were adults and had not attended the meeting.)
The New York real estate mogul Andrew Farkas, a powerful political donor with ties to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and President Trump, co-owned a marina with Mr. Epstein in St. Thomas for years. In a letter to investors last year, he said that his relationship with the sex offender was purely a business one. But documents released recently suggested a more personal connection.
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Timothy Snyder notes, "This entire administration is an Epstein Island afterparty." In a way the Epstein files and the ICE attacks are about the same thing: extreme dehumanization enacted as brutal and obscene abuse. Lots coming out in the new dump, including stuff linking Trump, Musk, etc. to the ugly mess.
In a way all of us are being forced to deal with years of information about hideous violence and dehumanization against girl children and here's a thing: you do not have to read everything or get into the disturbing details. It's the job of some journalists and politicians and lawyers to do so, and I am grateful for those doing the work of justice.
Oh yeah, Melania is in there too, and for some reason that's not mentioned in the flop of a film about her. The director of that film is in the files, pictures with a very young-looking girl between him and Epstein, in an absolutely revolting situation.
[Rebecca Solnit]








