Federal prosecutors allegedly pressured state case against Mr. Epstein, a friend of former President Bill Clinton, raising questions of DOJ overreach

Honorable Mark Filip May 19, 2008 Page 3 private practice in South Florida with personal relationships to some of the prosecutors involved. Federal prosecutors then leaked highly sensitive information about the case to a New York Times reporter.! The immediate result of this confluence of extraordinary circumstances is an onslaught of civil lawsuits, all save one brought by the First Assistant’s former boutique law firm in Miami. The facts in this case all revolve around the classic state crime of solicitation of prostitution.2 The State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County had conducted a diligent investigation, convened a Grand Jury that returned an indictment, and made a final determination about how to proceed. That is where, in our federal republic, this matter should rest. Mr. Epstein faces a felony conviction in state court by virtue of his conduct, and the only reason the State has not resolved this matter is that the federal prosecutors in Miami have continued to insist that we, Mr. Epstein’s counsel, approach and demand from the State Attorney’s Office a harsher charge and a more severe punishment than that Office believes are appropriate under the circumstances. Yet despite the USAO’s refusal to allow the State to resolve this matter on the terms the State has determined are appropriate, the USAO has not made any attempt to coordinate its efforts with the State. In fact, the USAO mandated that any federal agreement would be conditioned on Mr. Epstein persuading the State to seek a criminal punishment unlike that imposed on other defendants within the jurisdiction of the State Attorney for similar conduct. From the inception of the USAO’s involvement in this case, which at the end of the day is a case about solicitation of prostitution within the confines of Palm Beach County, Florida, we have asked ourselves why the Department of Justice is involved. Regrettably, we are unable to suggest any appropriate basis for the Department’s involvement. Mr. Epstein has no criminal history whatsoever. Also, Mr. Epstein has never been the subject of general media interest until | a few years ago, after it was widely perceived by the public that he was a close friend of former President Bill Clinton. The conduct at issue is simply not within the purview of federal jurisdiction and lies outside the heartland of the three federal statutes that have been identified by prosecutors—18 USS.C. §§ 1591, 2422(b), and 2423(b). 1 One of the other members of Mr. Epstein’s defense team, Jay Lefkowitz, has personally reviewed the reporter’s contemporaneous notes. 2 Although some of the women alleged to be involved were 16 and 17 years of age, several of these women openly admitted to lying to Mr. Epstein about their age in their recent sworn statements. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019226