Guardian journalist emails Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer requesting comment on Swiss accounts and alleged ties to Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Leslie We...

From: Martin Weinberg Sent: 1/30/2015 5:54:21 PM To: Jeff Epstein [[email protected]]; Darren lndyke Subject: Fwd: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey Epstein Importance: High Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: David Pegg <_____________________________ Date: January 30, 2015, 12:00:34 PM EST To: Subject: Fwd: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey Epstein Dear Mr Weinberg, I hope this email finds you well. I am a journalist at The Guardian newspaper in London. We are preparing for publication an article in which we may mention Mr Jeffrey Epstein, who is your client. We have sent Mr Epstein an email concerning this article and made a number of attempts to contact him, to which he has not responded. Please see the email in question below. Should Mr Epstein wish to respond, please ensure that we receive his response by no later than 18:00 on Monday 2nd February 2015. I would be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this email. Yours faithfully, David Pegg The Guardian Kings Place 90 York Way London Ni 9GU Tel: Email: ----------Forwarded message----------From: David Pegg <1_________________________________ Date: 29 January 2015 at 16:49 Subject: Re: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey Epstein To: Jeffrey(kjeffreyepstein.org Dear Mr Epstein, I write further to an email sent to you earlier this month, concerning an article we are preparing for publication in which you may be mentioned. HOUSE OVERSIGHT 030335We have not received a response from you. If you wish to respond, please do so as soon as possible and no later than 18:00 on Monday 2nd February 2015. For your convenience, please see the original letter below,. Yours faithfully, David Pegg The Guardian Kings Place 90 York Way London Ni 9GU Tel: Email: On 5 January 2015 at 11:14, David Pegg<_______________________________wrote: Swiss Accounts Survey Dear Mr Epstein, We are writing because a US media organisation, in concert with ourselves at the Guardian newspaper in London, is currently conducting a detailed survey of Swiss bank accounts, past and present. It is not illegal to have Swiss accounts. But as you may know, it is a topic of considerable public debate, and several governments have been investigating the owners of such accounts. There are a number of ways such accounts and also offshore trusts have been used to avoid inheritance tax, UK domestic tax, or tax imposed by other countries. Such accounts have also been used to launder money. We have seen records held in the US identifying you among those who have held accounts. These accounts contained assets of up to USD 3.5m, and include: HSBC (Suisse) SA FAMILY INTEREST L.P. 22079 BESSIE JEFFREY EPSTEIN 1) You may therefore have been a person evading or avoiding tax, or laundering money. We will be particularly concerned with these questions: 2) Why you had Swiss accounts. 3) How much back tax you have settled with the tax authorities following their investigation of your affairs. Additionally, from public records and from material we have seen we note that: 4) In 2008 you pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution and procuring minors for prostitution. You were sentenced to 18 months in prison. HOUSE OVERSIGHT 0303365) Your above accounts were also linked with Mr Leslie Wexner. 6) You are known to be or have previously been closely associated with Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Kevin Spacey. 7) You have made substantial contributions to the Clintons' philanthropic causes. Tax reform campaigners have previously been critical of those who engage in public life or the political process while avoiding or evading tax. Hilary Clinton herself, speaking in 2012, noted the importance of elites paying a substantial share of tax: "One of the issues that I have been preaching about around the world is collecting taxes in an equitable manner — especially from the elites in every country." It is intended shortly to publish the results of our survey in both the US and the UK. As responsible journalists acting in the public interest, we would first like to give you the opportunity to comment. If we do not hear from you by 18:00 on Monday 12th January 2015 (preferably by email to we shall proceed on the basis that you do not wish to comment on or amend our information. But we have approached you in a straightforward fashion and hope you will take this opportunity to respond if you wish. Your substantive responses to each of our numbered points will be carefully considered and published if appropriate. (For the avoidance of doubt, we do not normally regard any generalised assertion of "inaccuracies" as a substantive response; nor any generalised statement that the holders acted on advice. Neither will we regard as substantive any comment that only refers to the present state of affairs and not to the past.) We are, of course, happy to discuss directly any concerns you may have. We would be most grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter. This will save us from chasing. Yours faithfully, David Pegg The Guardian Kings Place 90 York Way London Ni 9GU Tel: Email: Visit theguardian.com. On your mobile and tablet, download the Guardian iPhone and Android apps theguardian.com/guardianapp and our tablet editions theguardian.com/editions. Save up to 57% by subscribing to the Guardian and Observer - choose the papers you want and get full digital access. Visit subscribe.thequardian.com HOUSE OVERSIGHT 030337This e-mail and all attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the named recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all attachments immediately. Do not disclose the contents to another person. You may not use the information for any purpose, or store, or copy, it in any way. Guardian News & Media Limited is not liable for any computer viruses or other material transmitted with or as part of this e-mail. You should employ virus checking software. Guardian News & Media Limited is a member of Guardian Media Group plc. Registered Office: PO Box 68164, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1P 2AP. Registered in England Number 908396 HOUSE OVERSIGHT 030338