Ro Khanna, the US congressman, publicly revealed the names of six men whose identities were redacted from the Jeffrey Epstein files, including Leslie Wexner, a billionaire retail magnate, whom the FBI appeared to have labeled as a co-conspirator.
Four of the six men had no connection to Epstein whatsoever and were simply part of a photo lineup assembled by law enforcement, according to reporting from the Guardian. Two of the men who spoke to the Guardian strongly denied knowing Epstein and said they had been arrested by NYPD for unrelated crimes in the past, which likely explains how their photos ended up in the array.
Khanna, a Democratic representative of California, disclosed the names during a floor speech on Tuesday, following a visit to the Department of Justice, where he and Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, spent two hours reviewing unredacted documents.
The six men named by Khanna are Wexner, the Victoria’s Secret founder; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World and an Emirati billionaire businessperson; and four others named as Nicola Caputo, Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov.
Khanna did not provide evidence of wrongdoing against any of them nor have they been charged with a crime in connection with Epstein.
“If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3m files,” Khanna said during his floor speech.
Khanna said that when he and Massie identified the redactions for justice department officials, “they acknowledged their mistake” and revealed the identities. He said that the majority of the files remain redacted.
Epstein admitted guilt in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and completed a 13-month sentence. He died in an apparent suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while facing trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Being named in the Epstein files does not establish guilt, as individuals may appear simply through email correspondence, contact information or other documentation referencing the disgraced sex offender financier.
Here are the six now unredacted names:
Leslie ‘Les’ Wexner
The 88-year-old Wexner, who established a retail empire that includes Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bath & Body Works, maintained a lengthy financial relationship with Epstein, who handled his investments for many years.
In a lengthy investigation from the New York Times in November, Wexner is credited as the person who launched Epstein’s financial status from millionaire to plutocrat. Aside from the money, his “greatest value to Epstein was that he imbued him with new credibility and credentials”, the reporters wrote.
Though Wexner’s ties to Epstein were already publicly known and his name had surfaced in previous releases, it has now been revealed that he appears to have been labeled a co-conspirator with Epstein by the FBI, though he faces no criminal charges in connection with Epstein’s offenses.
A legal representative for Wexner said: “The assistant US attorney told Mr Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr Wexner was being viewed as source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect. Mr Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
The Dubai-based businessperson leads DP World, a multinational ports and logistics enterprise with operations spanning more than 80 countries. He is also the brother of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the head of the FIA, which governs the world’s motorsport championships, including Formula One.
Recently disclosed documents reveal that Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem emailed Epstein in 2015 that he met a girl “two years ago” that went to an American university in Dubai was “the best sex I ever had amazing body”.
“She got engaged but now she back with me,” he said.
Massie also said that since the names were unredacted, it appears the justice department confirmed that Sulayem was the recipient of an email from Epstein in which he said: “I loved the torture video.”
Bin Sulayem has resigned from DP World, the company announced on Friday.
Nicola Caputo
It is not yet known who this person is and how they may be connected to Epstein.
Salvatore Nuarte
Salvatore Nuarte, of Queens, New York, called Khanna’s office after hearing his name was mentioned on the House floor. “I don’t know if they know what they are doing over there at the justice department,” he told the Guardian. “But how can I clear my name?”
He acknowledged being arrested by the NYPD in the past for unrelated crimes, which could explain how his photo ended up in the law enforcement lineup.
Zurab Mikeladze
It is not yet known who this person is and how they may be connected to Epstein.
Leonic (Leonid) Leonov
Leonid Leonov is an IT manager in Queens whose name was incorrectly listed as “Leonic Leonov” in the files, though his photo and birthday match the document.
He vigorously denied knowing Epstein, telling the Guardian: “I don’t even have a second or third degree connection to him. Never worked for him, nothing.” He also acknowledged a past arrest by the NYPD for unrelated crimes.
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
