Paris Investigators To Examine Epstein Files And His French Connections
Topline
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into materials tied to Jeffrey Epstein, announcing it will be reviewing newly released files to determine whether any criminal wrongdoing can be pursued under French law.
French prosecutors announced it would be investigating suspected crimes involving French nationals tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
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Key Facts
Part of the investigation is also focused on Jean-Luc Brunelan associate of Epstein who was found dead in a Paris prison cell in 2022 while awaiting rape and sex trafficking charges, with prosecutors hoping to “extract any piece that could be usefully reused in a new investigative framework,” the office told AFP.
A woman claiming to be a victim of Brunel said he was 100 times worse than Epstein’s close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, writing in an email that Brunel had trafficked women for 40 years: “Maxwell is bad and guilty but she is nothing compared to him.”
His modeling agency, MC2has been accused by multiple women in lawsuits and testimony as serving as a pipeline through which young models were recruited and introduced to Epstein.
The latest batch of files released by the U.S. Department of Justice features several high-profile French public figures, including senior diplomat Fabrice Aidan and former minister Jack Lang.
Lang, according to AFP, resigned from his position at the Arab World Institute but has denied any wrongdoing, with Aidan also being removed from his role at the energy company Engie.
The newly released files include emails and other materials that investigators are now reportedly reviewing to determine whether additional criminal conduct can be pursued under French law.
Key Background
French authorities opened a formal investigation into Epstein and Brunel in 2019 following Epstein’s arrest in the United States, though Brunel’s death in a Paris jail halted his prosecution before trial, leaving questions about his network and potential accomplices unresolved. The recent release of millions of previously undisclosed Epstein files by U.S. authorities has renewed scrutiny in France, with emails and other records revealing contacts between Epstein and prominent French political, diplomatic and cultural figures. Epstein’s close relationship with Brunel and his frequent travel to Europe made France one of the central hubs of his international network, with Epstein having owned property in the country.
