Epstein booked for trafficking underaged girls

[Valmy]

Would anybody weep if both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump get taken down by this?  Is this the scandal that unites the country?

I wonder what would happen if a pic or video surfaced of those two double-teaming a child was found in Epstein's possession. I assume Trump supporters would just claim it was a fake.

Well the problem is that even if such video existed, it could never be distributed (as it would constitute child porn), so Trump could easily claim that no such video exists.

Huh. Well isn't raping a child a crime? Couldn't it be used in a criminal trial? If not how are child porn cases prosecuted if no evidence can be submitted?

[Barrister]

[deleted]

[Valmy]

Really? Is child rape something you can just "fake news" away?

[Malthus]

Really? Is child rape something you can just "fake news" away?

Well, you can't, but perhaps your President can. 

There seems no limit to the tolerance of the Republicans, and large parts of the public, for presidential wrongdoing. What's one child rape more or less?

[Barrister]

Really? Is child rape something you can just "fake news" away?

Well apparently obstruction of justice is...

[Barrister]

Really? Is child rape something you can just "fake news" away?

Well, you can't, but perhaps your President can. 

There seems no limit to the tolerance of the Republicans, and large parts of the public, for presidential wrongdoing. What's one child rape more or less?

Trump himself did say he could shoot someone on New York's Fifth Avenue and his fans would still love him...

[HVC]

could the release it with offending parts blurred? or is that still child porn?

[The Minsky Moment]

And yet if you talk to Donald Trump, a different Epstein emerges. "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy," Trump booms from a speakerphone. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

NY Mag article c. 2002

[The Minsky Moment]

Had you all heard of this guy? I hadn't.

Nah. I am not familiar with the big financiers. I hadn't even heard of Bernie Madoff before it was discovered he was a crook.

That's the question - is he in fact a big financier?  There is no evidence that he is other than that he clearly used to manage money for one guy - Les Wexner, the founder of Victoria's Secret and other companies.

His financial management company has never disclosed any sizable investments in anything.  No one seems to know of or interact with his companies.  The three hard facts that are known about him are that he left Bear Stearns under suspicious circumstances in the early 80s, he had a close business association with a notorious Ponzi schemer in the late 80s, and formed a close relationship with Wexner in the 90s.

Possible sources of his wealth are some combination of:
1) Numbers of billionaire mystery clients who pay flat fees for wealth management (his claim, dubious)
2) Whatever he managed to milk out of Wexner during the dozen or so years of their close association.
3) Financial fraud/Ponzi scheme
4) Blackmail/extortion

[alfred russel]

Good grief, is there any type of scandal that won't engulf this president? And yet his approval rating remains in the 40s...

[Barrister]

Good grief, is there any type of scandal that won't engulf this president? And yet his approval rating remains in the 40s...

Economy is booming, man.

[The Minsky Moment]

What the fuck is wrong with people? Stop having sex with kids. You would think this wouldn't be hard.

Saw a twitter theory that pimping underage girls is how Epstein actually made all his real money instead of hedge fund services.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1148303671857491968.html

Highly speculative but does fit much of the very limited evidence.

[HVC]

Making millions (billions?) of underage pimping? you think that at some point word would get out and people would stop getting caught to be blackmailed. Unless he got some big fish early on

[alfred russel]

Making millions (billions?) of underage pimping? you think that at some point word would get out and people would stop getting caught to be blackmailed. Unless he got some big fish early on

Actually it is brilliant...it isn't like that is the type of word that will spread.

"Hey want to hook up with a 12 year old? I can make it happen for 10 grand."

"That will be $50 million. If you don't like it, I've got a tape that the police may be interested in."

If you have that cash, do you have a choice? You pay it and never breathe a word of it to anyone, ever.

[The Minsky Moment]

Making millions (billions?) of underage pimping? you think that at some point word would get out and people would stop getting caught to be blackmailed. Unless he got some big fish early on

Let's say he got 2 guys to put in 1.25 billion each.  At 2% for management fees that is $50 million a year.
Run it forward 20 years that is $1 billion in fees.
Capital is preserved, the 2 guys keep their wealth and reps intact, and JE can pose as a secretive, elite "financier"