U.S.
Judge Rules Virginia Giuffre's Lawyers Must 'Destroy' Jeffrey Epstein Files
BY JEFFERY MARTIN ON 7/2/20 AT 12:15 AM EDT
Attorneys for Virginia Giuffre, who publicly accused Jeffrey Epstein of sex trafficking, must destroy files they obtained on Epstein after a Wednesday ruling by a federal judge.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. Allegedly, Epstein procured women to have sexual relations with high-profile individuals, such as Prince Andrew. Information about Epstein, culled from a 2015 civil suit filed against Epstein by Giuffre, allegedly contained the names of individuals with whom Epstein had conducted business.
Senior U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ruled Wednesday that Giuffre's lawyers had come into possession of the documents improperly, noting that the protective order could only be enforced during the civil lawsuit proceedings which had already been settled. Preska wrote that all the materials in the files "shall be destroyed."
Preska also requested proof that the documentation had been destroyed. "Counsel shall submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken to do so," Preska's ruling added.
Preska's ruling came after a request by attorney Alan Dershowitz to gain access to the documents. Giuffre has claimed that Dershowitz was one of the men Epstein forced her to have sex with. In response, Dershowitz sued Giuffre for defamation in 2019. Dershowitz claimed that obtaining the Epstein files would be an asset to his defense.
Preska said in her ruling that Dershowitz's desire to see all of the files "with over a thousand docket entries" was not a "targeted strike" but a "carpet bombing."
Newsweek reached out to Dershowitz for comment. This story will be updated with any response.
https://www.newsweek.com/judge-rules-virginia-giuffres-lawyers-must-destroy-jeffrey-epstein-files-1514909
.