The names of additional wealthy figures, redacted in documents about U.S. billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who caused an uproar over the sexual exploitation of minors, have been released. It remains unclear how exactly they are connected to Epstein's crimes, but the inclusion of famous tycoons' names is expected to cause a stir.
On the 10th (local time), according to U.S. political outlet Politico and others, Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat-California) revealed the six names on the House floor, saying the Ministry of Justice confirmed through the Ministry of Justice the identities of "six wealthy and powerful Namsung whose names were redacted" in the Epstein documents.
Khanna, who led passage of the "Epstein Files Transparency Act" in Congress, criticized that "the Ministry of Justice said it reviewed more than 6 million pages of related documents but released only about 3.5 million pages after review and redactions." Khanna, along with Rep. Thomas Massie (Republican-Kentucky), who co-sponsored the bill, pressed the Ministry of Justice to release the original documents before redactions, and the Ministry of Justice ultimately accepted part of their demand, leading to the release of the six names.
Among the six were Leslie Wexner, former chief executive officer (CEO) of U.S. lingerie company Victoria's Secret; United Arab Emirates (UAE) businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem; Salvatore Nuara; Zurab Mikheladze; Leonik Leonov; and Nicola Caputo.
Wexner is the former CEO of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria's Secret, and once hired Epstein as an asset manager. He said in 2007 that he cut ties with Epstein, but revelations about their closeness dealt a major blow to the image of Victoria's Secret, which he founded. The relationship between Wexner and Epstein also influenced the decision to end the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, long embroiled in controversy over the sexual objectification of women, after 2018.
Wexner's name also appeared in Epstein's emails released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee late last year, but it was redacted in the Ministry of Justice's documents. Wexner's legal representative said in a statement, "In 2019, a U.S. federal prosecutor told Mr. Wexner's legal counsel that Mr. Wexner was considered a source of information regarding Epstein and was not a subject of investigation in any respect."
Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai shipping company DP World, is said to have exchanged inappropriate and sexual messages with Epstein for more than 10 years even after Epstein was convicted in 2008 of procuring prostitution of a minor. In particular, in a September 2015 email with Epstein, bin Sulayem described a relationship with a foreign exchange student, including sexual depictions and nude photos.
According to Bloomberg News, bin Sulayem also helped Epstein purchase his private island, Little Saint James. After Epstein's 2008 conviction prevented him from buying the island directly, a company in the Virgin Islands owned by bin Sulayem bought it in 2016 on his behalf.
However, Khanna could not explain what wrongdoing the six had committed. The New York Post also said, "The six Namsung have never been charged with any illegal acts or accused in connection with any explicit ties to Epstein."
Massie said on social media (SNS) that "just because a name appears in the Epstein files does not mean guilt is proven," but added, "Wexner was designated as an Epstein co-conspirator in connection with 'child sex trafficking' in a 2019 FBI document, and Sultan's email address was used to send correspondence related to 'torture videos.'" He continued, "The other four Namsung and their photos appear on lists with Epstein; Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein's accomplice); two known victims; and several women."