Jeffrey Epstein, who was on trial for accusations of establishing a sex trafficking and prostitution ring targeting dozens of underage girls, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, New York, on August 10, 2019, following his arrest.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's girlfriend, was also sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022, on the grounds that she facilitated the involvement of young girls in the prostitution ring.
The released Epstein case files included famous figures such as Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former US Vice President Al Gore, actor Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, illusionist David Copperfield, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, alongside Donald Trump.
The decision by the US Department of Justice and the FBI that there was no evidence regarding the much-discussed 'client list' reignited debates. Elon Musk, a former advisor to Trump, and leading MAGA (Make America Great Again) ideologists accused the US President and his team of attempting to conceal significant information.
Moreover, the US President filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, who reported allegations that he had sent obscene letters to Epstein for his 50th birthday.