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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Andrea Blanco

Epstein victim claimed she was sex trafficked to former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner

Jeffrey Epstein’s victim Virginia Giuffre claimed that she was trafficked to former Victoria Secret’s CEO Les Wexner, newly unsealed documents show.

The allegations emerged in a 2016 deposition by Ms Giuffre, which was part of likely the final batch of documents ordered unsealed by Judge Loretta Preska in the now-settled litigation between Ms Giuffre and Epstein’s fixer Ghislaine Maxwell.

Although Ms Giuffre had previously alleged she had been trafficked to other high-profile figures, it is the first time that allegations have emerged that Mr Wexner had sex with underage girls.

The Independent has reached out to L Brands group for comment.

Ms Giuffre claimed that she was trafficked to have sex with Mr Wexner between three and ten times during the time that she was recruited by Epstein and Maxwell. Ms Giuffre said that she was instructed by Maxwell to wear lingerie for Mr Wexner – which Maxwell went on to categorically deny in her own deposition.

When asked why she had said in a previous interrogation by police that she didn’t believe Mr Wexner would say the truth, Ms Giuffre said that it was because he had done “things that were wrong.”

“He participated in sex with minors,” Ms Giuffre elaborated.

Ms Giuffre said she was trafficked to Victoria Secret magnate Lex Wexner
— (SDNYC)

Mr Giuffre said she was also trafficked to a prince and a former prime minister but declined to name them out of fears of retaliation, she said. Other names that have been linked to the same allegations are late New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former senator George Mitchel, AI pioneer Marvin Minsky, Tom Pritzker, Glenn Dubin, Prince Andrew and a US politician, whose name remains redacted.

Ms Giuffre said that she had never seen Donald Trump engaging in any wrongdoing during her time at Epstein’s home, but claimed he would have seen several disturbing photos displayed around the house.

“These are salacious acts of girls, young girls doing things to each other that would be considered child pornography,” Ms Giuffre said in a deposition.

“If you walked foot into Jeffrey Epstein’s house and you went in there and you continued to be an acquaintance of his then you would have to know what was going on there.”

Elsewhere in her harrowing testimony, Ms Giuffre recounted gruelling details about the abuse she endured. According to the court’s transcript of her deposition, her attorney said she became sick just after being asked questions about an alleged and since retracted sexual encounter with Epstein’s former attorney Alan Dershowitz.

“What do you mean, did he enjoy it?” Ms Giuffre was asked, before being instructed to take a deep breath by her attorney.

“He enjoyed it, yes. From what it looked like, my God, yes, he enjoyed it,” Ms Giuffre answered.

Ms Giuffre has since recanted allegations that she was trafficked to Mr Dershowitz. She has claimed in depositions and media interviews that she was forced to have sex with a long list of men and was not always able to recall who or where exactly she was trafficked.

Mr Dershowitz previously denied allegations in 2015 that he had sex with an underage girl. Mr Dershowitz has again strongly denied those allegations in recent days.

A spokesperson for Senator Mitchell referred The Independent to a previous statement in which he categorically denied any wrongdoing, and pointed out that no new allegations have emerged regarding Senator Mitchell in the filings recently unsealed.

“The allegation contained in the released documents is false. I have never met, spoken with or had any contact with Ms. Giuffre,” the senator said through his spokesperson.

A representative for Mr Pritzker also said that he first rejected Ms Giuffre’s allegations in 2019 and “continues to vehemently deny” them.

A spokesperson for Mr Dubin told The Independent in a statement: “The Dubins strongly deny these allegations, as we first said in 2019 when these unsubstantiated statements first surfaced as part of this same civil court proceeding.”

The Duke of York has also strongly denied Ms Giuffre’s allegations in the past.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Trump for comment.

Also in her deposition, Ms Giuffre recounted once meeting Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper. She said her memory was “hazy” and she didn’t remember where she had met Mr Gore.

“I thought he was a wonderful guy who loved his wife and they spent the entire time like there was nothing else around them, it was just those two. It was a dinner table, a long dinner table with people around, but they were just lovely, just watching them as a couple,” Ms Giuffre said.

“I remember thinking, you know, he’s somebody that I would definitely vote for. He’s just somebody that loves his wife that much.”

The documents recently unsealed stem from a 2015 litigation between Ms Giuffre and Maxwell. Ms Giuffre first brought the civil case against Maxwell after a spokesperson for the former socialite called Ms Giuffre’s allegations “obvious lies”.

The litigation helped consolidate the criminal case against Maxwell, who was later sentenced to 20 years in prison on five charges of sex trafficking minor girls. She has since appealed her conviction.

However, hundreds of names included in the Giuffre v Maxwell lawsuit remained under seal. The Miami Herald, whose investigation into Epstein led to his arrest in 2019, first sued in 2018 for the release of all documents related to the lawsuit.

Judge Preska ordered in December 240 files in the case to be unsealed. Ms Giuffre’s attorneys told FOX News that the number had later been lowered to 225 — the totality of which appears to have been released by Tuesday evening.

The names of ten Jane Does mentioned in the filings remained under seal because their right to privacy as victims outweighed the public’s right to know. A J Doe has until 22 January to submit proof the release of their name will put them at risk of physical harm, and a request by a second J Doe to keep their name under seal is currently being reviewed by the court.

Being identified through the court documents does not mean that the individual was involved in or aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein.

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