Secret deals silenced Epstein's accusers — but Congress may have a way around them

Seeking to break up the logjam created by the Department of Justice, which continues to drag its feet on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, members of the House Oversight Committee have discussed issuing subpoenas to people who could testify about secret settlements between some of Jeffrey Epstein’s friends and his accusers.

According to Business Insider reporting, relayed by Politico, some of Epstein's accusers signed prelitigation settlements with friends of the sex offender whom they also accused of sexual misconduct. Those settlements come with "iron-clad NDAs" prohibiting victims from speaking publicly about their experiences—a systematic silencing campaign that has kept the full scope of abuse hidden.

According to the report, Brad Edwards, an attorney who has represented more than 200 of Epstein's accusers, confirmed the existence of these settlements to Business Insider. While the specifics remain murky, one person told the outlet they have "direct knowledge" of settlements with four of Epstein's associates, involving allegations of sexual misconduct from more than 20 women who accused those men of coercing them into nonconsensual and abusive sexual encounters.

No public records of these settlements exist, with the report noting the secrecy appears "deliberate" and comprehensive.

According to the report, the committee, frustrated with the DOJ, "... is scheduled to conduct voluntary interviews with associates of Epstein in the coming weeks. Those conversations won’t be under oath, and participants won’t be legally compelled to answer every question."

That could all change with the issuance of subpoenas as they could deliver testimony even from witnesses who have signed nondisclosure agreements—though the committee would need majority support to issue them. Democratic committee members have discussed issuing subpoenas. Republicans, who hold the majority, said they are "aware" of the settlements but declined to comment further.

The existence of these settlements came to light because of a desperate legal filing by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate and co-conspirator. Convicted in 2021 for grooming and recruiting girls for Epstein to sexually abuse, Maxwell filed a habeas corpus petition in December—a last-ditch attempt to escape prison after the Supreme Court rejected her criminal appeal.

According to the report, in her filing, Maxwell cited a 2024 podcast interview in which Edwards revealed that his clients could have brought lawsuits against between 10 and 15 of Epstein's friends. Some of those men signed confidential settlements with his clients over allegations of mistreatment.

The House Oversight Committee raised the issue of secret settlements when interviewing Bill Gates earlier this month. A Republican staffer asked the former Microsoft CEO if he had secured a settlement "in connection to Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, or any of their victims." Gates denied it.

Politico is reporting, "In an interview with Business Insider, Edwards declined to answer questions about confidential settlements between his clients and Epstein’s friends. He said that, in general, Epstein had 'lent out' about 50 girls and women to about 30 men from the 1990s until his second arrest in 2019."