1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:05,799 In this episode, we're going to take a look at 3 00:00:05,799 --> 00:00:10,080 the deposition of Joseph Riccary, the detective who was in 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,800 charge of the investigation in Palm Beach after the initial 5 00:00:13,839 --> 00:00:17,559 claims against Jeffrey Epstein were made, and he goes into 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,320 detail about how Jeffrey Epstein was recruiting girls and how 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,879 he was getting them from the local high school. So, 8 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,000 for all the people out there talking about conspiracy theories, 9 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,719 my suggestion is you do yourself a favor and dive 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,479 into these core documents and learn a thing or two. 11 00:00:34,439 --> 00:00:38,359 All right, So we have Joseph Riccary, who is going 12 00:00:38,399 --> 00:00:41,520 to be questioned by Brad Edwards, who is a lawyer 13 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,159 for multiple survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and someone that was 14 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:50,280 engaged in a struggle against Epstein for years. And the 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,799 deposition starts right off with mister Riccary speaking. I wanted 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,200 to speak with everyone related to this home, including miss Maxwell. 17 00:00:58,439 --> 00:01:02,200 My contact was through Gus attorney Gus Fronsten at the time, 18 00:01:02,399 --> 00:01:04,959 who initially had told me that he would make everyone 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,040 available for an interview and subsequent conversations later no one 20 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,239 was available for an interview, and everybody had an attorney 21 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,040 and I was not going to be able to speak 22 00:01:14,079 --> 00:01:18,599 with them. Edwards, Okay. During your investigation, what did you 23 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,959 learn in terms of Glene Maxwell's involvement, if any? Pagliuca 24 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:28,200 objection to Form and the Foundation, Riccary. Miss Maxwell, during 25 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,680 her research, was found to be Epstein's longtime friend. During 26 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,640 the interviews, Miss Maxwell was involved in seeking girls to 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:39,400 perform massages and work at Epstein's home. Pakliuka object to 28 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,480 the Form and the Foundation. Edwards, did you interview? How 29 00:01:43,519 --> 00:01:45,879 many girls did you interview that were sought to give 30 00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:50,560 or that actually gave massages at Epstein's home? Mister Pakliuka 31 00:01:50,599 --> 00:01:58,400 object to form and the Foundation? Edwards? Approximately Pagliuca, same objection, Riccary, 32 00:01:58,719 --> 00:02:03,680 I would say approximately thirty, thirty or thirty three, mister Edwards. 33 00:02:03,719 --> 00:02:06,319 And of the thirty or thirty three or so girls, 34 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:10,639 how many had massage experience? Pagliuka objection to the Form 35 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:13,719 and the Foundation? The witness. I believe two of them 36 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,360 may have been at two of them. Edwards Okay, And 37 00:02:17,439 --> 00:02:21,800 as we go through this report, you may remember the names, Ricary. Correct, 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,120 Let me correct myself I believe only one had, Edwards, 39 00:02:26,159 --> 00:02:28,560 and that was was that one of the similar age 40 00:02:28,599 --> 00:02:35,400 to the other girls Pagliuka objective form and the foundation ricary? No, Edwards, okay, 41 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,319 the one with massage experience was older, mister Pagliuka, objective 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,560 form and foundation the witness correct Edwards. The remainder of 43 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:46,960 the thirty girls that went to this house for the 44 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,039 purpose of massage or recruited for massage, is it my 45 00:02:50,159 --> 00:02:55,000 understanding that they had no massage experience? Mister Pagliuka object 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:00,000 to the form and the foundation ricary. That's correct Edwards. 47 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,759 And were the majority of those girls that you interviewed 48 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,919 over or under the age of eighteen? Mister Pakliuka object 49 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,759 to the form and the foundation ricary? The majority you 50 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,400 were under, mister Edwards. And how was it that mister 51 00:03:14,439 --> 00:03:19,479 Epstein gained access to that number of underage girls? Pagliuka 52 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,039 object a form and the foundation ricary. Each of the 53 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,240 victims that went to the home were asked to bring 54 00:03:25,319 --> 00:03:30,280 their friends to the home. Some complied and some didn't. Edwards, Okay, 55 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,039 So the victim would come to the home and could 56 00:03:33,039 --> 00:03:35,400 give a massage and get paid for it. Is that right? 57 00:03:35,759 --> 00:03:41,319 Mister Pagliuka object a form and the Foundation ricary correct Edwards. 58 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,759 And at the end of the massage, if that victim 59 00:03:43,759 --> 00:03:46,240 brought other friends, she would get paid for the recruitment 60 00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:54,240 of those friends. Pagliuka objective form and Foundation ricary correct Edwards. Additionally, 61 00:03:54,319 --> 00:03:57,639 did your investigation reveal that the assistance of Jeffrey Epstein 62 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,719 would call and set up for these girls to come 63 00:03:59,759 --> 00:04:03,599 over to the house for the massage? Pagliuka object to 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:10,000 form and Foundation ricary correct Edwards. And as well, certain 65 00:04:10,039 --> 00:04:13,240 people that were friends or girlfriends or assistants of Jeffrey 66 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,639 Epstein would recruit girls under the pretense of giving a massage. 67 00:04:17,319 --> 00:04:21,720 Mister Pagliuka object to the form and the Foundation ricary 68 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,079 correct Edwards. Is that what your investigation revealed in terms 69 00:04:26,079 --> 00:04:28,879 of the system of getting these girls over to the house, 70 00:04:29,199 --> 00:04:36,040 Mister Pagliuca object to the form and the Foundation ricary. Yes. Edwards, Okay, 71 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,800 talking about the massages, when when these the various girls 72 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,839 that you interviewed describe the massages, was there a pattern 73 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:47,160 of what occurred during these massages? Pakluka object to the 74 00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:51,959 form and the Foundation ricary, Yes, there was, Edwards Okay, 75 00:04:52,079 --> 00:04:54,879 describe for me what the pattern was that was told 76 00:04:54,879 --> 00:04:57,360 to you by the thirty or so girls that you interviewed. 77 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,439 Pakliyuka object to the form and the found riccary. Initially, 78 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,680 when the victims would come into the home and were 79 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,720 brought upstairs to provide the massage, Epstein would lay on 80 00:05:08,759 --> 00:05:11,160 his massage table where they would start to rub his 81 00:05:11,199 --> 00:05:14,040 back and the back of his legs. Epstein would either 82 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,240 attempt to fondle the girls or touch the girls inappropriately, 83 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,519 and at which point he would masturbate, and when he 84 00:05:20,639 --> 00:05:23,120 was done, he would get up go wash off, while 85 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,800 the girl would get dressed and go back downstairs and 86 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,240 get paid. Edwards, Okay, so did you determine that massage 87 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,600 was actually a code word for something else? Pagliuka object 88 00:05:33,639 --> 00:05:36,720 to the form and the foundation riccary. When they went 89 00:05:36,759 --> 00:05:40,680 to perform a massage it was for sexual gratification. Edwards. 90 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,160 And when the assistants would call and ask these girls 91 00:05:43,199 --> 00:05:45,720 to work, did you learn the term work meant with 92 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,439 respect to these girls coming to the house, Pakluka object 93 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,720 to form and the foundation riccary. Work meant to come 94 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:57,040 and provide Epstein a massage? Edwards and massage. How often 95 00:05:57,079 --> 00:06:00,480 would these massages, based upon your investigation, turn into something 96 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:05,959 sexual mister Pagliuka objective Form and the Foundation Ricari. During 97 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,000 the investigation, it was determined that he would have multiple 98 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,680 massages during the day. He would have some in the 99 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:16,120 morning and some in the afternoon, sometimes into the evening. Edwards, 100 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,639 all right, And so when you went to speak with 101 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,560 the victims, what did these victims say about their experience 102 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:27,759 with Jeffrey Epstein Pagliuka objective form and Foundation ricary. Once 103 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,959 they were recruited, they were brought to the home, they 104 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,079 were to provide a massage. Some of the victims did 105 00:06:34,079 --> 00:06:36,279 not want to be touched. Some of the victims did 106 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,600 not want to partake in any of that. So it 107 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,199 was I believe for a couple of them it was 108 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:45,720 only a one shot deal, but others continued to come Edwards, Okay, 109 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,199 And as you interviewed some of these victims, did you 110 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,319 learn that some of these victims also brought additional girls 111 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:57,519 Pagliuka objective Form and Foundation Edwards, So, as you're investigating 112 00:06:57,519 --> 00:07:01,680 this case, as part of your investortation, you're learning information 113 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,240 from these victims and then going to talk to the 114 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:07,800 next person down the line, if you will, Pagliuca objective 115 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:12,680 form and the foundation ricary correct Edwards And what is 116 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,360 the purpose of that ricary to identify further victims and 117 00:07:16,399 --> 00:07:21,160 acquire additional information? Edwards? And in doing that, were you 118 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,040 able to corroborate the accuracy of what the first victim 119 00:07:24,079 --> 00:07:27,959 told you? Pagliuka objection to the form and the foundation 120 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,759 ricary correct Edwards, Okay? And did you learn of Sarah 121 00:07:32,839 --> 00:07:37,040 Kellen's involvement with respect to the various girls Pakliuka objective 122 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,560 form and foundation ricary? Yes, Edwards. What was her role 123 00:07:42,079 --> 00:07:47,079 Pakliuka objective form and foundation ricary that is correct Edwards 124 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:49,079 And did you turn all of your files over to 125 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,879 either the State Attorney's office or the FBI ricary that 126 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,959 is correct Edwards and through the State's Attorney's office. Was 127 00:07:56,959 --> 00:08:00,360 the information contained within the probable cause Avid, David and 128 00:08:00,439 --> 00:08:04,439 the incident reports a publicly available document? Pagliuka object to 129 00:08:04,519 --> 00:08:09,160 the form and the foundation ricary, Yes, Edwards. And around 130 00:08:09,199 --> 00:08:12,160 the time of your investigation, Around the time you ended 131 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:16,319 your investigation and thereafter, were of various newspaper articles written 132 00:08:16,319 --> 00:08:22,079 about the substance of some of your investigation, Ricary, Yes, Edwards, 133 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,480 did it become well known to the public that Jeffrey 134 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,519 Epstein had recruited high school girls to his house for 135 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,519 the purpose of some sexually involved massage Pagliuka object to 136 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:37,399 the form and the Foundation? Rocary? That is correct Edwards. 137 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,519 And in fact, haven't you read many of these newspaper articles, Ricary, 138 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,200 that is correct Edwards. That was not a hidden secret 139 00:08:45,279 --> 00:08:49,840 from the public beginning in two thousand and six, right Ricary, No, Edwards, 140 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,240 and from your overall investigation, kind of just a big picture, 141 00:08:53,399 --> 00:08:56,200 what was the criminal activity as specific as you can 142 00:08:56,639 --> 00:08:59,480 that you learned that Jeffrey Epstein and others were involved 143 00:08:59,519 --> 00:09:04,639 in Pagliuca Objection to Form and Foundation Roccary, it was 144 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,000 sexual battery and loudon lascivious conduct for under the age 145 00:09:08,039 --> 00:09:11,679 of sixteen. Now remember, folks, this is Joseph Roccari giving 146 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,600 you his account. This was the lead detective on the 147 00:09:14,639 --> 00:09:17,480 case down in Palm Beach. And if you wonder where 148 00:09:17,519 --> 00:09:19,960 I get my receipts from, well you have now cracked 149 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,039 the case. These court documents are a treasure trove of 150 00:09:23,039 --> 00:09:28,480 information and not disease, but the ones that came previously, Edwards, 151 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,639 and what was the specific system of engaging in this 152 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:37,679 type of activity. Pagliuka objective form and foundation. Roccary as 153 00:09:37,759 --> 00:09:41,399 to Edwards, interrupts them from the recruitment to the how 154 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:43,720 did you get them? What did you do? How did 155 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:47,200 you keep it going? Roccary once the he's interrupted by 156 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,600 Pagliuca object to the forum and foundation, Sorry, Rocary, No, No. 157 00:09:52,039 --> 00:09:55,519 As it became known to us that the victims were recruited, 158 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,840 brought to the home, provided the massage was paid, whether 159 00:09:58,879 --> 00:10:02,480 there was inappropriate touching, whether there was sexual activity, whether 160 00:10:02,519 --> 00:10:05,360 there was actually inter course, all of that was documented 161 00:10:05,519 --> 00:10:07,759 and was asked whether they brought anyone to the home, 162 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,200 whether they had any formal training in massage therapy, and 163 00:10:11,279 --> 00:10:15,159 once once additional victims were identified, we continued the same 164 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,000 the same method of investigation. And this is a big 165 00:10:19,039 --> 00:10:22,320 hole in Maxwell and Epstein's stupid ass plot. There's no 166 00:10:22,399 --> 00:10:25,240 fifteen or sixteen or seventeen year old girl that's giving 167 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,399 you the quality of a massage that you'd get from 168 00:10:27,399 --> 00:10:30,399 a professional. These people are rich, they have all the 169 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,559 money in the world. They could get the best massage 170 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,840 therapists going to come over and get them worked on, 171 00:10:36,159 --> 00:10:40,360 but that wasn't what they were looking for, is it? Edwards? Okay? 172 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,639 And one of the earliest victims in terms of the 173 00:10:42,759 --> 00:10:45,679 chronology of the pyramid of girls for lack of a 174 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,200 better word, you understand what I mean by that, right, 175 00:10:48,759 --> 00:10:55,399 mister Pagliuca object to the form and the foundation Riccari, Yes, Edwards, 176 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,639 there's one of the earliest victims that you interviewed, was 177 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:04,360 Haley Robson, Is that right? Pagliuka objective form and foundation Ricary? 178 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,679 It was actually SG I think was the first one 179 00:11:07,879 --> 00:11:10,679 that was interviewed, and then HR was the one that 180 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,559 I interviewed. Edwards, Okay, My question was bad. I know 181 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,240 that the first person interviewed that kind of kicked off 182 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,759 the investigation was SG. But and just to create a 183 00:11:20,759 --> 00:11:23,480 picture of what we have here, this is and tell 184 00:11:23,519 --> 00:11:26,559 me if I characterize it wrong, a scheme that Jeffrey 185 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,320 Epstein engaged in by using assistance to recruit girls. Right 186 00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:37,240 Ricary correct Edwards under the Pagliuca objective form and foundation. 187 00:11:37,759 --> 00:11:41,799 Edwards under the pretense of giving a massage Pagliuka objective 188 00:11:41,799 --> 00:11:46,080 form and foundation. Ricary correct either a massage and or 189 00:11:46,279 --> 00:11:50,039 become a model for Victoria's secret and or connections. So 190 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,440 when you hear people talking about, oh, well they were 191 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,279 just hanging around Epstein, that's not that big of a deal. Yes, 192 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,440 it is. They enabled his bullshit, and anybody saying any 193 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,360 different has no idea what they're talking about. Edwards. And 194 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,440 when he was able to get these girls to his home, 195 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,159 he would then offer them money to also become recruiters 196 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:12,879 for him. Pagliuka objective form and the Foundation, Ricary correct Edwards. 197 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:16,320 And that created this if you mapped it out, kind 198 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,000 of a spider web or a pyramid of girls bringing 199 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:23,240 girls to Jeffrey Epstein's house. Pagliuka object to the form 200 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:29,120 and the foundation, mister Edwards, right, Ricary correct Edwards. All right, 201 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,080 So when I say one of the first I mean 202 00:12:32,159 --> 00:12:34,360 the top of the pyramid. One of the earliest people 203 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,639 that you interviewed that brought girls to Jeffrey Epstein's house 204 00:12:37,879 --> 00:12:44,679 was Hr Rocary correct Pagliuka, objective form and the Foundation, Edwards, 205 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,360 And I think that you testified that Molly and Tony 206 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,120 drove Hr to Jeffrey Epstein's house the first time. Right, 207 00:12:51,519 --> 00:12:57,559 Pagliuka object to the form and the Foundation. Rocary correct edwards, 208 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,639 did you ever trace all the way up to the 209 00:12:59,759 --> 00:13:03,240 high level to determine who it was that started this 210 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,240 particular chain of pom Beach girls coming over to Jeffrey 211 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,559 Epstein's home Pagliuca Objective form and foundation. Riccary, I did not, 212 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,559 And that's where the document cuts off. But from that 213 00:13:14,639 --> 00:13:18,000 little brief exchange, you can see what Riccari is saying here, 214 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,840 and you can see just how disgusting Jeffrey Epstein's bullshit was. 215 00:13:22,279 --> 00:13:24,960 And this is before we're even talking about the highly 216 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,519 publicized cases. These are the high school girls in Palm Beach, 217 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:30,200 And if you want to hear it right from the 218 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,679 horse's mouth, I think that Detective Roccari and his account 219 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,440 here in this deposition is a good place to start. 220 00:13:36,799 --> 00:13:39,960 Considering this man was the lead investigator on the original 221 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,759 case down in Florida. So this was the original investigation 222 00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:46,519 that we're talking about, and this mainly had to do 223 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,320 with girls from Palm Beach High School. So keep that 224 00:13:49,399 --> 00:13:51,559 in mind when you're listening to this or you hear 225 00:13:51,639 --> 00:13:55,279 anything from Detective Racari. All right, folks, that's going to 226 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,399 do it for this one. All the information that goes 227 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,639 with this episode can be found in the discrete box. 228 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,320 What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles. 229 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,120 In this look back episode, we're going to hear from 230 00:14:09,399 --> 00:14:14,600 former police Chief Michael Rider of the Palm Beach Police Department. 231 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:21,240 This article was published by NBC News and it was 232 00:14:21,279 --> 00:14:27,559 published on September twentieth of two thousand and nineteen. The 233 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:32,320 authors of this piece Sarah Fitzpatrick and rich ship Heiro. 234 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,679 Former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Ryder spent years trying 235 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,799 to convince state and federal prosecutors in Florida to bring 236 00:14:42,919 --> 00:14:48,840 serious charges against Jeffrey Epstein. Now, the retired lawman wants 237 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,120 to tackle a new mission to persuade lawmakers to take 238 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,600 action to prevent the next Jeffrey Epstein from perverting the 239 00:14:56,679 --> 00:15:02,159 criminal justice system. Now, Mike was one of the only 240 00:15:02,279 --> 00:15:05,600 good guys, if there were any good guys, if you will, 241 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,559 in the whole entire Epstein saga, this guy listened to 242 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,039 what these girls said, compiled a whole bunch of evidence, 243 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,840 and then turn that evidence over to the prosecutors. Now, 244 00:15:17,919 --> 00:15:20,519 once the prosecutors have that evidence, it's up to them 245 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,399 to do the right thing with it. Right it's up 246 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,840 to them to make sure that they get indictments. And 247 00:15:24,879 --> 00:15:27,600 then after they get the indictment, it's up to them 248 00:15:27,639 --> 00:15:32,759 to make sure that these people are convicted. So they failed. 249 00:15:33,039 --> 00:15:36,840 The prosecutors in Florida failed. The police officers in Palm 250 00:15:36,879 --> 00:15:40,240 Beach who worked this case originally, they did great work. 251 00:15:41,679 --> 00:15:44,960 The investigators were all over this. They compiled all kinds 252 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,879 of evidence. When it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, it was 253 00:15:47,919 --> 00:15:52,440 the prosecutors once again who decided not to pursue it. 254 00:15:55,639 --> 00:16:00,320 Epstein found every loophole. Rider told NBC News as part 255 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,919 of a month's long Dateline investigation, I want some system 256 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,440 in the future that this can't happen again. He's not wrong. 257 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,399 One of the ongoing conversations we've had about these people, 258 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:16,360 all of them, is how they navigate loopholes, how they 259 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:21,080 navigate technicalities and somehow harness them always to work in 260 00:16:21,159 --> 00:16:23,960 their favor. Now, I guess that's what they were put 261 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,960 into these laws for in the first place, right, so 262 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,399 the rich people can navigate them and not get in 263 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,559 trouble when they're the ones who gets slapped with them. 264 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,159 Like we said previously several times, it's like when you 265 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,840 have a computer programmer who creates software. They leave themselves 266 00:16:39,879 --> 00:16:42,240 a little back door so they can access it right, 267 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:48,279 same thing here. They know that the small folk us 268 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,639 are going to be the ones who have to live 269 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:56,000 up to these laws, not them, not their friends. Writer 270 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,279 said he believes the state and federal prosecutors handling of 271 00:16:59,279 --> 00:17:03,120 the Epstein amounts to the worst failure of the criminal 272 00:17:03,279 --> 00:17:07,759 justice system in modern times. Look, he's not wrong. It's 273 00:17:07,799 --> 00:17:10,359 the reason we're still talking about this right now. It's 274 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:15,480 that impactful, it's that important about how the criminal justice 275 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:21,960 system is conducted moving forward. We need something that provides 276 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:27,440 equitable law for everybody. If you're a girl from the 277 00:17:27,799 --> 00:17:31,240 quote unquote other side of the tracks, and you say 278 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,519 you were abused by a rich and powerful man, and 279 00:17:33,559 --> 00:17:36,799 there's evidence to back that up, you should be listened to. 280 00:17:38,799 --> 00:17:41,480 And for way too long, these guys had all of 281 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:46,119 their loopholes, all of their technicalities, and they were able 282 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,640 to navigate the criminal justice system by using those and 283 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,720 harnessing the relationships that they built with the other so 284 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,119 called elite, and it amounted to get out of jail 285 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:02,759 free cards. The story begins in March of two thousand 286 00:18:02,759 --> 00:18:06,000 and five, when the Palm Beach Police Department received a 287 00:18:06,039 --> 00:18:09,680 call from the distraught mother of a fourteen year old girl. 288 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,119 Now imagine being the cop on the other of the 289 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,079 other end of that phone call. Uh yeah, this is 290 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:20,319 the Palm Beach Police Department, Sergeant Stanton speaking, Oh my god, 291 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,039 my daughter has been abused by Okay, hold on, man, 292 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,720 slow down. And then you start processing the details and 293 00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:29,119 the name that's being dropped, and all of a sudden, 294 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,839 you know, right away you have yourself a big problem 295 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,400 because when rich people are accused of stuff like this, 296 00:18:35,799 --> 00:18:40,440 they automatically strike back, and there's you know, problems for 297 00:18:40,519 --> 00:18:43,200 the people who bring this stuff up. So I'm sure 298 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,440 the cops weren't too happy to hear the name Jeffrey Epstein. 299 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,960 But what I will say about the Palm Beach Police Department, 300 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,759 they didn't shy away from it. They did their job. 301 00:18:52,839 --> 00:18:59,119 They did their duty. The woman writer recalled set her 302 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,319 underage daughter was having sex with an adult who lives 303 00:19:02,319 --> 00:19:05,880 in a mansion in Palm Beach. Palm Beach Police detectives 304 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,839 immediately launched an investigation. Yeah, that's probably the right thing 305 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,720 to do. You got some guy living in a mansion 306 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,160 and he's having a relationship with a fourteen year old girl, 307 00:19:17,839 --> 00:19:20,839 it's probably a good idea to launch an investigation. And 308 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:22,799 I don't care who that person is in the mansion. 309 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,519 I don't care if it is the most famous person 310 00:19:27,559 --> 00:19:35,000 in the world. You can't be abusing children. Okay. So 311 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,039 the pom Beach Police Department, they started going hard, and 312 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,680 if you know the story, well, you know that they 313 00:19:40,799 --> 00:19:44,079 really were kicking in some doors and asking some very 314 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,000 uncomfortable questions. Do you think it's just a shock, just 315 00:19:48,039 --> 00:19:52,319 a coincidence that this got kicked away to the Feds 316 00:19:52,319 --> 00:19:56,640 and then back down to the state level. They wanted 317 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,519 it to look like, oh yeah, we're gonna take action, 318 00:19:58,559 --> 00:20:00,680 We're gonna kick it up to the feds, But really 319 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,200 they never had any intention of the FEDS prosecuting this case. 320 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,599 They said, this is credible, this is believable, said Ryder, 321 00:20:13,839 --> 00:20:17,519 speaking in his first in depth TV interview. Our sense, 322 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,079 just from sitting in the room with the first survivor 323 00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:23,920 was that this is something we've absolutely got to get on. 324 00:20:25,279 --> 00:20:28,000 So right from Jump Street, the Palm Beach Police Department 325 00:20:28,079 --> 00:20:31,759 knew that this was something way bigger. And Michael Ryder, 326 00:20:32,039 --> 00:20:35,279 the chief here, he didn't spare any expenses. Right. He 327 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,519 was all over this. He had his investigators looking into it, 328 00:20:39,839 --> 00:20:43,359 chasing down leads, and what they uncovered, What they found 329 00:20:44,319 --> 00:20:48,920 was terrifying. The interview with the initial young girl led 330 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,880 to another and another. I have no problem telling you 331 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,039 everything that I know, one of the girls told the 332 00:20:55,039 --> 00:20:59,640 police in a videotaped interview obtained by NBC News. Another 333 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,920 told police at Epstein pulled out this vibrator thing and 334 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,119 he pulled down my panties. Now, remember they only listened 335 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,400 to had one girl speak in front of the grand jury. 336 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,640 Why if all of these girls came forward with all 337 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,160 of these credible allegations, why only have the one girl 338 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,039 speak in front of the grand jury? That does not 339 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:23,920 make sense. The investigators were immediately struck by the consistency 340 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:28,039 of the accounts. Writer said the stories were all the same. 341 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,160 He said, they all could describe the house in detail, 342 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:34,440 they could describe what happened, and they didn't know each other. 343 00:21:34,519 --> 00:21:37,079 It wasn't like all these girls got together and said, 344 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,640 all right, we're gonna take down Jeffrey Epstein, the guy 345 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,839 who lives in the mansion down the block. Nobody even 346 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,279 knew wh Epstein really was. At this point, he wasn't 347 00:21:45,319 --> 00:21:49,599 a celebrity, so that whole line of thinking has always 348 00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:52,400 been garbage to me. These were just young kids, high 349 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:59,599 school kids, younger in some cases. But the detectives also 350 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,519 observed that the accounts weren't perfectly aligned. That would have 351 00:22:03,559 --> 00:22:07,200 been a red flag that the stories were coordinated, were coordinated, 352 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:12,160 writer said. The investigators also noted something else of significance. 353 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,359 Many of the survivors didn't know each other, so there 354 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,880 was little chance that they would have come together to 355 00:22:18,039 --> 00:22:22,319 concoct false allegations, and that, of course, was the bedrock 356 00:22:22,599 --> 00:22:26,079 of Epstein's defense. Right, this is all fake. Everyone's looking 357 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,559 for a pay day. I'm like a piggy bank. Blah blah, 358 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:39,160 blah blah. Within those first few weeks, the investigation was 359 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:43,319 already bearing fruit. We realized this was basically a way 360 00:22:43,319 --> 00:22:46,079 of life for Epstein, writer said. And it didn't take 361 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,759 long to realize that a lot of people were involved 362 00:22:48,799 --> 00:22:52,680 in this. This was a very prolific sexual predator. Now, 363 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,640 listen to what the chief of police is saying here. Okay, 364 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,039 and this is what I always tell you to do. 365 00:22:58,039 --> 00:23:00,720 Don't listen to me, don't listen to Joe Schmoe, who 366 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,160 has the other podcast. Listen to what these policemen say, 367 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,440 Listen to what these investigators say, Listen to what the 368 00:23:07,559 --> 00:23:12,359 survivors say. There were a lot of people that were 369 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:16,079 involved in this. This was a very prolific sexual predator. 370 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,480 That's not someone making up a story. That's not some 371 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,240 guy who just got involved in the case yesterday. That's 372 00:23:23,279 --> 00:23:26,240 Michael Ryder, the man who investigated this as the police 373 00:23:26,319 --> 00:23:29,079 chief in Palm Beach, who blew this shit open. He 374 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,680 even knows how much more and how deeper this goes. 375 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,960 Detectives picked through Epstein's trash and discovered incriminating messages on 376 00:23:40,039 --> 00:23:44,200 scraps of paper documenting phone calls. She is wondering if 377 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:46,759 two thirty is okay? She needs to stay in school? 378 00:23:46,799 --> 00:23:50,640 Read one imagine And whoever took that note down is 379 00:23:50,799 --> 00:23:53,039 another piece of shit. What do you mean she needs 380 00:23:53,079 --> 00:23:56,559 to stay in school? Why are any school age girls 381 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,960 calling Jeffrey Epstein in the first place. The note, it 382 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,599 was clear to police, were about massages and sex, writers said. 383 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,000 And it just wasn't phone messages, writer said. Epstein had 384 00:24:10,039 --> 00:24:12,759 flowers delivered to one of the survivors who was in 385 00:24:12,799 --> 00:24:16,400 a performance of performance at her high school, congratulating her 386 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,119 at the end of the performance. Now, imagine how brazen 387 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,079 you must be this high school age girl that you're 388 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,079 sexually abusing. She has this high school performance and you 389 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:30,960 send her flowers. Now I know if I was the 390 00:24:31,039 --> 00:24:36,680 dad of that girl, there would be problems, conversations would 391 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,839 be had. This dirty son of a bitch was so 392 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,000 brazen in his behavior, so brazen in his activity, that 393 00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:48,920 he would send flowers to a girl after her performance. 394 00:24:51,039 --> 00:24:54,279 NBC News has spoken with nearly two dozen women who 395 00:24:54,319 --> 00:24:58,880 alleged that Epstein didn't operate alone. Writer said the investigation 396 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,960 identified adult women who had sexual contact with underage girls 397 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:08,079 and in some cases performed sexual battery on children. This 398 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:13,000 was a financially successful, smart capable, well networked, and well 399 00:25:13,039 --> 00:25:18,240 financed individual who built an organization around him that supported 400 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,880 his criminal enterprise. Writer said. Now, if you're wondering why 401 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,359 I always talk about Rico and how this isn't a 402 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,880 Rico case, folks, what more do you need? I mean, honestly, 403 00:25:28,519 --> 00:25:31,279 and again, this is another reason why I've chosen the 404 00:25:31,319 --> 00:25:34,960 format that I have chosen to follow along with these articles. 405 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,400 That way, everything is uniformed. It's not me making this 406 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,640 stuff up right, or oh this is just a guest 407 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:47,799 by me. This is from curating all of these articles 408 00:25:48,079 --> 00:25:51,160 and following all of this evidence and listening to what 409 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,759 the key players had to say for me, survivors, lawyers, 410 00:25:56,039 --> 00:25:58,839 and the law enforcement agents on the ground, not the 411 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,839 jerk offs in the back room, not the accostas of 412 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,880 the world, guys like Michael Ryder. And when you listen 413 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,920 to what they have to say, it is rather obvious 414 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,839 that this was a criminal enterprise that should have been 415 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,079 recoed and everybody involved should have seen a prison cell. 416 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,240 But as the months wore on, with police building their case, 417 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,160 odd things began to happen. When detectives armed with a 418 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,200 search warrant entered his home with a video camera. What 419 00:26:27,319 --> 00:26:30,160 they found made them suspect he had been tipped off. 420 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,799 The place had been cleaned up. Riders said it wasn't 421 00:26:33,799 --> 00:26:37,359 completely devoid of evidence, but a computer that contained all 422 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,039 of the home surveillance camera footage was gone and all 423 00:26:41,079 --> 00:26:43,599 the wires were left hanging there. A rider said, so 424 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,440 they did a dump and pump came in, ripped everything 425 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,559 out real quick, all of the monitoring equipment because somebody 426 00:26:50,559 --> 00:26:53,039 in the government tipped them off one of their buddies. 427 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,319 But nah, Jeffrey Epstein wasn't connected, He wasn't an asset. 428 00:27:00,599 --> 00:27:04,160 After six months of investigation, Riders said, the local police 429 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,720 department noticed a shift in attitude from the state prosecutors. 430 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,720 Riders said the prosecutors told them the witnesses were not credible. 431 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:16,240 The prosecutor's, Rider said, suddenly seemed dismissive of the case 432 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:21,480 and were uncooperative in approving critical investigative techniques that hindered 433 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:26,079 the Palm Beach Police Department's investigation. No shit, no shit, 434 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,079 they were. These guys were working behind the scenes with 435 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,359 Epstein's lawyers to make sure this went nowhere, or at 436 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,200 the very least, make sure Epstein got just a little 437 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:39,440 smack on the ass. No real jail time, thirteen months 438 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,759 in a stockade. Are you kidding me? Right now? I've 439 00:27:43,759 --> 00:27:50,839 had punishments for my parents that were worse than that. Epstein, 440 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,000 who had a massive bankroll and extensive connections, had assembled 441 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:59,880 a high powered team of lawyers, including Kenneth Starr, Alan Dershowitz, 442 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:04,640 Jack Goldberger, and Jay left Kuwitz. Around this time, Ryder 443 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:10,440 said the investigation took another strange turn, Epstein's defense team 444 00:28:10,519 --> 00:28:13,640 seem to know details about the probe before they were 445 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,039 made public. Whoa what do you know? Just take your 446 00:28:17,079 --> 00:28:21,119 pick from Ken Starr, Alan Dershowitz, Jack Goldberger, or Jay 447 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,799 left Quitz about who could have manipulated their influence, their 448 00:28:24,839 --> 00:28:28,799 relationships behind the scenes to turn it into something like this, Folks, 449 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,039 we talk about it all the time. When you go 450 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,200 to Harvard and you get your law degree and then 451 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,960 you're practicing law. People aren't really paying you because you 452 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000 went to Harvard, per se. They're paying you because now 453 00:28:41,039 --> 00:28:43,440 you have access to all of the other scoundrels who 454 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,759 went to Harvard, So you have inside connections, you have access, 455 00:28:47,079 --> 00:28:48,680 and that's what you're paying for. When you get a 456 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,079 high profile lawyer, Your lawyers are going out to eat dinner, 457 00:28:52,119 --> 00:28:55,279 and who knows what else with these prosecutors down here 458 00:28:55,319 --> 00:28:58,920 in Florida at least, and at the federal level, when 459 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,799 we're talking about Muqia and the others, and then we 460 00:29:02,839 --> 00:29:05,400 wonder why Epstein doesn't get punished like the rest of 461 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,920 us would. How many of you gotten an invite to 462 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,680 go play around to eighteen with insert federal official here. 463 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,599 We believe that the content of our probable cause Affidavid. Eventually, 464 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,960 sometime after we presented it to the State's Attorney's office 465 00:29:22,559 --> 00:29:25,759 ended up with the defense. Attorney's writer said, because minute 466 00:29:25,799 --> 00:29:29,559 details that nobody else knew that were in those documents 467 00:29:29,839 --> 00:29:34,240 were being refuted and contrary information provided by the defense, 468 00:29:34,759 --> 00:29:38,680 this writer said, never happened to me before in my career. 469 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:40,920 And this is a guy again, he's in Palm Beach 470 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,839 dealing with rich, powerful people. Never in his life as 471 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,759 he dealt with something like this, however, But no, continue 472 00:29:47,799 --> 00:29:50,319 to tell me that Epstein wasn't getting hooked up, that 473 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,680 nobody was there helping him make sure that the walls 474 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,200 don't fall in, and then tell me that this wasn't 475 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:02,039 a Rico case. Writer was so frustrated that he took 476 00:30:02,079 --> 00:30:05,119 the unusual step of asking the state Attorney, Barry Krisher, 477 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,039 to remove himself from the case, citing the office highly 478 00:30:09,119 --> 00:30:13,440 unusual treatment of the investigation. When that didn't work, the 479 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,359 police chief turned his evidence over to the FBI, and 480 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,319 you would think, right, the g men are coming. This 481 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,920 is awesome, all right, perfect, the FBI. They're going to 482 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,160 save the day. And look, don't get it twisted again, folks, 483 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,599 I'm not talking about your average agent that's working his 484 00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:31,839 tailoff or her tail off to try and keep us safe. 485 00:30:31,839 --> 00:30:34,079 There's a lot of those people that are going after 486 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:39,279 some horrible, fucking criminals. My problem isn't with them. My 487 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,400 problem is with the command structure, the bureaucracy that runs 488 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:48,039 this whole entire monolith. They look at us like we're 489 00:30:48,079 --> 00:30:51,519 just numbers, like we don't matter as far as you know, 490 00:30:51,559 --> 00:30:54,079 the citizens of this country, and they feel like they've 491 00:30:54,079 --> 00:31:00,279 been given the charter to do as they wish. And 492 00:31:00,319 --> 00:31:02,680 how many times do we see good agents like or 493 00:31:02,759 --> 00:31:06,480 good cops in this instance, like Mike Ryder gets screwed 494 00:31:06,519 --> 00:31:10,920 by prosecutors and these federal minions at the Department of Justice, 495 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:13,839 those are the people I have a problem with, not 496 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:20,079 the rank and file. And they said, this is an 497 00:31:20,119 --> 00:31:23,200 easy case. This is a horrific situation. We'll put them 498 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:26,039 away for the rest of his life. Writer recalled, that's 499 00:31:26,079 --> 00:31:29,640 what the US Attorney assistant US attorney told us as well. 500 00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:34,839 But writers renewed enthusiasm didn't last long. In time, it 501 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,279 became clear that the federal probe was stalling. Though he 502 00:31:38,359 --> 00:31:42,119 believes the FBI agents were invested in the case writer 503 00:31:42,359 --> 00:31:44,799 arranged to meet face to face with the prosecutor in 504 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,200 charge of the case, US Attorney alex I have no spine, bitch, 505 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,799 ass Acosta. Acosta would go on to be named US 506 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,759 Labor Secretary under President Donald Trump, another brilliant move by 507 00:31:57,759 --> 00:32:01,880 old Trump. Huh, alex Acosta, I mean, you don't have 508 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,240 this conversation with him, and then even if you do, 509 00:32:05,359 --> 00:32:07,519 you still go through with it. There's not a better 510 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:09,880 person in the whole entire country that could have been 511 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:13,400 Labor secretary. Huh. But I have to say this, I'm 512 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,279 thankful that Trump, in a weird way put him there, 513 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,839 because if alex Acosta wasn't in this position, and there weren't, 514 00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:23,880 you know, a bit of politicism happening around this, we 515 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,519 probably would have never had the second arrest of Epstein, 516 00:32:26,759 --> 00:32:31,920 because would Julie Brown really been as interested if this 517 00:32:32,079 --> 00:32:34,880 didn't have the political been to it, if it wasn't 518 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:40,480 a Trump appointee. Again, maybe I don't know. We can't 519 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,359 tell one way or the other. The future was what 520 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,599 it was. But I have a funny feeling that if 521 00:32:47,599 --> 00:32:52,519 it wasn't for Trump appointing alex Acosta as Labor Secretary, 522 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:54,759 in a weird way, we would have never been at 523 00:32:54,759 --> 00:33:04,400 the point we are now. The conversation Rider said did 524 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,559 not get off to a promising start. He basically said, 525 00:33:07,559 --> 00:33:09,880 in a very measured manner that the defense in the 526 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:14,680 case has successfully delayed and frustrated their investigation and their 527 00:33:14,759 --> 00:33:17,680 prosecution of the case. Writer said, so, when's the last 528 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:23,119 time the federal government has been frustrated and had their 529 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,119 case delayed? Zero chance. It doesn't happen unless they wanted 530 00:33:26,119 --> 00:33:32,200 to happen. But Rider left Acosta's office hoping for the 531 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,720 best after the prosecutor told him they were moving forward 532 00:33:35,759 --> 00:33:39,440 with the investigation. I left that meeting thinking, this guy 533 00:33:39,559 --> 00:33:42,799 hopefully is going to do his job. Writer said. It 534 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,200 didn't turn out the way a writer had hoped. In 535 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,160 two thousand and seven, Acosta made the decision not to 536 00:33:48,279 --> 00:33:52,240 charge Epstein in federal court. Instead, he sent the case 537 00:33:52,319 --> 00:33:55,519 back to the local prosecutors. Now, again, I don't think 538 00:33:55,519 --> 00:33:57,880 this was a costa on his own. You can't make 539 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:02,039 this decision as a mid level bureaucrat. This was a 540 00:34:02,119 --> 00:34:04,960 decision that was made on high and Acosta was just 541 00:34:05,039 --> 00:34:11,360 the trigger man. Ryder was crushed the same office that 542 00:34:11,559 --> 00:34:18,239 seemingly refused to pursue Epstein aggressively. Was now back in charge. 543 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,840 And again you could say, oh, this is a coincidence. 544 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:23,920 It's just you know, the way things happen sometimes. But 545 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,599 there sure are a lot of coincidences around Jeffrey Epstein. 546 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:32,360 Isn't there the cameras, the missing emails, all of this nonsense. 547 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:37,480 At what point is it not coincidence? And is it 548 00:34:37,679 --> 00:34:42,920 just what it is? Acosta agreed to sign a non 549 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:47,360 prosecution deal that ended the federal sex crimes investigation and 550 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:52,440 spared Epstein the prospect of serving several years in prison. Instead, 551 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:56,360 Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges for soliciting a minor 552 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,440 for prostitution and served thirteen months at Palm Beach County Jail. 553 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,400 Epstein was also required to register as a sex offender 554 00:35:04,679 --> 00:35:08,440 and pay his restitution to his survivors. Eh didn't have 555 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:12,960 to register in New Mexico. Huh, I've never seen anything 556 00:35:13,039 --> 00:35:16,880 like it. Ryder said it was extremely unusual and disappointing. 557 00:35:17,639 --> 00:35:20,000 Ryder said he believes the result would have been different 558 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,639 had the victims been underage boys. That would have shocked 559 00:35:23,639 --> 00:35:26,599 the senses more. A writer said, somehow this hits in 560 00:35:26,679 --> 00:35:29,119 a different place that they were young women on the 561 00:35:29,159 --> 00:35:33,079 way to being women, And he's not really wrong about that. Yeah, 562 00:35:33,119 --> 00:35:36,000 how many people have set these girls up as prostitutes? 563 00:35:36,119 --> 00:35:40,519 Or why do they keep coming back the brain dead 564 00:35:40,639 --> 00:35:43,320 narrative that they wanted this to happen? You know, the 565 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,199 same folks that will say, oh, well, she was wearing 566 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:50,800 a mini skirt, so way more nuanced than that. When 567 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,840 you have all of the different things that went in 568 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,760 to grooming these girls and normalizing all of this, it's 569 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,800 a whole different ballgame. But he's not wrong. Boys would 570 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:07,239 have really shocked the emotions and shocked the senses. Epstein 571 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:09,360 was released from jail in the summer of two thousand 572 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,920 and nine, the case scene behind him until twenty and eighteen, 573 00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:16,800 when The Miami Herald published an expose highlighting the government's 574 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,320 kid glove treating of a man accused of praying on 575 00:36:20,519 --> 00:36:24,679 dozens of underage girls. Acosta defended the way his office 576 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:28,280 handled what he described as a complicated case. We believe 577 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:32,559 we proceeded appropriately, Acosta said during a July twenty nineteen 578 00:36:32,599 --> 00:36:36,559 press conference. We did what we did because we wanted 579 00:36:36,559 --> 00:36:38,679 to see Epstein go to jail. So you mean to 580 00:36:38,679 --> 00:36:41,079 tell me the federal government couldn't have done that if 581 00:36:41,079 --> 00:36:44,000 you really wanted to see and again, let me back up, 582 00:36:44,199 --> 00:36:45,960 you might want to see him go to jail. We 583 00:36:46,039 --> 00:36:49,000 want to see him go to prison, okay, and you 584 00:36:49,159 --> 00:36:52,119 not running the federal charges. You and your bosses taking 585 00:36:52,199 --> 00:36:55,480 the step back that made sure that Epstein was never 586 00:36:55,519 --> 00:37:01,119 going to federal prison. But Acosta resigned as lit Oh 587 00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:05,679 excuse me. Acosta defended the way his office handled what 588 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:10,360 he described as a complicated case. We believed we proceeded appropriately, 589 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:14,159 Acosta said during a July twenty nineteen press conference. We 590 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:16,639 did what we did because we wanted to see Epstein 591 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:20,639 go to jail. But Acosta resigned as Labor Secretary two 592 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:25,400 days later amid mounting criticism. Krisher, the former state attorney, 593 00:37:25,559 --> 00:37:28,679 didn't return her request for comment from MDC News, but 594 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,920 he relates a statement in July defending his office and 595 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,719 pushing back against Acosta, suggesting that state prosecutors were driving 596 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:41,440 the case. Nobody wants to take responsibility ever, right. It's 597 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:45,360 always somebody else's fault. It's always someone else who did 598 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:50,400 something wrong. In reality, the Feds fucked up and the 599 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:57,199 state fucked up. If mister Acosta was truly concerned with 600 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:01,360 the state's case and felt he had to rescue the matter. 601 00:38:01,639 --> 00:38:03,960 He would have moved forward with the fifty three page 602 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:08,280 indictment that his own office once drafted. Chrisher said. Epstein 603 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,719 was arrested on fresh charges in July. New York federal 604 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,679 prosecutors charged him with its sex trafficking and conspiracy in 605 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:20,000 a case that featured similar allegations to those a decade earlier. 606 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:24,280 Never far enough right? How again, how isn't this rico 607 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,639 considering not what I said to you, but what Michael 608 00:38:26,679 --> 00:38:30,119 Ryder laid out to you just previously in this article. 609 00:38:31,519 --> 00:38:35,000 Epstein pleaded not guilty, but he committed suicide in his 610 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:39,119 federal jail cell last month. The death left Rider thinking 611 00:38:39,119 --> 00:38:42,000 about the survivors and their lost chance to see him 612 00:38:42,199 --> 00:38:46,239 held accountable. I feel so badly for the survivors, writers said. 613 00:38:46,559 --> 00:38:49,840 I realize that there's a Catharsis in confronting Epstein, and 614 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,079 they'll never have that opportunity. But he hopes that the 615 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,480 entirety of the case will lead to systemic change. The 616 00:38:56,519 --> 00:38:59,599 criminal justice system needs to learn from this and make 617 00:38:59,639 --> 00:39:03,159 sure it can't happen again, said Ryder, who still lives 618 00:39:03,199 --> 00:39:05,920 in Palm Beach where he runs a security consulting firm. 619 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,800 Rider wants to see legislation that bars miners from being 620 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,880 labeled as prostitutes in the justice system. He also called 621 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:17,599 on Florida lawmakers to close loopholes that allow people like 622 00:39:17,679 --> 00:39:21,280 Epstein to get away with misdemeanors for child sex crimes. 623 00:39:21,559 --> 00:39:25,960 I mean, is he wrong? Does a cop, a former cop, 624 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,480 have to call for this? Why wouldn't our politicians, the 625 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:32,039 ones who make the laws, do it themselves. Oh, they're 626 00:39:32,079 --> 00:39:33,760 the ones who put this law in the books. Oh 627 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:38,719 that's right. If you look at the first dozen victims 628 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,960 and there are accounts of what happened to them, it's 629 00:39:41,039 --> 00:39:43,519 clear to me he was coached by a lawyer on 630 00:39:43,679 --> 00:39:47,039 how to only commit a misdemeanor. Writer said, if you're 631 00:39:47,079 --> 00:39:49,840 a member of the legislature and you're listening to this 632 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:53,039 right now, fix this. It needs to be fixed. And 633 00:39:53,119 --> 00:39:55,480 I'm guessing that lawyer. I don't have proof of this, 634 00:39:55,599 --> 00:39:59,440 but I'm guessing it was Darren endyke Ryder also delivered 635 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:03,239 a message all of those girls whose lives were upended 636 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:07,280 by a middle aged sexual predator with endless resources available 637 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,559 to him. I don't have any contact with the survivors, 638 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,360 and if they're listening now, I'm embarrassed for the way 639 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:16,599 the criminal justice system treated them back then. And Florida 640 00:40:16,639 --> 00:40:19,440 writer said, but I want them to know that not 641 00:40:19,519 --> 00:40:21,920 every part of the system failed them. We did our 642 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,440 job in Palm Beach and at the Palm Beach Police Department, 643 00:40:25,639 --> 00:40:28,760 and everything that happens here should lead to in the future, 644 00:40:29,039 --> 00:40:32,239 if any of these things happen again to some other victim, 645 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:36,360 that the system won't fail them. And I'd like to 646 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,960 believe that, but man, I have a hard time believe 647 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:43,360 in it, folks. I am very cynical about our justice system, 648 00:40:43,639 --> 00:40:48,199 as you all know, and the more I see, the 649 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:51,599 more cynical I become. So. While I hope that Michael 650 00:40:51,679 --> 00:40:54,960 Rider's plea will find its way to the ears of 651 00:40:55,000 --> 00:41:00,119 our legislators, for some reason, I still have my doubts. Yes, 652 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:02,920 if you'd like to contact me, you can do that 653 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,639 at Bobby Kapuchi at ProtonMail dot com. That's b O 654 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,559 B B Y c A p U C c I 655 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:14,400 at ProtonMail dot com. You can also find me on 656 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:17,760 Twitter at b O B B y underscore C a 657 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:21,199 p U c c I. The link that we discussed 658 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:23,400 can be found in the description box.