File 030377
Guardian Media Inquiry About Swiss Bank Accounts and Tax Evasion Allegations (File 030377)
Email correspondence from The Guardian journalist David Pegg to Jeffrey Epstein's attorney Martin G. Weinberg regarding a media investigation into Swiss bank accounts, tax evasion, money laundering, and Epstein's criminal history.
Summary
This document is an email chain dated January 30, 2015, where Guardian journalist David Pegg formally notifies Epstein's legal counsel of an upcoming publication investigating Swiss bank accounts held by Epstein. The letter details specific allegations including Swiss accounts containing up to USD 3.5 million, connections to Leslie Wexner, associations with Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, and references to Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for solicitation of prostitution and procuring minors. Pegg requests substantive responses to seven specific questions regarding tax evasion, money laundering, and Epstein's financial activities before publication, offering an opportunity for comment by the stated deadline.
From: jeffrey E. [jeevacation@gmail.com]Sent: 1/30/2015 7:04:56 PMTo: Martin G. WeinbergSubject: Re: Fw: Fwd: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey EpsteinImportance: HighPrivileged -RedactedL._On Fri, Jan 30, 2015 at 3:03 PM, Martin G. Weinberg > wrote:Privileged - RedactedFrom: David PeggSent: Friday, January 30, 2015 12:00 PMTo:______________________________Subject: Fwd: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey EpsteinDear Mr Weinberg,I hope this email finds you well. I am a journalist at The Guardian newspaper in London.We are preparing for publication an article in which we may mention Mr Jeffrey Epstein, who is your client.We have sent Mr Epstein an email concerning this article and made a number of attempts to contact him, towhich he has not responded.Please see the email in question below. Should Mr Epstein wish to respond, please ensure that we receive hisresponse by no later than 18:00 on Monday 2nd February 2015.I would be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this email.Yours faithfully,David PeggThe GuardianKings Place90 York WayLondonNi 9GU----------Forwarded message----------From: David Pegg <________________________________Date: 29 January 2015 at 16:49Subject: Re: Media Enquiry - The Guardian - Re: Jeffrey EpsteinTo: Jeffrey@jeffreyepstein.orgDear Mr Epstein,HOUSE OVERSIGHT 030377I write further to an email sent to you earlier this month, concerning an article we are preparing forpublication in which you may be mentioned.We have not received a response from you. If you wish to respond, please do so as soon as possible and nolater than 18:00 on Monday 2nd February 2015.For your convenience, please see the original letter below,.Yours faithfully,David PeggThe GuardianKings Place90 York WayLondonNi 9GUOn 5 January 2015 at 11:14, David Pegg ________________________________ wrote:Swiss Accounts SurveyDear Mr Epstein,We are writing because a US media organisation, in concert with ourselves at the Guardian newspaper inLondon, is currently conducting a detailed survey of Swiss bank accounts, past and present.It is not illegal to have Swiss accounts. But as you may know, it is a topic of considerable public debate, andseveral governments have been investigating the owners of such accounts.There are a number of ways such accounts and also offshore trusts have been used to avoid inheritance tax,UK domestic tax, or tax imposed by other countries. Such accounts have also been used to launder money.We have seen records held in the US identifying you among those who have held accounts. These accountscontained assets of up to USD 3.5m, and include:HSBC (Suisse) SAFAMILY INTEREST L.P.22079BESSIEJEFFREY EPSTEIN1) You may therefore have been a person evading or avoiding tax, or laundering money.We will be particularly concerned with these questions:2) Why you had Swiss accounts.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 0303783) How much back tax you have settled with the tax authorities following their investigation of your affairs.Additionally, from public records and from material we have seen we note that:4) In 2008 you pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution and procuring minors for prostitution. You weresentenced to 18 months in prison.5) Your above accounts were also linked with Mr Leslie Wexner.6) You are known to be or have previously been closely associated with Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and KevinSpacey.7) You have made substantial contributions to the Clintons' philanthropic causes. Tax reform campaignershave previously been critical of those who engage in public life or the political process while avoiding orevading tax. Hilary Clinton herself, speaking in 2012, noted the importance of elites paying a substantialshare of tax: "One of the issues that I have been preaching about around the world is collecting taxes in anequitable manner — especially from the elites in every country."It is intended shortly to publish the results of our survey in both the US and the UK.As responsible journalists acting in the public interest, we would first like to give you the opportunity tocomment.If we do not hear from you by 18:00 on Monday 12th January 2015 (preferably by email towe shall proceed on the basis that you do not wish to comment on oramend our information.But we have approached you in a straightforward fashion and hope you will take this opportunity to respondif you wish. Your substantive responses to each of our numbered points will be carefully considered andpublished if appropriate.(For the avoidance of doubt, we do not normally regard any generalised assertion of "inaccuracies" as asubstantive response; nor any generalised statement that the holders acted on advice. Neither will weregard as substantive any comment that only refers to the present state of affairs and not to the past.)We are, of course, happy to discuss directly any concerns you may have.We would be most grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter. This will save us from chasing.Yours faithfully,David PeggThe GuardianKings Place90 York WayLondonNi 9GUHOUSE OVERSIGHT 030379Visit theguardian.com. On your mobile and tablet, download the Guardian iPhone and Android appstheguardian.com/guardianapp and our tablet editions theguardian.com/editions. Save up to 57% bysubscribing to the Guardian and Observer - choose the papers you want and get full digitalaccess. Visit subscribe.theguardian.comThis e-mail and all attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the namedrecipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all attachments immediately. Do notdisclose the contents to another person. You may not use the information for any purpose, or store,or copy, it in any way. Guardian News & Media Limited is not liable for any computer viruses orother material transmitted with or as part of this e-mail. You should employ virus checking software.Guardian News & Media Limited is a member of Guardian Media Group plc. Registered Office: POBox 68164, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1P 2AP. Registered in England Number 908396please noteThe information contained in this communication isconfidential, may be attorney-client privileged, mayconstitute inside information, and is intended only forthe use of the addressee. It is the property ofJEEUnauthorized use, disclosure or copying of thiscommunication or any part thereof is strictly prohibitedand may be unlawful. If you have received thiscommunication in error, please notify us immediately byreturn e-mail or by e-mail to jeevacation@gmail.com, anddestroy this communication and all copies thereof,including all attachments. copyright -all rights reservedHOUSE OVERSIGHT 030380