A bombshell court document dump has sparked a frenzy of reactions on social media.
Former President Donald Trump's name appeared in the documents, but there was no reference to any illicit behavior on his part, leading his supporters to celebrate this as evidence of his innocence.
The late evening of Wednesday brought a significant development in the long-standing legal battles linked to the notorious Jeffrey Epstein. The public's gaze turned once again to the now-settled case against the financier, brought forward by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has been at the center of allegations of sexual abuse as a minor. The documents released shed light on several high-profile individuals, sparking discussions and debates across the nation.
The documents were unsealed on Wednesday night by a federal judge in New York.
They are part of the now-settled defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Epstein's girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in aiding the abuse.
Giuffre alleged that Epstein sexually abused her as a minor and forced her to have sex with powerful men, including Prince Andrew, who has denied the allegations.
The documents include a deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, another accuser of Epstein and Prince Andrew, who testified in 2016.
In her testimony, Sjoberg mentioned the names of several celebrities, politicians, and businessmen who had met or interacted with Epstein, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, former Senator George Mitchell, former Governor Bill Richardson, and others.
However, Sjoberg did not accuse any of them of any unlawful behavior, and when asked, she denied ever massaging Trump or seeing him in Epstein's presence.
Trump supporters took to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate the documents as proof of Trump's innocence. Jack Poso, a prominent X user, and Trump ally, posted: "EPSTEIN DOCS EXONERATE TRUMP YET AGAIN," and shared a screenshot of Sjoberg's testimony.
Another X user, ALX, wrote:
The only mentions of Donald Trump in the 1,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents... are ones that clear him of any wrongdoing.
On the other hand, Trump critics dismissed the documents as irrelevant and insufficient to clear Trump's name. They pointed out that the documents only contained the deposition of one witness and that there were other sources of evidence that linked Trump to Epstein, such as photos, videos, flight logs, and statements by other accusers.
They also accused Trump supporters of hypocrisy and double standards, noting that they were quick to condemn other figures named in the documents, such as Clinton and Gore, without applying the same scrutiny to Trump.
The documents are expected to be the first of several releases, as more cases and lawsuits involving Epstein and Maxwell are pending.
The documents could potentially shed more light on the extent and nature of Epstein's sex trafficking ring and the identities and roles of his associates and accomplices.
The documents could also have legal and political ramifications for the figures named in them, as they could face further investigations, lawsuits, or public backlash.
The unsealed court documents in Jeffrey Epstein's case named several high-profile individuals, including former President Donald Trump, but lacked evidence of his wrongdoing, prompting claims of exoneration by his supporters.
