I really like Joyce Vance’s daily letters on Substack. She’s excellent at laying out the facts and the relevant laws. She is a former U.S. District Attorney, and she understands the “why” of a lot of things that most of us don’t understand. It will be interesting to hear her take on Melanie’s decision.
2 Likes
Is any discussion of Michael Wolff deemed political? Because I see an earlier post was taken down. I didn’t click on that link and maybe there was something objectionable in there. I know they are suing/threatening to sue each other so it feels like that’s a wash. Anyway, y’all feel free to take this down.
I saw a podcast that gives a quasi-explanation for why she said some of what she said. I had never heard about the 2007 interview with Epstein in which he said that he had had sex with Melania a year before she began dating Trump. It was in that book that was linked above. That book has been out for a while and who knows whether that’s true, but just because she may have had sex with him it doesn’t make her his “victim.” The fact that she said that in her statement was interesting to me. And the book was released last year so it doesn’t seem likely that she would be responding to that book in particular.
I’m now guessing that some credible source has more information about how she and Epstein met and how she got with Trump.
2 Likes
The speculation I’ve read today is about her former modeling manager who seems to have pulled some strings to get a former GF/partner deported…. and there are some documents which are about to get released which are potentially incriminating for the First Lady.
I hadn’t read anything about this angle up until now– but I think once you throw the head of Homeland Security under a bus, the smart strategy is to get all the other DHS scandals out there as quickly as possible and blame them on the former head. Which has happened/is happening. Except Melania could be caught in the crossfire which nobody anticipated or knew about.
Hence the speech.
4 Likes
Yes, the algorithm works! Now I’m getting all kinds of info on Amanda Ungaro. Y’all Google for the background.
3 Likes
Do we think Starmer will go down for this? Or does he have some sort of deniability? His party is in absolute shambles.
1 Like
That happened here with Kushner.
I really hope he is wrong.
The bipartisan pressure on the Trump administration and Congress to deliver further accountability in the Epstein case, including potentially more prosecutions, has complicated Maxwell’s path to clemency and, by extension, Markus’ mission. It could also serve as leverage in Maxwell’s quest to get out of prison. Markus has told Congress that his client, who previously invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when she declined to cooperate with the House Oversight Committee probe, would testify freely if she were granted clemency.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/04/17/markus-ghislaine-maxwell-lawyer-pardon-00871508
Not sure I can finish reading this as the second graf says the lawyer thinks Maxwell is an underdog. 
2 Likes
Just felt like bumping this.
1 Like
Thank you - it feels surreal that this issue is fading away 
6 Likes
Julie K Brown getting recognized from the Pulitzer committee is long overdue. And shows how important her work for the Miami Herald was for this story and getting it out to the public.
8 Likes
I don’t think it is fading away, but wonder how people view Epstein as different from other preditors like Michael Jackson, Harvey Weinstein, and others whose fame lives on without much punishment for those who helped them. Tom Cruise had a lot of help from Scientologists to get the children away from Nicole Kidman (but not so much luck with Katie Holmes whose father is an attorney and set things up before the separation). People still go to Tom Cruise movies, still go to the MJ movies and Broadway shows, and someone is making money off of those. I really try not to give any support to those endeavors, but can’t always meet that goal (and I justify it by telling myself that victims may be making money off my watching reruns of That 70’s Show or old Tom Cruise movies but I know I’m justifying my actions because I want to watch).
But I don’t think in the Epstein case that the other players are going to be hurt by exposing them. Those who think Trump is a jerk already think that. Those who don’t care don’t care. Do we know that Bill Clinton went on Epstein’s jet at least once? We do. Do we know rich people went to parties that Epstein either hosted or attended? We do.
I was concerned for a while that Maxwell was going to be pardoned by Trump but I think she’s made some statements that will prevent that. Still, I’d like her to be convicted on a state charge somewhere (NY, FL, AZ) that would prevent a federal pardon.
2 Likes
Or US Virgin Islands. They’ll have a new governor soon. Good guy; I know him. My late brother mentored him.
3 Likes
The Epstein suicide note (or alleged suicide note) has been released.
There’s no proof Michael Jackson is a predator. Conjecture but not proof.
1 Like
And … two (or more) wrongs don’t make a right.
As for the note, it will be interesting to see what experts say after analyzing it against the writings in the Files. The capitalization seems familiar …
1 Like
They’ve found several instances in his emails where he says something almost word for word like “wacha want me to do, bust out cryin’?” He also uses “No Fun” several times.
From an article in the NYTs.
I think it’s genuine.
I don’t think it would be hard for as any of his “buddies” to imitate him. It’s very suspicious it showed up so long after his death.
2 Likes
Here is an article from a reporter who has covered Epstein for years. She is inclined to believe that it’s authentic.
1 Like