Fresh Air – "Excavating the Epstein Files"

Aired: February 11, 2026
Host: Tonya Mosley
Guest: Vicki Ward, Investigative Journalist and Author

Episode Overview

This episode of Fresh Air delves into the explosive release of the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files, now accessible to Congress. Host Tonya Mosley speaks with Vicki Ward—one of the first journalists to investigate Epstein—about the files’ contents, the renewed scrutiny of enablers and high-profile associates, failures of the justice system, and why the public remains fixated on the Epstein story decades in. Ward also recounts her personal experiences reporting on Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including how reporting was suppressed and the psychological toll involved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Latest Developments: Epstein Files Unsealed

• Congress now has access to over 3 million previously sealed pages, including unredacted victim names, private emails, photos, and a draft indictment that was never filed.
  • [01:30] A (Mosley): "For the first time, members of Congress have access to... the largest release of Epstein related files to date."
• Ghislaine Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment during her House Oversight Committee deposition, but offered, through her attorney, to testify publicly in exchange for clemency.
  • [02:24] A (Mosley): "Her attorney made... a striking play. He said that Maxwell would testify in public if granted clemency by President Trump."

Ghislaine Maxwell's Central Role

• Ward emphasizes Maxwell’s critical involvement:
  • She was the key recruiter and "gatekeeper," leveraging her upbringing and social status to target vulnerable girls.
  • Epstein’s abuse of minors only began after Maxwell’s arrival in his life.
  • Maxwell’s background as the daughter of Robert Maxwell, an influential and “terrifying” international publisher and spy, is detailed.
  • [05:19] B (Ward): "Ghislaine Maxwell is actually the key to the entire Epstein scheme... her importance is critical on two levels."

The Unredacted Files: What’s Inside and What’s Missing

• Files are not chronological, and include over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
• President Trump’s name appears over 38,000 times—however, no victim has accused him.
  • [11:14] B (Ward): “None of the survivors I've ever spoken to have ever suggested that Donald Trump abused them... I just want to be very clear about that.”
• High-profile depositions forthcoming: Les Wexner, the Clintons, accountant, and lawyer.
• Leon Black, billionaire and Apollo founder, paid Epstein $160 million for “tax advice”; many question the legitimacy of these transactions.
  • [13:40] B (Ward): “Leon Black is one of the wealthiest men in this country... had paid Jeffrey Epstein over $160 million for... tax advice.”

Victim Protection and DOJ Failures

• The files failed to redact at least 43 victim names, including minors, while censoring names of alleged enablers. DOJ called it a “technical or human error.”
• Victims and advocates, including Annie Farmer, see this as a profound violation and remain unconvinced by DOJ’s assertion that no more prosecutions are warranted.
  • [16:58] B (Ward): “That’s a ridiculous thing to say given the carelessness with which they’ve handled this entire rollout.”
  • [15:25] Annie Farmer (clip): “It is really disturbing to know... there’s depositions that include names of other individuals... I would say, what did you do with this information?”

The 2007 Florida Plea Deal

• In 2007, U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta offered Epstein a plea deal: minor state charges in exchange for non-prosecution of key associates; this enraged victims and halted a broader federal probe.
  • [18:08] B (Ward): “A lot traces back to that deal. I mean, it's a travesty that the federal investigation was stopped in its tracks and then buried...”

Ward’s Reporting: Suppressed Stories and Personal Cost

• Ward recounts how her 2003 Vanity Fair expose—containing on-the-record allegations from Annie and Maria Farmer—was gutted at the last minute after Epstein pressured her editor.
  • [22:18] B (Ward): “Epstein then sent me... documentation that he claimed disproved what the Farmers said. It didn’t... Then, lo and behold, Jeffrey Epstein appeared in the office of my editor... the final galley suddenly didn’t have [the allegations].”
• Ward’s family feared for their safety after threats. She later wrote in 2015 about being censored; the #MeToo movement and new lawsuits revived media interest.

How Epstein Cultivated the Powerful

• New files detail Epstein’s web of influence:
  • Kept personal, sometimes subtly threatening contact with powerful associates (Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Larry Summers, Jess Staley, etc.)
  • Bill Gates’ involvement examined—Gates’ interest in Epstein revolved around philanthropy but, Ward says, it shows how elites lower their guard once “inside the gate.”
    • [31:04] B (Ward): “The global elite, I mean the real elite... they have gatekeepers. But once you’re through the gate, you’re in and they stop asking questions...”
  • Elon Musk corresponded with Epstein as late as 2014, contradicting public statements about their relationship.
  • Epstein’s global tentacles included attempted leverage of knowledge about world leaders, connections to intelligence circles, and involvement with ex-government officials (Prince Andrew, Peter Mandelson, Ehud Barak, Bill Burns).
    • [34:12] A (Mosley): “This is where the conspiracy theories take root…”

Epstein’s Fortune and Modus Operandi

• Core fortune originated from Les Wexner’s trust; later Leon Black’s payments.
• Epstein exploited the embarrassment of wealthy victims to gain power of attorney and control over assets, learning to prey on their reluctance to involve authorities.
  • [36:32] B (Ward): “[Epstein] would say, give me power of attorney of your money... what he was going to do was something that might not be completely legal. He was going to put money offshore... then basically the implication was... the money’s gone, it is offshore and he is essentially in control.”

Global Accountability vs. U.S. Inertia

• In the UK, Epstein fallout led to resignations and stripping of royal/princely titles; in the U.S., prosecutions remain elusive despite damning evidence.
  • [40:23] B (Ward): “…Good for the Brits for having a legitimate culture of shame, unaccountability... Maybe like everything in this story when it comes to America, it’s taken too long but maybe there’s a drumbeat beginning...”
• Accountability seems limited to resignation of public-facing figures, not robust prosecution or structural reform.

Why the Story Endures

• The case resonates as proof of a “different sort of justice” for the rich and elite, fueling populist anti-‘deep state’ sentiment and universal distrust.
  • [43:21] B (Ward): “The Epstein story confirms that suspicion. It legitimizes this idea that terrible things get hidden up at the highest levels of government and power.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power dynamic of Ghislaine Maxwell:
  • [05:19] Vicki Ward: “There’s no evidence that [Epstein] abused underage girls or trafficked them before he met Ghislaine Maxwell. So her importance is critical on two different levels.”
• On the chilling effect of unredacted victim names:
  • [16:58] Vicki Ward: “That’s a ridiculous thing to say given the carelessness with which they’ve handled this entire rollout... it undermines any notion that they can say with any clear conviction that there should be no further prosecution.”
• On the Vanity Fair reporting experience:
  • [22:18] Vicki Ward: "Jeffrey Epstein appeared in the office of my editor, Graydon Carter... and then the final galley that was going to be published... suddenly didn’t have [the allegations]."
• On why elites continued to associate with Epstein:
  • [31:04] Vicki Ward: “Once you’re through the gate, you’re in and they stop asking questions that they probably otherwise should.”
• On the story’s public fascination:
  • [43:21] Vicki Ward: “The Epstein story is sort of at the heart of all of it. It gives people a reason to totally mistrust the establishment, whatever that establishment looks like in whichever country it is.”

Important Timestamps

• [02:24] – Maxwell’s Fifth Amendment plea and clemency offer
• [05:19] – Maxwell’s pivotal role in Epstein’s crimes
• [11:14] – Trump-Epstein relationship and file mentions
• [13:40] – Leon Black’s $160M to Epstein and questions of complicity
• [15:25] – (Clip) Annie Farmer on DOJ failures and harm to survivors
• [18:08] – 2007 plea deal explained and its impact
• [22:18] – Suppression of reporting at Vanity Fair; personal toll
• [31:04] – Elites, group mentality, and lowered accountability
• [36:32] – How Epstein built his fortune and manipulated the ultra-wealthy
• [40:23] – Comparative accountability: U.K. vs U.S.
• [43:21] – Why the Epstein story endures in global consciousness

Tone and Takeaway

In an urgent and candid discussion, Vicki Ward lays bare the enduring rot at the intersection of power, money, and impunity. She brings both investigative rigor and personal vulnerability to a case that continues to shock and rivet the world. Listeners come away grasping not only the specifics of what’s in (and missing from) the Epstein files, but also why this saga has become a powerful symbol of failed justice and corroded trust in global elites.