From Donor Lodge to Demolition Site: Interlochen’s Epstein Problem (5/28/26) - The Epstein Chronicles

Summary5 min read

Episode Summary: "From Donor Lodge to Demolition Site: Interlochen’s Epstein Problem"

Podcast: The Epstein Chronicles
Host: Bobby Capucci
Date: May 28, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Bobby Capucci delves into Jeffrey Epstein's lesser-known ties to the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan—an elite arts camp and academy. The episode unpacks the recent decision by Interlochen to demolish a lodge that Epstein had donated and frequented, examines the implications of his association with educational institutions, and scrutinizes the institution's handling (or lack thereof) of abuse allegations tied to Epstein’s time there. Capucci discusses newly released Department of Justice documents, institutional accountability, and the broader patterns of elite cover-up surrounding Epstein’s crimes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Epstein’s Ties to Academia and Interlochen (00:45–03:28)

Epstein’s well-documented links to prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Columbia) also extended to arts education via Interlochen.
Capucci on Interlochen:
“Epstein also had access to places like Interlochen, which is a center for the arts in Michigan, and the lodge there, well, that lodge was donated by none other than Jeffrey Epstein. And if that's not bad enough, he had access to that lodge for multiple weeks a year.” (00:50)
The lodge, initially named after Epstein, funded student scholarships but its existence (and renaming to Green Lake Lodge) became a focal point after Epstein's crimes emerged.
Capucci criticizes the school for not acting sooner to sever its public association with Epstein:
“Interlochen should have got rid of this lodge…But they waited until now when the pressure was really on, and finally they're going to do the right thing and get rid of it.” (01:28)

Institutional Responses & Accountability (03:29–06:04)

Interlochen conducted internal reviews in both 2009 and 2019 post-Epstein’s legal troubles; both reviews claimed to find no reports of on-campus misconduct.
Capucci expresses deep skepticism of internal investigations:
“Nothing like an internal review. Let us investigate ourselves because that always works out great. That never ends in disaster.” (05:34)
The host points out the performative aspects of recent actions, suggesting that the demolition of the lodge, though symbolically powerful, is years too late and doesn’t erase the original negligence.

Documented Abuse & DOJ Revelations (06:10–09:17)

Newly released DOJ files connect Epstein's first known victim to Interlochen, indicating that the abuse began when the girl was 13 at the camp.
Capucci’s astonishment:
“Wait a minute. I was told that Jeffrey Epstein wasn't abusing anybody that was 13…Isn't that what Alan Dershowitz told us?...Oh, they were wrong or they were lying. I'll let you decide.” (07:24)
According to documents, the victim met Epstein and Maxwell while alone on a bench at Interlochen; she was later abused for years.
Capucci sharply criticizes both the camp and public figures who have downplayed or denied the extent of Epstein’s crimes:
“Imagine sending your kid to some art camp at 13 years old and Maxwell and Epstein are there. I can't imagine a much more horrific situation for a kid to be in. And in my opinion, Interlochen shares a whole lot of that blame.” (08:23)

Broader Implications: Elites, Disinformation, and Public Trust (09:18–12:31)

Capucci calls out political figures, the media, and institutions for perpetuating disinformation and minimizing accountability.
On public narratives and gaslighting:
“The same people that'll tell you that this is a hoax are also the same people that are running around telling you how transparent…the administration is and that you should believe them and not your own eyes.” (09:52)
He expresses frustration at the persistent dismissal of evidence, suggesting there’s a deliberate cover-up by elites of all affiliations and that bipartisan distrust is warranted.
- “Don’t be fooled, don’t be dog walked by these people and don’t think they care about you. None of them do...as long as all of us are fighting and arguing all the time, then they're never going to be held accountable. And that of course is part of the plan.” (11:00–11:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the symbolism of demolishing the lodge:
“I know it's kind of performative...It's not the building's fault itself, but it's the message that it sends. And I think tearing it down also sends a message. And that message is this is no longer in the shadows. We know it, you know it, everyone knows it.” (02:15)
On institutional responsibility:
“If I'm sending my kid to your campus, I expect at least some form of safety, right? At the very least, I expect you to keep them away from diddlers.” (08:29)
On the DOJ victim’s resilience:
“Despite that, the files say the victim has persevered and survived to tell her story, to hold her perpetrators accountable, and to seek justice. And that's exactly what she did at the Maxwell trial when her testimony helped send Glenn Maxwell to prison for 20 years.” (10:12)
On elite cover-ups:
“This whole ass thing is a giant cover up. And anybody telling you to move on, well, they're a part of that cover up.” (12:05)

Important Timestamps

00:45 — Bobby introduces Epstein’s connection to Interlochen and the lodge
02:15 — Significance of demolishing the lodge and institutional messaging
03:29 — Statement from Interlochen, discussion of internal reviews and policy changes
05:34 — Capucci mocks effectiveness of internal investigations
06:10 — DOJ documents: first victim’s abuse began at Interlochen at age 13
07:24 — Debunking public minimization of Epstein’s crimes
08:23–08:29 — Parental expectations of safety; Interlochen’s failures
09:52 — Critique of public narrative and media gaslighting
11:00–11:35 — Analysis of institutional and political motivations to cover up

Conclusion

Bobby Capucci’s episode forcefully examines how elite institutions like Interlochen failed to protect children and only acted appropriately when public pressure peaked—years after the fact. Drawing on fresh DOJ files, he underscores the real, documented harm done to Epstein’s victims and scorches the evasions and denials still heard in public discourse. Through his direct, skeptical tone, Capucci encourages listeners not to trust powerful interests or accept offered narratives at face value.

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Transcript7 lines

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[00:45]
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What's up everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. Jeffrey Epstein had a lot of ties to academia, and most of those ties had to do with higher learning, whether it was Harvard, whether it was Yale, Columbia, you name it. But Epstein also had access to places like Interlochen, which is a center for the arts in Michigan, and the lodge there, well, that lodge was donated by none other than Jeffrey Epstein. And if that's not bad enough, he had access to that lodge for multiple weeks a year. Now, that said, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Epstein was up there and using that as a, you know, fertile hunting ground for a lot of the girls that he was abusing. But the fact that he had that lodge there and the access alone certainly opens up the conversation about who and how many people were abused up in Michigan and when all of this stuff first started coming out seven years ago. That's when Interlocan should have got rid of this lodge. But they waited until now when the pressure was really on, and finally they're going to do the right thing and get rid of it. You want to put another lodge up? Cool. Do that. But anything that's been corroded by this scumbag should be destroyed and scattered in the wind. I'm sure there's another donor somewhere that would love to build the new lodge. Today's article is from 12 News, ABC and the headline, interloken to Demolish Lodge tied to Jeffrey Epstein. This article was authored by Lisa Giles. Interlochen center for the Arts is moving forward with a plan to demolish Green Lake Lodge, which was funded by Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein attended Interlochen in the summer of 1967 and was a donor to Interlocan center for the Arts from 1990 to 2003. The cabin originally named the Epstein Lodge, was owned by Interlocken, and money from renting the lodge benefited scholarships for students at the camp. And look I'm not saying that there shouldn't be a lodge. There most certainly should, but somebody else should build it. I'm pretty sure every parent in the country that's not named Dubin would want their kid at a camp or a lodge that was funded in any way whatsoever by Jeffrey Epstein. The Interlocan Board of Trustees recently approved a plan to remove the building. The cabin named after Epstein was renamed Green Lake Lodge. Officials with Interlocan posted the following statement on the Fine Arts camp website and look, it's the right move. And I know it's kind of performative. I get that it's not the building's fault itself, but it's the message that it sends. And I think tearing it down also sends a message. And that message is this is no longer in the shadows. We know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Jeffrey Epstein attended Interloken Arts Camp in the summer of 1967. He was a donor to Interlocan for the Arts from 1990 to 2003. In 2009, when Interlochen learned of his first criminal conviction from 2008, the administration conducted an internal review of our records, removed any recognition of Epstein as a donor from our campus, which included renaming the Green Lake Lodge, and importantly, cut all ties with him. When Epstein was arrested again in 2019 and Interlocken conducted a second internal review, both reviews found no reports of misconduct at Interloken involving Epstein in our records. Well, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. How many times have we seen people not reported? How many times have people decided that coming forward isn't going to help them? So I don't really go by what the records say because I don't think that those records tell the whole story. While the internal review focused on whether any concerns had been reported or known to Interlocan, we are aware of information that has emerged publicly by two individuals who share that they met Epstein through interlokin in the 1990s. We have invited the individuals who may have been impacted by Epstein to speak with an independent investigator as part of an external investigation into reports of historical misconduct at Interlocan Arts Academy. Nothing like an internal review. Let us investigate ourselves because that always works out great. That never ends in disaster. That never advances the COVID up. We have fully cooperated with requests from the government agencies, and many of the files recently released by the U.S. department of justice were documents we previously provided to the authorities. Well, after we let Jeffrey Epstein have a lodge on our campus, after we were put on blast, after people started looking into Us? Yeah, of course. It's like somebody like Bryan Coburger finding God behind bars. Here's an idea, dumbass. Find God before you murder people. The Interlocan Board of Trustees has approved the plan to raise Green Lake Lodge. The lodge has, over time, come to carry associations that are not reflective of who we are as an institution or the values we strive to uphold. After careful consideration, the board determined that removing this structure in a safe and timely manner is the right step for interlocutor. At this time, the safety and well being of our students will always be our highest priority. We currently have a wide range of measures in place to provide a safe and supportive environment for all students. We routinely review our policies and procedures related to the protection of minors and campus safety to continue to evolve to ensure we remain current with effective practices. A little too late for my liking. Where were all of these internal guidelines previously? And again, let's not act like they didn't know what Epstein was up to. Everybody knew. At the very least suspected. And now it's one thing if you're some kind of scumbag banker. It's a whole ass other thing if you represent a school and then you're associating with Epstein. Yeah, I got a problem with that. Classified files connected to Jeffrey Epstein were released in December of 2025 by the Department of Justice and provided new insight on the ties Epstein had to Northern Michigan. It was at the music camp that Epstein met his first victim, a 13 year old student. According to the DOJ. Wait a minute. I was told that Jeffrey Epstein wasn't abusing anybody that was 13. I thought it was one 17 year old girl who was a week away from being 18. Isn't that what Alan Dershowitz told us? Isn't that what that Michael Tracy clown told us? Oh, they were wrong or they were lying. I'll let you decide. According to the court documents that are now public, Epstein and Maxwell met their first victim after a summer camp located in grand traverse county in 1994. The girl, who was originally from California, met the sex offenders at Interlocan Arts Camp when she was 13 years old. Imagine sending your kid to some art camp at 13 years old and Maxwell and Epstein are there. I can't imagine a much more horrific situation for a kid to be in. And in my opinion, Interlocan shares a whole lot of that blame. If I'm sending my kid to your campus, I expect at least some form of safety, right? At the very least, I expect you to keep them away from diddlers.
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[09:18]
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The documents say that the victim was on a bench alone when she was approached by them bragging about giving scholarships to young kids in the arts. The documents say the girl was subsequently abused by Epstein and Maxwell for years as a young girl suffering physical and psychological trauma and distress. Well, which is it? Did that happen or didn't it happen? Because according to Donald Trump and his buddies, it's all a hoax. And boy, I've never seen a hoax with this much evidence. Pretty wild. The same people that'll tell you that this is a hoax are also the same people that are running around telling you how transparent that the administration is and that you should believe them and not your own eyes. Despite that, the files say the victim has preserved and survived to tell her story, to hold her perpetrators accountable, and to seek justice. And that's exactly what she did at the Maxwell trial when her testimony helped send Glenn Maxwell to prison for 20 years. But I guess she was lying. I guess it was all just a big joke and a big hoax. Meanwhile, we have documents coming in on a daily basis that absolutely destroy that narrative. Literally destroy it. And there's still people out here that are buying the that it's all made up, it's all a hoax, and that everybody should just ignore all the evidence pointing in a different direction. But no matter what the evidence says, they're going to continue to gaslight you. They're going to tell you that it's all bs, that this is over and done with, and that it's time to move on. Like that editorial in the New York Post. Talk about a bunch of nonsense. Like Thomas Massie is the be all end all of what's going on with Epstein. In my opinion, Thomas Massie was just a useful tool. That's it. Nothing more. Open the door. I don't trust any of these politicians. I don't know how many more times I have to say it. Like, if people want to get out here and trust these people and you know, swoon and faint when they come into a room, hey, go for it. I'm not telling anybody how to live their lives. But what I will tell you is this. Don't be fooled, don't be dog walked by these people and don't think they care about you. None of them do. And it doesn't matter if it's Republican or Democrat, they all despise you. The only time you matter is when it's election season. Besides that, you can go get screwed. They don't care one way or the other. And as long as all of us are fighting and arguing all the time, then they're never going to be held accountable. And that of course is part of the plan. And that's why they flooded the Zone with a lot of disinformation in the Epstein files to try and make the whole thing look like a bunch of bs. And unfortunately they've been pretty successful. There's a lot of people out there that totally buy the narrative that's been spun by Donald Trump and his friends. And at this point, I don't think any evidence whatsoever is going to change their minds. But them ignoring reality doesn't change reality. And the reality is this whole ass thing is a giant cover up. And anybody telling you to move on, well, they're a part of that cover up. All the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.
[12:32]
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