Podcast
The Epstein Files Book Club
Hosted by Elise Hu and Jena Friedman · EN
A show where comedian Jena Friedman and journalist Elise Hu break down the latest revelations from the trove of documents released about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his sprawling network of powerful people. We're trying to understand what’s real, what’s not and what we can do about it.
24episodes
Episodes
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Systematic Abuse At Scale with Lucia Osborne-Crowley
1w ago00:46:23Tap to summarizeHow should we think about the women who helped Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network expand? Survivors of his abuse say Epstein's executive assistants Leslie Groff and Sarah Kellen worked alongside convicted sex offender Ghislane Maxwell to make it possible to victimize some 1,200 girls and women. Journalist Lucia Osborne-Crowley, who wrote the book on the Maxwell trial, joins Elise and Jena to discuss. Mentioned in this episode CNN: Epstein’s longtime assistant accused three previously unknown abusers The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislane Maxwell, by Lucia Osborne-Crowley Snopes: DJT Jr’s new wife was Epstein’s banker NBC News: Thomas Massie on Meet the Press NBC News: Police urge victims to come forward in Andrew Windsor investigation Santa Fe New Mexican: 911 Logs from Zorro Ranch Up North Live: Interlochen Demolishes Epstein Lodge Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Prison Pals and The Final Hours
2w ago00:29:37Tap to summarizeThis week, lawmakers questioned one of the last people to see Jeffrey Epstein alive, correctional officer Tova Noel. Elise and Jena explore the final weeks of Epstein's life and the unanswered questions about his death by doing the reading on Noel and Efrain Reyes, Epstein's final cellmate, who was removed from the cell fewer than 24 hours before Epstein was found dead. Mentioned in this episode: Thomas Massie’s concession speech The Hill: Greene on Massie defeat Forbes: Elizabeth Warren introduces amendment for Epstein bank records The Institute for Primary Facts WLNS: Michigan lawmakers demand Interlochen resolution NPR: How Epstein and Maxwell used a Midwest arts school to prey on girls DW: New Epstein Victims Turn Up in French Probe NY Post: Prison guard googled him minutes before body found Miami Herald: Prison guards discussed cover-up of Epstein’s death, inmate tells FBI CNN: Jeffrey Epstein's Final Hours, A Detailed Timeline Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com To sponsor or run ads on the show, email amanda@multitudeshows.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Eight Tons of Epstein Files
3w ago00:30:47Tap to summarizeFor a limited time only, all 3.5 million law enforcement documents related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein are on display at a pop-up reading room in New York. David Garrett, one of the exhibition’s organizers, joins Elise and Jena to explain the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room, the motivation behind the exhibition, and the scale that can be conveyed by printing and binding eight tons of files. Mentioned in the episode YouTube: House Oversight Dems hearing in Florida NPR: Howard Lutnick is Questioned The Guardian: Virginia Giuffre wins British book prize with Sarah Wynn-Williams The New Republic: Epstein Friend Who Had “Great Time With Girls” At Trump Event Time: The Pentagon just released the UFO files The Institute for Primary Facts Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Secrets Near Santa Fe with Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
May 800:39:13Tap to summarizeWe had more questions about Zorro Ranch, so New Mexico-based journalist Alisa Valdes Rodriguez joins the show to give us the lowdown on why investigators never seemed to look too closely at Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell’s Western outpost. Also, a lot of Epstein-related headlines this week as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced Congressional questioning, and the House Oversight Chair didn’t rule out a pardon for convicted child sex trafficker Maxwell. Mentioned in this Episode NPR: Howard Lutnick is Questioned The Hill: Pam Bondi to Testify Miami Herald: Pulitzer Prizes Honor Julie K. Brown Pulitzer Citation of Julie K Brown CNN: Ghislane Maxwell’s guilty convictions Politico: House Oversight interview of Ted Waitt IBT: Bard College President Steps Down The Pugilist with Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, on Substack New Mexico DOJ: Zorro Ranch and Jeffrey Epstein investigation Reuters: Local survivors come forward in New Mexico Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: Are Dentists Scamming Us? Cross-Post From No Such Thing
May 600:15:52Tap to summarizeElise and Jena will be sharing their Epstein reading as usual this Friday, but while you wait, we have a feed drop of another show you might like: NO SUCH THING is a show where three best friends and journalists settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research. In today's edition, they ask: Are dentists scamming us? It happens to be an interest of EFBC's, as well, given Epstein's girlfriend at the time of his death, Karyna Shuliak, is a certified dentist in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And New Mexico. hWVoFNlQBaZlt91vNxXS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Dude Ranch and Gates Keepers
May 100:34:45Tap to summarizeThis week, Jena and Elise each select a part of the sprawling Epstein network to do a little further reading. Jena explains what we know about Epstein’s former property in New Mexico, Zorro Ranch. Elise breaks down the connections between Bill Gates and Epstein, as well as The Gates Foundation and Epstein. Mentioned in this episode: CBS: 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump Click on Detroit: Ford worker calls Trump a pedophile protector The Independent: Abuse of boys on Zorro Ranch Mitch the Lawyer Substack: Katie Phang partners with former federal prosecutor Carrie Johnson episode of EFBC USA Today: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted again NYT: Maurene Comey suing the administration Time: New Investigation Launched into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch New Mexico House Resolution 1 (which authorized the ranch investigation) DOJ: Anonymous email detailing “two foreign girls” deaths 60 Minutes Australia Chauntae Davies interview Texas Tribune: Huffines buys Zorro Ranch in 2023 NM DOJ statement on Zorro ranch investigation Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez Substack NPR: Melinda Gates reacts to Bill Gates details in files Fortune Magazine: Playing with Fire - How Epstein Bankrolled Gates’ Mistress NYT: How Jeffrey Epstein Ingratiated Himself With Top Microsoft Executives Vanity Fair: Jeffrey Epstein’s Longtime Grip on the Gates Foundation BBC: Norway police investigate diplomat over Jeffrey Epstein links Rep Maxwell Frost episode of EFBCJoin our Patreon at patreon.com/epsteinfilesbookclub where we have a running chat with the community and video episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Oversight Needs Oversight with Rep. Maxwell Frost
Apr 2400:40:39Tap to summarizeHouse Oversight Committee member Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-FL, joins the show to explain why (and who is responsible for) the holdup in getting former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about her handling of the Epstein files, what the public could do to help the investigations move forward, and the vision he has for justice when it comes to this sprawling scandal. The Daily Beast: Warren Grills Trump’s Fed Pick The CoverUp: Amanda Ungaro interview Scripps News: High profile figures set to testify on Epstein files Reuters: Giuffre Family Still Seeks Justice A Year After Her Death WSJ: Gates Foundation to Cut 20% of Staff Representative Maxwell Frost Oversight Chair James Comer Frost post on Reddit: What files have you found that I should review? Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Flings of Leon Black
Apr 1700:42:14Tap to summarizeAfter multi-billionaire Les Wexner cut him off, multi-billionaire Leon Black became pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s primary source of income from 2012 and on. In this episode, William Cohan — who is writing the book on Leon Black and his firm, Apollo Global Management — explains what Black was keeping Epstein around for, and all the fallout that ensued. Mentioned in this Episode Puck: Leon Black Discusses Jeffrey Epstein The New York Times: How Epstein Helped Solve a Billionaire’s Problems with Women Report on Apollo’s Outside Review of the Epstein-Black Relationship Bloomberg: Nobody Makes Money Like Apollo’s Ruthless Founder Leon Black FT: Leon Black’s Downfall Confounds the Legacy of MeToo on Wall Street Puck: Leon Black from the Ashes, Part II Puck: Leon Black Breaks His Silence on Jeffrey Epstein, Again Mother Jones: Leon Black’s No Good, Very Bad Year (covers Guzel Ganieva) The Guardian on Wigdor LLC's suit against Leon Black NYT: Jeffrey Epstein’s Angry Emails to Leon Black Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →The Melania Presser No One Asked For
Apr 1300:25:56Tap to summarizeThe US first lady’s unexpected White House statement denying substantive ties to Jeffrey Epstein took everybody – including Trump – by surprise. What was behind it? The timing coincides with a series of posts from her friend and former Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro, who was deported during a bitter custody fight last year and now vowing to “take down” Melania and her “pedophile husband.” This one’s a doozy, we'll explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Better Call ... Todd Blanche?
Apr 1000:42:31Tap to summarizePam Bondi is out as attorney general — and her 14-month tenure makes her the shortest timer as the nation's top lawyer since Watergate. To put it all into context, NPR’s Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson joins Elise and Jena to discuss what’s next for the so-called “Justice” Department when it comes to the Epstein-related investigations under acting AG Todd Blanche. They discuss Bondi’s biggest missteps with the Epstein files, what’s next for DOJ, and what avenues might exist for the growing chorus of Americans who don’t want the misdeeds of the billionaire class to be shoved under the rug. Mentioned in this Episode NPR's Carrie Johnson NPR: Trump Removes Bondi as Attorney General Time: Bondi Won't Appear Before House Oversight Fox News: Todd Blanche on the Epstein Files DOJ: Dr. Larry Nassar's abuse investigation Time: EPA Head Lee Zeldin as potential AG NYMag: Judge Jeanine Pirro as potential AG Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookClub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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