TRIGGERnometry Podcast Summary (July 23, 2025)

Episode: Epstein, CIA, Mossad, Trump - Mike Benz

Hosts: Konstantin Kisin & Francis Foster
Guest: Mike Benz
Topic: Deep Dive into Jeffrey Epstein’s Biography, Intelligence Agencies, and the Political Fallout

Episode Overview

The hosts, self-professed skeptics of conspiratorial thinking, invite Mike Benz back to demystify Jeffrey Epstein’s enigmatic life and the persistent rumors of his deep ties to US and international intelligence, and to discuss how these connections reverberate through US political life, including Trump’s presidency. The conversation spans Epstein’s origins, his meteoric rise, his relationships with elite power brokers, and the enduring (and expanding) questions that now surround the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jeffrey Epstein’s Origin Story and Early Career

• Recruitment to Dalton School (03:30): Jeffrey Epstein, a math and physics teacher without a college degree, is hired at the elite Dalton School in the mid-70s by Donald Barr (ex-OSS, father of Bill Barr, ex-Attorney General and CIA lawyer).
• Entry into Finance via Bear Stearns:
  • Epstein tutors Ace Greenberg’s son, impresses Greenberg (then head of Bear Stearns), and quickly ascends the ranks after being dismissed from Dalton.
  • Greenberg follows a “psd: poor, smart, driven to make money” hiring philosophy, explaining Epstein’s initial chance.

“He got this job teaching math and physics without a college degree, which is somewhat unusual. But he was very charming and charismatic... and when Epstein got fired from the Dalton School, Ace Greenberg gave him a chance at Bear Stearns.”
— Mike Benz [03:30]

2. Epstein’s Links to US and International Intelligence

• Geopolitical Landscape & the Safari Club (07:00–09:40):
  • In the wake of post-Watergate reforms, the CIA’s powers are clipped. Intelligence agencies rely on informal networks (the Safari Club—French, Egyptian, Moroccan, Israeli, US intelligence, etc.), arms dealers, and financiers.
• Epstein’s Financial Vehicle – Intercontinental Assets Group (IAG) (13:20):
  • Epstein launches IAG, offering asset protection and recovery for high-net-worth individuals and governments—essentially, discreet, creative offshore money management.
  • Claims Adnan Khashoggi (top global arms dealer, Saudi royal connection, Iran-Contra middleman) as a marquee client. When Epstein’s property is raided, a fake passport with a Saudi address is found (issued in the early ‘80s), corroborating this connection.
• Iran-Contra Overlay (14:00–20:00):
  • Detailed rundown of how covert US arms deals with Iran, laundered cash, and deals with regimes, often routed through CIA proprietary airlines (Southern Air Transport) and money laundering outposts in the US Virgin Islands (where Epstein would later own Little St. James).

“At the time, Jeffrey Epstein was claiming that Adnan Khashoggi was one of his marquee clients... when Jeffrey Epstein’s safe was raided... they found a fake passport... listed as Saudi Arabia...”
— Mike Benz [16:00]

• Speculation of Direct Involvement (22:16):
  • Was Epstein simply a money mover or deeper in? The record’s unclear outside documented asset management and financial facilitation for figures like Khashoggi.

3. Epstein’s Rise through Elite Circles

• Towers Financial Scandal (25:00):
  • After Iran-Contra, Epstein is connected by ex-Attorney General John Mitchell to arms dealer Doug Lees, landing inside the Towers Financial Ponzi scheme. Epstein avoids prosecution.
• Alliance with Les Wexner (The Limited) (28:00):
  • Epstein is granted durable power of attorney over Wexner (then head of the US’s largest retail chain). This unprecedented arrangement sparks speculation that plausible deniability or legal shielding for illicit dealings might have been the motivation.

"There's very few reasons to do [grant durable power of attorney], other than... plausible deniability... if someone was involved in an illegal weapons purchase or... business fraud, that it would be your, the person who executed the contract who would be legally liable"
— Mike Benz [34:00]

• Connection through Ghislaine Maxwell:
  • Around 1991, Ghislaine enters Epstein’s inner circle. Her father, Robert Maxwell, famed media magnate and early supporter of Israeli intelligence, receives a state funeral with top Israeli dignitaries present—“so much smoke” regarding Mossad ties.

4. Epstein, Mossad, and US-Israel Ties

• Robert Maxwell’s Mossad Connections (31:45–32:30):
  • Established gun-running and Zionist movement activity—family and professional ties parallel Epstein’s own trajectory.
• Epstein’s Relationship with Ehud Barak (ex-IDF, ex-Prime Minister of Israel) (33:50):
  • Barak met with Epstein “over 40 times” and invested in Israeli surveillance companies with him—demonstrating ongoing, high-level Israeli security ties.
• Epstein’s Clinton Era and Philanthropy Phase:
  • 17 documented White House visits under Bill Clinton (late ‘90s), with later public collaborations including the Clinton Foundation and Global Initiative. His attorney later claims Epstein “pitched the idea” for the Clinton Global Initiative.

5. CIA Proprietary Logistics & Money Movement

• Southern Air Transport Moves to Columbus, Ohio (Epstein/Wexner Base) (39:07):
  • After Iran-Contra, the CIA moves this proprietary airline from Miami to Columbus to serve “The Limited”—the exact conglomerate where Epstein has financial control.
  • Coincidence, bureaucratic necessity, or covert operation? The episode draws parallels to gun-dealing “cover” businesses in later scandals.

6. Epstein’s 2006–2008 Prosecution, the “Sweetheart Deal,” & Intelligence Questions

• Federal Indictment & Controversial Plea Deal (54:08–60:18):
  • Massive federal case (60 indictments, 82 pages) is watered down after intervention by Alex Acosta (then Miami US Attorney, later Trump’s Secretary of Labor), who halts the arrest, personally negotiates, and strikes an exceptionally lenient deal (local charges, brief “custody,” walk-out privileges).
  • 2019: Journalist Vicky Ward breaks the story that Acosta told Trump’s transition he was told to “back off” Epstein: “Epstein belonged to intelligence and to leave it alone because it was above his pay grade.”
  • Public questioning of Acosta yields evasive non-answers:

    “I am not allowed to answer that question because of ethics rules... But I can neither confirm nor deny.”
    — Mike Benz, quoting/recapping Acosta [61:12]

  • The Justice Department’s long-awaited 2020 report merely quotes Acosta: “The answer is no,” but leaves the context and exact questioning fuzzy and unpublished.

7. Trump, the MAGA Base, and Political Calculus

• Epstein Ties Ripple through Trump World (75:36–81:54):
  • Trump leverages Epstein–Clinton associations as a weapon in 2015 (“Bill Clinton, nice guy, but I think he’s gonna have a little problem with a little guy named Jeffrey Epstein and his famous island…” [72:11]).
  • Subsequent revelations implicate donors, friends, and logistics—providing context for Trump’s cautious approach.
  • Discussion of Elon Musk’s tweet alleging the “Trump connection” is why the client list won’t be released—Benz denies criminal involvement by Trump but lists repeated, deep social/professional overlaps (Trump bought Khashoggi’s yacht, multiple flights with Epstein, donor connections).
  • MAGA is split: base wants disclosure as “drain the swamp” fulfillment; establishment resists, fearing reputational and operational blowback.

8. Media, Disclosure, and The Need for Transparency

• Why is the story still unresolved?
  • Benz highlights bureaucratic obstacles, but insists the Acosta/OPR transcript—the Department of Justice’s notes and interview with Acosta about intelligence ties—can and should be released immediately.
• The Stakes:
  • Without official accounting, conspiracy fills the vacuum, feeding MAGA skepticism and undermining voter motivation.

“People are going to invent their own Epstein story unless there’s an official one. And the only people who can provide the official one are the people we just elected... who ran on giving us the official story...”
— Mike Benz [107:52]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "How is this guy bouncing from one insane opportunity to the next... without an education, etc.?"
  — Host 1 (Konstantin) expressing mainstream incredulity [28:58]

• “Surely, like, this is CIA, isn’t it?”
  — Host 2 (Francis), stating what many listeners are thinking [38:28]

• "When you look at the state funeral [for Robert Maxwell]... all the senior heads of state, I mean essentially Robert Maxwell was a guy who... has done more for the state of Israel than can, than the story can presently be told."
  — Mike Benz on Maxwell–Mossad connections [32:01]

• "I think that the levels of association [to Epstein] are deeper than what the Trump White House wants to let on. But there’s so much that’s come out publicly that it’s hard to make this go away."
  — Mike Benz [88:05]

• "You can’t get any more fucking swamp than this, can you?"
  — Host 2 (Francis), on why the Epstein story is uniquely toxic [103:34]

• "If you had the Internet come up with its own answers, they're going to come up with something... extremely wild... The best thing [the Trump admin] can do is come clean and rip the band-aid off, tell us exactly who Jeffrey Epstein was."
  — Mike Benz [107:52]

Important Timestamps

• Epstein’s origins and Bear Stearns: 03:30–09:40
• CIA operational workaround / Safari Club: 09:56–14:00
• Iran-Contra/Khashoggi network: 14:00–22:16
• Speculation on Epstein’s specific intelligence involvement: 22:16, 25:01, 29:30
• Les Wexner connection & power of attorney: 28:58–34:00
• Robert Maxwell/Mossad/Israel: 31:45–33:50
• Ehud Barak/Clinton/Statecraft: 33:50–38:28
• Southern Air Transport & CIA logistics: 39:07–49:48
• 2006 prosecution / Sweetheart plea deal: 54:08–60:18
• Acosta’s “told to back off, Epstein belonged to intelligence” revelation: 60:18–62:23
• Trump’s base and the disclosure dilemma: 75:36–81:54
• Discussion of Wall Street Journal/Trump letter: 88:51–91:12
• Final plea for OPR/Acosta transcript disclosure: 110:24–112:14

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Epstein’s story is inseparable from intelligence and power: Each major turn in his life intersects with covert action, statecraft, or elite networking—US, Israeli, British, and Saudi intelligence interests entwined with financial dealings and political influence.
• The legal and political system’s opacity: Despite widespread public interest and campaign promises, key documents (like the Acosta transcript) remain sealed—fueling speculation and mistrust.
• Transparency is urgently needed: As Benz emphasizes, only robust, official disclosure can stanch the spread of conspiracy and restore some credibility—otherwise, “the internet will invent its own story, and it’ll only look worse with every year that passes.”

Most Pressing Unanswered Question

• What is in the Office of Professional Responsibility’s transcript of Acosta’s interview?
  • Benz urges Attorney General Pam Bondi to retrieve and release this document, seeing it as the “easiest and most direct way” to begin setting the record straight.

For listeners seeking to understand the blurred lines between private power, intelligence operations, and American political intrigue, this episode provides both a whirlwind history and a clarion call for public accountability.

End of Summary