2 months ago
A unfortunate of Jeffrey Epstein who had erstwhile interactions pinch Leon Botstein said she believed nan Bard College president, whose narration pinch nan precocious activity offender is presently nether review, was portion of a group of influential and accomplished men whose proximity to Epstein helped to rehabilitate his reputation.
Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a erstwhile Russian exemplary who worked arsenic a “staffer” for Epstein, told nan Guardian successful an question and reply that she saw Botstein pinch Epstein together “quite frequently” – including having flown pinch him connected a travel to Epstein’s land successful December 2012 – and that she believed his estimation arsenic a “sophisticated intellectual” helped “legitimize” Epstein.
Pozhidaeva first disclosed immoderate specifications astir her maltreatment anonymously successful a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article published successful 2023, successful which she alleged Epstein controlled her immigration, finances and housing, and – arsenic is communal successful trafficking cases – pressured her to present him to different models. Over nan people of a decade, she was 1 of respective women Epstein sexually exploited nether nan guise of nan “assistant” role, nan WSJ noted.
“When you meet group for illustration this, you think, who americium I to mobility JE and his behaviour erstwhile group astatine that level shingle his hand?” Pozhidaeva said, referring to Epstein by his initials.
Pozhidaeva said she was treated pinch respect by Botstein, who is simply a musician arsenic good arsenic nan assemblage president. “They seemed to get on beautiful well. Jeffrey Epstein looked astatine Leon arsenic personification who was very knowledgeable, and had a batch of respect for him. He would cognize immoderate of nan astir bizarre random humanities facts and made nan belief of a blase intellectual,” she recalled. Being astir group who were “high level professionals” – group for illustration Botstein and moreover much so, a personification pinch nan position of Bill Gates – made Epstein “look not arsenic bad”, she said.
Botstein’s interactions and narration pinch Epstein, who died successful situation successful 2019 while facing charges of activity trafficking, are now nan taxable of an “independent” reappraisal by WilmerHale, nan white-shoe rule firm. In an announcement successful February, Bard’s committee of trustees said it had appointed nan rule firm to reappraisal nan afloat scope of Botstein’s communications pinch Epstein, financial contributions connected to Epstein, and “any related matters applicable to knowing these issues fully”.
The existent contention has group disconnected a broader information of Botstein’s much than 50-year tenure arsenic president of Bard, including previous comments astir intersexual politics successful education, his views astir girls and women, including nan domiciled menstruation plays successful their development, and nan college’s handling of sexual battle and harassment allegations.
The Guardian sent a database of questions to Botstein’s Bard email address.
Jennifer Strodl, Bard’s head of communications, said successful a connection successful consequence to nan questions that Botstein “fully supports nan Board’s determination to prosecute an independent reappraisal of this matter and will refrain from commenting further while this process is underway”. She added: “As nan President has said previously, it is heartbreaking to deliberation that his fundraising interactions unwittingly brought him into interaction pinch immoderate victims. He ne'er witnessed thing inappropriate nor did he person immoderate visibility into Epstein’s monstrous crimes.”
The reappraisal of Botstein’s narration pinch Epstein is apt to see an introspection of nan president’s 2012 travel to Epstein’s island, Little St James.
In a property connection successful February, a Bard spokesperson said Botstein had traveled pinch billionaire financier Leon Black and his family for a little fundraising improvement trip, and that nan Blacks had hosted Botstein and guests including Epstein for a meal connected nan Black family boat.
Correspondence betwixt Epstein and Botstein’s assistants, which were included successful nan merchandise of Epstein files successful February, item logistical readying up of nan trip, including whether Botstein would beryllium walking unsocial to “Jeffrey’s island”. In 1 email, Botstein’s adjunct is told by Epstein’s adjunct he would not only beryllium joined by Black and his family, but “another friend of Jeffrey’s”. It is simply a reference to Pozhidaeva, who was connected that flight, she confirmed to nan Guardian, though her sanction is redacted.
In different email, Botstein’s adjunct asked really “Leon” would get to Epstein’s location from Black’s boat, anchored nearby, to which Epstein’s adjunct replies “via boat”.
When antecedently asked astir nan trip, a Botstein spokesperson told a newsman astatine WAMC, nan power outlet: “President Botstein came down pinch a terrible flu connected nan trip, kept to himself aft dinner, and isolated himself successful a resort-style bungalow overnight.”
The trip, Botstein’s spokesperson noted, had resulted successful a one-time publication from nan Black family to Bard. Botstein’s spokesman, David Wade, told nan New York Times Botstein had stayed successful a bungalow that night, but could not retrieve if it was connected Epstein’s island.
In her question and reply pinch nan Guardian, Pozhidaeva said she had nary representation of Botstein being sick aliases isolating himself. If he had been ill, Pozhidaeva said she would person been told to isolate excessively since she had traveled pinch Botstein, because Epstein was “paranoid” astir illness. She had nary recollection of being told to do so.
Other emails raise questions astir Botstein’s declare of having been isolated that night. Before his departure, a personification whose sanction is redacted – Pozhidaeva said it was not her – sent Epstein an email, pinch an evident mobility astir nan logistics involving Botstein’s recreation home.
“Brice mentioned Leon should beryllium astatine nan dock by 12:45 to beryllium taken to nan airport…Unless you would for illustration he takes nan chopper … He is truthful nice! Such a awesome person. (We watched Casablanca!) I dream you’re having bully dreams,” nan personification wrote.
Then, successful an email sent nan time aft nan visit, Botstein thanked Epstein, without immoderate reference to his having been ill. He wrote: “I had a awesome time. The spot is great.”
Botstein did not respond to nan Guardian’s questions astir nan “Casablanca” email.
Emails show Epstein reached retired to Botstein successful May 2014 to inquire astir sending Pozhidaeva connected a circuit of Smolny, a Russian assemblage pinch a dual in installments programme pinch Bard. Botstein responded by sharing nan names of 4 module members, who Botstein later said he would interaction to stock Pozhidaeva’s name. He later warned Epstein that immoderate backing of Smolny should beryllium routed done Bard “for reasons of information and protection against corruption”.
In a later email, successful which her sanction was redacted, Pozhidaeva seemed confused astir her task: she asked Epstein really she should spell astir deciding whether nan spot is worthy funding, and what to money if it is. In a reference to Botstein’s email – which had been forwarded to her – she asked Epstein whether she should opportunity she worked for a “private investor”. “Yes”, Epstein replied. It is unclear whether Epstein ended up backing Smolny, really it whitethorn person been orchestrated, aliases what nan backing whitethorn person been for. The Russian authorities declared Bard “undesirable” successful 2021, efficaciously ending nan college’s dual in installments Russian program.
In her caller question and reply pinch nan Guardian, Pozhidaeva said she did not cognize nan intent of her meetings astatine Smolny. But Epstein did not enactment connected things without having an ulterior motive, she said, and that usually progressive ensnaring different victims. Most of nan women who served arsenic his staff, and who he abused, were eastbound European aliases Russian, she added.
Emails show, and Pozhidaeva confirmed, Botstein would later meet her parents and nan parents of different personification – a female whose sanction was redacted – while connected a travel to Russia successful April 2015, pursuing a performance successful Moscow. The parents were invited aft Epstein’s adjunct passed connected a petition to Botstein’s adjunct for tickets to beryllium arranged. When he arrived backmost from Moscow, Botstein followed up connected 11 April 2015, saying “Back from Russia. Met nan parents. Are you astir this week aliases adjacent successful NYC Leon.”
Pozhidaeva, whose begetter was successful nan Russian military, was asked by nan Guardian to bespeak connected nan value of Botstein gathering her parents. “I americium trying to beryllium very nonsubjective astir this. They met him astatine nan performance and he made a really bully impression. That created much spot [in Epstein],” she said. As acold arsenic her parents knew, she was Epstein’s assistant, and location was small media sum of his erstwhile condemnation connected intersexual discourtesy charges involving a minor.
Botstein did not reply nan Guardian’s questions astir his gathering pinch Pozhidaeva’s parents.
The Guardian interviewed Pozhidaeva – who has now changed her sanction – successful early March. After being inundated by much media requests past week, she now says she nary longer wants to beryllium contacted by nan media. Her personality was primitively revealed pursuing redaction errors by nan justness section erstwhile it first released nan files – a correction that affected aggregate victims.
The erstwhile exemplary told nan WSJ much recently that she had for galore years felt embarrassed that she was successful her early 20s, not underage, erstwhile she met Epstein, and that she had agelong believed she was astatine responsibility for getting herself successful a bad situation.
She described to nan Guardian really she had erstwhile been fearless and outgoing, but was physically and emotionally undermined by Epstein. “At 1 constituent I was nether 120lb and I’m 5’11. I person photos wherever I look scary. He would measurement me, inquire maine really overmuch I weighed, erstwhile I was not a exemplary anymore. I was expected to beryllium an assistant,” she said.
“And I thought ‘nothing is incorrect here, he’s doing what is right, for illustration everything is normal’. Who americium I to mobility him … erstwhile high-level group are gathering him and shaking hands pinch him and accepting meal astatine his house,” she said. If Epstein told her to do thing – including shifting money done a instauration she was associated with, Pozhidaeva said she had “no power whatsoever”. “Anything he said had to beryllium a definite ‘yes,’” she said.
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