#manhattan file magazine

[malebimbo]

Colin Farrell by Indira Cesarine for Manhattan File Magazine, 2000.

[carisc4pshaw]

Office Christmas Party

In which the Hotchner!reader needs a plus one for an office Christmas party and Aaron Hotchner is quick to suggest Spencer accompanying her. (Fluff&Smut!)

word count: 4.4k

tags: office christmas party, one bed, aaron hotchner (dad), fem reader, bisexual reader, elle greenaway, spencer reid, plus one, new york city, christmas movie, room service, falling in love, crush, smut, fluff, elevator kissing, fancy hotel, manhattan, sightseeing, work colleagues, dating the boss’ daughter, girly reader

warnings: elevator kissing, sub spencer reid, dick riding, protected PinV sex

notes: Happy Christmas/ Christmas eve everyone! I hope you enjoy this, I tried my best but I’m still new to writing with a reader. I think I remembered all the tags pls let me know if * missed anything.

—————————💚————————

Two weeks before Christmas you walked into the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI, your shoulder bag swinging as you walked up the small staircase towards your father’s office not bothering to knock before opening the door.

“What have I told you about knocking,” Aaron Hotchner looked up from whatever file he was finishing to see you standing in the doorway.

“My bad? I need help,” you sighed loudly sitting down on the chair opposite him.

“What have you done now? Hotch asked putting down his pen.

You gasped putting a hand on your chest, “That’s rude! I haven’t done anything.”

“Then what do you need help with?” He sat back in his chair looking at you waiting for you to continue talking.

“There’s a Christmas work party out of town next week and I have no plus one and I don’t want to go alone, help me find someone to go with please!”

“Man or woman? You know this isn’t exactly the help you ask your father for.”

“I know but I’m desperate, I’ll take anything, anyone,” You dramatically slumped over on his desk putting your head in your arms that were folded on the desk.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s it? I need to know possible suitors now. Does that hot brunette still work here I saw her once when I came to visit.”

“Who?” Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Um,” you pictured yourself being back there that day and looking over at her desk, “Elle!”

“Yes.. she works here but she’s a little old for you?”

“She doesn’t look old, how old is she?”

“29.”

“Dad that’s only eight years difference. I’ve dated older people than that.”

“I have Elle on a special assignment in Texas next week but you’re more than welcome to ask her on a date another time I suppose…” Aaron said before adding, “What about Spencer?”

You pondered for a moment, “Look I like him he’s got that sexy nerd vibe.. also he looks like he’d be clueless but so good in b-“ You stopped what you were saying remembering you were speaking to your father, not a friend, “Nevermind. Do you think he will ramble a lot I don’t know if the other workers will like it, they are nowhere near as smart as him and I don’t want them to say things about him.”

“He does talk a lot but I thought you liked that plus he’s closer to your age,” Hotch made his point after shaking his head at your words, he wasn’t born yesterday he knew exactly what you were about to say and he did not like it at all.

“I suppose, there’s going to be models, influencers and fashion magazines we work with there though… I guess Spencer isn’t too bad he has a grandad kind of style going on people and by people I mean me, find that quite hot nowadays.”

“Look I have a job to do if you’re going to ask him just ask,” He said looking back at his file, “Aren’t you meant to be at work?”

“The company are scouting new models today I’m not required to be there, I don’t do that.”

“Right, well speak to Spencer and tell him I’ll give him extra time off with pay since he’ll be entertaining you. Where is this party?”

“New York. The company convinced Lilia Archer to go. I’m so excited she’s awesome.”

“Lilia Archer? Mention her and Spencer will be there I’m sure.”

“What do you mean? He’s got like a crush on her?”

“We had a case she was involved with last year, Spencer kissed her.”

“What?” you asked shocked but also with a hint of jealousy bubbling in your stomach.

Aaron laughed, “It was… unexpected.”

“You can say that again,” you picked up your bag, “I’ll see you later dad, love you.”

Hotch stood from his chair and walked around the corner of his desk pulling his daughter into a hug, “I love you too.”

You left the office walking down the stairs while looking around to see if you could spot Spencer.

You finally found him over by the coffee machine pouring an unnecessary amount of sugar into his coffee, “Spencer?”

The man turned around quickly hearing his name spoken so softly by a voice he recognised, “Y/N! Hi, what are you doing here?”

“I was actually looking for you,” you started.

“You were… Why?” His lips pressed into a straight line as his eyebrows knitted together.

“Are you busy next week? On Friday and Saturday?”

“I mean yes, I’ll be here…”

“And what if my father gave you some time off?” you smiled with hope.

“What’s going on?”

“I need a plus one for a Christmas party in New York, Please be my plus one Spence,” you clasped your hands together grinning widely.

“I’m not sure it’s really… well my scene, you work in fashion with models and I don’t usually go to parties.”

“Please Spencer, Lilia Archer is going to be there apparently,” you smirked a little.

“Oh I definitely cannot go, she’s got a boyfriend it will just be awkward,” Spencer frowned.

“Fine, I’ll have her uninvited or something? Please Spencer, If you don’t want to share a room with me I’ll pay for you to have your own.”

“What, no, you don’t have to spend your money on that I don’t mind sharing i-if that’s okay with you, of course!” Spencer stuttered getting nervous.

“So you’re coming?” the wide smile reappeared on your face.

Spencer sighed, “I guess so, what do I need to take?”

“Can I have your keys?”

“What why?” Spencer’s eyes widened.

“I have a day off, you are always busy and I will pick good outfits, it’s literally my job, I’ll go pack for you,” you put your hand out waiting for his keys.

“But I haven’t tidied up, I wasn’t expecting company.”

“Spence you’re a clean freak your meaning of messy is everyone else’s spotless clean.”

“Just stick to the wardrobe, don’t snoop around I know what you’re like,” Spencer said as he handed over his keys.

“Yes Doctor Reid, oh yeah if it wasn’t obvious you’re going as my boyfriend,” you kissed him on the cheek before walking off not giving him time to respond.

“What’s going on there pretty boy? The big boss wouldn’t be too happy if he saw that,” Derek said as Spencer’s blush deepened on his cheeks.

“I thought she was into me…” Elle added.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t turn down a night with both of you,” Derek winked at the brunette.

“You’re disgusting,” She rolled her eyes going back to typing on her computer.

——————

When Spencer returned home from work the next day, he opened the door to see his apartment fairly clean with his books that didn’t fit in the bookcase stacked up in alphabetical order as well as some cookies on the kitchen counter and as he went into his room he saw the open suitcase on the bed with a note by the side.

I hope you like everything I’ve packed and you enjoy the cookies I made you. I’m trying to be a good ‘girlfriend’ ;)

Y/N <3

Over the next few days, You only came into the office once to give Spencer another note that contained your phone number so you could communicate about where to meet before flying to New York.

On the day of the trip, Spencer drove to your apartment at 6 am, your flight was at 8:30 am but your apartment was a 20-minute bus ride from the airport meaning it was the best place to meet.

Spencer knocked on the door and waited a few minutes before knocking again.

“Spencer there’s a key under the mat!” You called through the apartment. The man rolled his eyes, you had probably woken up your neighbours and just told them where you had been hiding your spare key although by the look of the building it may have soundproof walls or a least more soundproof than his were at his apartment.

He took the key and unlocked the door, stepping inside to see you in the kitchen with your hair in rollers, drinking a cup of tea with multiple outfits hanging up around the house.

“I take it you aren’t ready?” Spencer said.

“Good morning my love, nope almost just need to pick the airport outfit!”

“I like the second one,” He shrugged.

“Hm, I think I’ll go with the fourth.”

Spencer shook his head with a laugh, “Please don’t be long we don’t have much time.”

“Don’t stress it’s all cool,” you picked up the coat hanger that had a pair of black Victoria's Secret sweatpants, a white tank top and an off-the-shoulder sweater on, “Make a coffee, make yourself comfortable.”

Every minute that passed Spencer checked his watch getting more anxious until finally 15 minutes later you left your bedroom with a suitcase and 2 bags with your hair curled and your outfit on.

“I’m ready, let’s go,” you said grabbing your phone and walking over to the door.

——————

You and Spencer stood outside the hotel and spa, it looked fancy and definitely out of his price range, Spencer thought to himself.

“Ready for 2 days of fun boyfriend?” You smirked pulling your suitcase through the glass door of the hotel.

Spencer followed closely behind you holding one of your bags. He let you check in before you went to your room on the top floor.

“Woah this is huge!” you said looking at the hotel room’s super king-sized bed.

“It’s a nice hotel, how much did you pay for this?” Spencer asked leaving his suitcase next to the left side of the bed.

“I didn’t, my boss did. I’m pretty sure she booked out the whole hotel for the party.”

“So,” Spencer sat down on the bed after removing his shoes, “What exactly is the plan?”

“What plan?” you raised an eyebrow sitting down next to him and picking up the room service menu.

“Why am I here?” Spencer kept to the edge of his side of the bed.

“To be my plus one for the party tomorrow night, maybe you can show me around the city, dad said you’ve been here more than a few times for cases.”

“That’s it? You just wanted a plus one? There was no hidden meaning? I’m sure you could have found someone better looking on a dating website.”

“I like nerdy guys, plus you’re a fancy FBI agent,” you turned to look at him biting your lip before giggling, “I think we are going to have fun, wanna explore the hotel?”

“Maybe later, I want to stay here for a few minutes since I’m going to have to start using my social battery soon.”

“Okay suit yourself, I’m going to meet some of my friends I won’t be longer than an hour,” you said getting off the bed and heading out of the door.

Spencer sighed once he heard the door close, his head falling back against the headboard. He couldn’t deny the fact that he had a crush on you but he knew you were totally off-limits, you were Hotch’s daughter after all.

His head felt dizzy picturing the way you had looked at him while biting your lip even if it was jokingly it still made his head spin and his blood rush to his cock.

Spencer took it upon himself to take a cold shower, he needed one after the flight anyway so why not kill two birds with one stone?

You walked back into the room at the same time as Spencer opened the bathroom door with a towel wrapped just around his waist.

“Hello to you too, what a nice surprise,” you winked at him with a laugh.

“Shut up,” the man walked back into the bathroom closing the door, “I thought you were going to be an hour.”

“Got bored, assumed you’d want to go out or get something to eat maybe? Do you find if we swap rooms I need to pee.”

“Oh, oh sure,” Spencer opened the door again, “Food sounds good. Could you stay in the bathroom until I’m dressed?”

“Sure if it makes you more comfortable,” You smiled going into the bathroom.

“Thank you,” Spencer got dressed as he called into the bathroom, “I’m paying for our food, you can come out by the way.”

You opened the bathroom door, “You don’t have to Spence, my father gave me some money to spend here.”

“Use it to buy something nice, I want to pay for dinner,” Spencer smiled at you.

“Fine I’m not going to turn that down again,” you laughed and grabbed your purse.

——————

You and Spencer had lunch and stayed out exploring the city until 5 pm when you headed back to the hotel.

“Are you sure you’re okay ordering room service for dinner?” You asked Spencer for the 4th time since you had been walking back to the hotel.

“Yes I’m fine with it,” Spencer laughed and rolled his eyes pushing their room door open.

Just as he was about to close the door he heard a feminine voice calling ‘Wait’ Confused, he waited, by this point, you had gone into the bedroom.

“Oh!” The woman spoke, “I’m so sorry I thought this was my friend's room.”

“You’re a friend of Y/N?”

“Yes… and you are?”

“Spencer,” he smiled, “Y/N, someone is at the door for you.”

You groaned and came out of the bedroom with your sweater off, you looked extremely good in the white tank top you had been wearing under the sweater.

“Laura! Oh hey; Laura this is my boyfriend Spencer, Spencer this is my boss Laura.”

“Boyfriend?” Laura looked confused, “You have a boyfriend?”

“Yes…” points to Spencer, “Boyfriend.”

“Oh well, I guess you don’t need to come to the club with me and a couple of the others to find plus-ones then,” Laura laughed.

“Nope, no clubbing for me, Spence and I are going to have a movie night, order room service and have lots of cuddles,” you grinned.

“That’s cool have fun, I’ll see you tomorrow, or I’ll text you if I get lucky,” Laura winked before leaving the room.

You closed the door and Spencer eyed you curiously, “I wouldn’t have minded if you went out.”

“We have plans did you not hear?”

“You were being serious you want a movie night with me?” Spencer raised an eyebrow.

“And cuddles,” you smiled before returning to the bedroom, “Can you order room service while I take a shower?”

“Of course, What do you want?”

You hummed, “Carbonara, margarita pizza, red wine and chocolate brownie with ice cream. Oh and ask for bottled water.”

Spencer laughs, “I’m guessing this gets charged to your boss?”

“You guessed right, order what you want. I love her but I love spending money more,” You giggled going into the bathroom and turning the shower on.

You walked out of the bathroom in your towel, “Sorry I forgot to take my pyjamas through.”

Spencer cleared his throat, “It’s fine um room service will be 6 minutes and roughly 17 seconds.”

——————

The two sat in the living room area of the room eating their meals and sharing a few bites with each other.

You both went back to the bedroom to watch TV and just as you were about to climb into the bed you took off your dressing gown revealing your silky pyjamas which consisted of a low-cut tank top and short shorts.

Spencer’s face went a little red as he cleared his throat, “That's what you chose to bring?”

“Is there a problem with them?” You asked looking down at your clothes.

“No, no, no problem you look really um great,” he wanted to continue his ramble but you stopped him.

“You can tell me I’m hot baby,” the younger woman winked.

“Stop that, let’s just watch the movie,” Spencer spoke desperately.

“Fineeee,” you said dragging out the last letter as you switched the TV on.

At some point during the movie, you fell asleep on Spencer’s arm. Once he realised you were sleeping he switched off the movie and fell asleep beside you.

The next morning, you woke first with a groan, you smiled as you tilted your head up to see Spencer sleeping. He looked so perfect as he slept. You weren’t sure if having thoughts like that were sweet or creepy.

You pulled back the duvet to go to make some tea. By the time you came back, Spencer was starting to wake up.

“Sorry, I didn’t make you anything I didn’t know when you’d wake up,” you said getting back into bed.

“That’s fine, good morning,” He smiled trying not to move.

“Good morning, is everything okay?” your eyebrows knitted together in curiosity.

“Yeah I’m fine, just uh disorientated… give me a few minutes to wake up.”

“Man troubles?” you caught on and raised an eyebrow.

Spencer choked, “What?”

“Oh come on I wasn’t born yesterday Spence, I’ve had boyfriends. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

He covered his face with his hands, “It is embarrassing but it will go away. What time is it?” Spencer asked changing the subject.

“Only 7:30 but Dad will call at 8 to check on me,” you rolled your eyes,

“And then I’ll go back to sleep for a bit.”

“What time are you getting up?” Spencer said, he was used to getting up long before this time most mornings but it wouldn’t hurt if he had a lay-in for once. It wouldn’t usually be his thing but these beds were extremely comfortable.

“Before noon? The party starts at 5 pm so I’ll have more than enough time to get ready,” You placed the empty mug on the bedside table and waited for Aaron to call you in the meantime Spencer had fallen back to sleep.

—————

When you both woke up again, you had slept slightly past noon. Spencer had a few missed calls from the team, he instantly felt guilty that he wasn’t available to answer his phone if they needed help but it didn’t take long for you to convince him that it was his day off and he didn’t have to be on call all the time.

After a lot of stressing about curling your hair and making sure your make-up was perfect, you were almost ready. The last thing you had to do was put your dress on.

Spencer was waiting on the small sofa for you to finish getting ready. When you walked out of the bedroom in the long sparkly dark grey strapless dress his mouth almost fell open and his eyes were glued to you, his pupils dilated.

“I have some rules, well if you agree to them, we have to actually act like a couple… you know kissing and stuff and I want you to be yourself… earth to Spencer?” you waved your hand in his face when you realised he wasn’t actually listening to you and his eyes were locked on your body, “See something you like?” you laughed.

Spencer nodded his eyes still barely moving as if he was in a trance.

“Wanna take it off? I don’t mind being late,” you smirked.

Spencer snapped out of his thoughts at your words, “What? No, I can’t, you just look good, you look nice, um hot?”

“Thank you,” you tilted your head to the side with a smile, “So you’re fine with kissing?”

“Totally fine, I mean I haven’t kissed anyone in a long time, I might be bad. I really hope I’m not.”

“Spence, you’ll be fine.”

——————

You had no problem introducing Spencer as your boyfriend to your work colleagues making him wonder if you had done this before, what he wasn’t prepared for though was how highly you spoke of him and the sparkle in your eyes which to him would suggest that you really meant what you were saying. However, when you spotted Lilia Archer across the room you changed. It wasn’t that you seemed shy because you were anything but shy, but until Lilia spotted both you and Spencer it was like you was trying to hide.

You were the first to notice Lilia walking toward the both of you and your first instinct was to pull Spencer closer to you, your lips landed on him in what was meant to be a quick kiss to make Lilia feel at least a tad bit jealous but the kiss didn’t stop at a quick peck.

The two of you felt a spark run through you that neither of you could explain but you both didn’t want it to end.

Once the genius remembered that you were at a party with hundreds of people and not alone in your hotel room he removed his hand from the side of your face and pulled back from the kiss.

His hand fell beside him, catching your hand in his not long after, “That was interesting…”

“It was.”

“Did you mean it or was it because Lilia was coming?”

You shrugged, “A bit of both I wanted to make her jealous but I did mean it, I think you’re attractive and I know I'm not anywhere near as pretty or cool as Lilia Archer-“

“Stop talking like that. You’re perfect how you are, the only reason I didn’t do that first was that I thought for sure no one as confident as you would want someone… like me. And the other reason is Hotch, he is my boss.”

“Come on Spence you’re the most perfect gentleman I’m sure Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, would be more than happy if his daughter was dating his favourite boy genius.”

Spencer took a small step closer to you despite the lack of distance between you already. He cupped your cheeks lowering his head to give you another kiss.

“I know we’ve only been here for an hour but do you want to get out of here?” you said with a giggle.

“Lead the way.”

——————

The two of you couldn’t keep your hands or your lips off each other in the elevator to your floor or in the hallway toward your room.

Once the hotel door was closed you pushed Spencer up against it, kissing his lips passionately as you fiddled with his tie trying to get it off in a hurry.

You swiftly moved on to unbuttoning his shirt once the tie was off, your lips were still connected but now your tongues were invading each other’s mouths.

Separating from each other to take a couple of breaths, Spencer removed his shoes while you kicked your heeled shoes off removing a few more inches between yours and Spencer’s height.

“Bedroom?” you asked him, taking his hand in yours and intertwining your fingers together.

“I didn’t bring condoms with me, I didn’t plan for well this,” he said with a laugh.

“I always have some with me just in case,” you said as you entered the bedroom immediately finding one in your bag while Spencer removed his pants.

“At least you’re prepared, now come here I love that dress on you, you look beautiful but I want to take it off,” Spencer spoke with a rasped tone, his hands running up and down the curves of your waist and hips once you were standing in front of him.

“Take it off,” you whispered.

Spencer stood up from the bed spinning you around to find the zipper at the back of the dress, when he pulled it down he was met with your bare back meaning you had no bra on and only a lace g-string.

Spencer couldn’t help a quiet moan escaping his mouth when you turned back around showing him your exposed top half.

“You’re beautiful,” he said kissing your lips once again his hands finding your breasts.

A few moments later the both of them were fully undressed nothing left on their bodies.

“Can I put it on?” You asked holding up the condom packet.

“Please,” his voice was slightly strained he was so desperate to be inside of you, he didn’t know how much more he could take.

You ripped open the packet wasting no time before sliding the latex over his cock as a groan fell from his lips.

“Can I be on top?” you asked him.

“You want to ride me?”

“Yes, please?” you gave him a puppy dog-eyed gaze earning a nod from him.

“I’m not going to say no to that,” Spencer held your thighs as you positioned yourself in the right place before slipping his cock inside of you.

You moaned as he penetrated you further. Once fully inside of you, you took a deep breath.

“Am I hurting you?” Spencer asked worriedly.

“No! I just need a second,” you slowly began to move up and down your hands placed on his chest to maintain your balance.

Spencer moaned with each small movement, the warmth from your insides felt incredible wrapped around him, he fit perfectly inside of you.

“You’re doing so good,” you praised him as his hip started to jerk in a rhythm that matched your pace.

“I can’t last much longer, you feel so good,” Spencer moaned against your lips, when you leaned down to kiss him his cock angled even deeper instead of you.

You could barely open your eyes as you said, “I’m almost there.” The way you spoke triggered something in Spencer that made him remove one of his hands from your back and move it so his thumb would brush against your clit in circles.

With a few more sloppy thrusts caused by his hips that grazed your g-spot each time combined with him rubbing hard circles against your clit, the both of you came at the same time both with moans so loud anyone would be able to hear them through the walls.

You didn’t pull him out of yourself until you had fully gotten your breath back.

“Oh my god,” you sighed lifting off him and rolling into the space beside him, covering half of your body with the thin duvet.

“Good, oh my god? or bad?” Spencer asked pulling you close to him.

“Definitely good, so good,” You answered.

“Okay good because I agree, you were amazing,” Spencer pecked your lips softly.

“I hope you plan on being my plus one again,” you spoke quietly running your fingernails down his naked chest.

He pulled the duvet up to cover your body a little more, “I certainly plan on it.”

[simply-ivanka]

Now the Trump Jurors Can Be Told

Without the limits placed on witness testimony, they can now learn why the case was faulty.

Wall Street Journal - James Freeman

In the Manhattan trial of former President Donald Trump, it seems that partisan judge Juan Merchan insisted on so many limits on the potential testimony of former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley Smith that the defense decided it was pointless to put him on the stand. But now the jurors can learn what Journal readers have known for more than a year—hush-money payments to alleged mistresses are not campaign contributions.

This weekend Mr. Smith noted this again on X and also explained in a series of posts why there was a big chronological hole in the claim that a 2016 payment to alleged mistress Stormy Daniels was improperly reported to avoid damaging news prior to that year’s election:

The payment to Daniels was made on Oct. 27. So the payment would not have been reported on the Pre-election report… The next report is the Post-Election Report…

In 2016, the Post-Election Report was required to be filed on December 8, one month after the election. So the prosecution’s theory, that Trump wanted to hide the expenditure until after the election, makes no sense at all…

Even if we assume, incorrectly, that it was a campaign expenditure, it wouldn’t have been reported until 30 days after the election. But again, none of this got to the jury, either through testimony or the judge’s instructions…

Merchan was rather obviously biased here, but I’ll give him the benefit of a doubt and say he was just thoroughly ignorant of campaign finance law, and had no interest in boning up on it to properly instruct the jury.

Mr. Smith sums up the issue under relevant federal law:

There was no illegal contribution or expenditure made, and no failure to report an expenditure. And even if we assume otherwise, the prosecution’s theory made no sense, suggesting no criminal intent.

Could this case look any worse? It seems that even if one made the error of regarding the hush-money payment as a campaign contribution, there would still be ample reason to question the constitutionality of the verdict. Steven Calabresi, who teaches law at Northwestern and Yale, writes for Reason magazine:

In 2010, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310, the Supreme Court held 5 to 4 that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by closely allied corporations and groups like The Trump Organization. Under Citizens United, it was perfectly legal for The Trump Organization to pay Daniels $130,000 in hush money to conceal her alleged affair with Donald Trump…

Groups contributing to election campaigns can pay for advertising to promote candidates, and they can also pay hush money to keep bad or false stories out of the news. The effect either way is to help the candidate. You can contribute money to generate good publicity.  And, you can contribute money to avoid bad publicity.  The First Amendment protects freedom of speech in both cases.

Mr. Calabresi adds:

The U.S. Supreme Court needs to hear this case as soon as possible because of its impact on the 2024 presidential election between President Trump and President Biden. Voters need to know that the Constitution protected everything Trump is alleged to have done with respect to allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels. This is especially the case because the trial judge in Trump’s Manhattan case wrongly allowed Stormy Daniels to testify in graphic detail about the sexual aspects of her alleged affair with Trump. This testimony tainted the jury and the 2024 national presidential electorate, impermissibly, and was irrelevant to the question of whether President Trump altered business records to conceal a crime. The federal Supreme Court needs to make clear what are the legal rules in matters of great consequence to an election to a federal office like the presidency.  A highly partisan borough, Manhattan, of a highly partisan city, New York City, in a highly partisan state, like New York State, cannot be allowed to criminalize the conduct of presidential candidates in ways that violate the federal constitution.

The Roman Republic fell when politicians began criminalizing politics. I am gravely worried that we are seeing that pattern repeat itself in the present-day United States. It is quite simply wrong to criminalize political differences.

Some readers were disappointed in your humble correspondent for suggesting on Friday that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D., N.Y.) should pardon Mr. Trump. Given the logical and constitutional flaws in the case, these disgruntled readers think it would be better to have this outrage exposed in the appeals process and completely repudiated, whereas a pardon might appear to some to be a merciful response to a legitimate prosecution for the sake of political comity. Perhaps such readers needn’t worry. Jon Levine reports for the New York Post:

A person close to Hochul said a pardon was “unlikely.” 

“I cannot image a world where she would consider doing this, this makes no sense,” said the insider.

[beardedmrbean]

Three brothers in a celebrity real estate family were charged with sex trafficking conspiracy in a case involving "dozens of victims" from Miami Beach to New York, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Twins Oren and Alon Alexander and their elder brother Tal were charged with working together to "repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape dozens of victims," according to a federal indictment filed in New York.

They were arrested Wednesday in Miami. The charges come in the wake of a string of lawsuits accusing the brothers of rape and sexual assault.

'Drugged' victims

Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said all three brothers had used "force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion" in sexually assaulting women for more than a decade.

"This conduct, as alleged, is heinous," Williams told reporters.

Some of the victims who were drugged found themselves unable to speak or to move, leaving them unable to escape, and were left with partial memories of their assaults, Williams said.

Oren and Alon Alexander were also facing separate sexual battery charges in Miami Beach, according to arrest warrants made public Wednesday afternoon.

"Oren Alexander is innocent," his lawyer, Susan Necheles, told USA TODAY. "The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime."

Lawyers for Tal and Alon Alexander could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Civil lawsuits against the Alexander brothers

The Alexander brothers – telegenic twins Oren and Alon, and their elder brother Tal – have been the subject of several lawsuits by women alleging they were raped and possibly drugged.

Until news broke of the sexual assault allegations, Oren and Alon Alexander were fixtures of the jet set, attending glitzy parties in Miami, New York and partying in the Mediterranean.

Oren and Tal Alexander run the Alexander Team, which boasts of brokering sales worth more than $7 billion in luxury markets including New York, South Florida, and Aspen, Colorado.

“We are glad to hear that there will finally be some measure of accountability for the Alexander brothers and justice for their many victims," the law firm Wigdor LLP, which represents several women who've accused the Alexanders of rape, said in a statement.  "We applaud all the survivors who have had the strength and courage to speak up about their unimaginable experiences after years of pain and suffering.”

Witnesses spoke of 'gang rapes'

In a memo asking a federal judge to deny bail, prosecutors wrote that witnesses and victims told investigators the Alexanders had been raping women since they were in high school.

"Evidence from the investigation, including multiple victim and witness accounts, shows that the Alexander Brothers began engaging in acts of sexual violence, including gang rapes, while still in high school in Miami, Florida," the memo says.

"Each of the victims that the Government has interviewed from this period reported hearing that individuals involved −including Tal Alexander − talked about the assaults at school, boasting about 'running train' on their victims and saying that they wanted to 'do it again.'"

New York Magazine cited witnesses in an August article who said the brothers often spoke of "running a train," slang for the act of gang rape, when they were in school.

In their senior year at Michael M. Krop Senior High School in North Miami, Oren and Alon Alexander's yearbook included a page with the question, “What was your most memorable moment at Krop?”

According to New York Magazine, Oren Alexander replied: “Riding my first ‘choo-choo’ train.”

The twins graduated in 2005.

Eleven years later, as Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander planned a 2016 trip to Tulum, Mexico, with male friends, women flown in for entertainment, and drugs including GHB − considered a "date rape" drug under federal law − the term appeared again in a group chat.

"I don’t want anyone being upset if they don’t run a 10 man train," an unidentified member of the group wrote.

Miami charges

In affidavits, Miami Beach Police detectives accused Alon Alexander in the October 2021 group sexual assault of a woman lured to a luxury apartment on Miami Beach's beachfron Collins Avenue under the pretext of attending a barbeque. Oren Alexander also joined that assault, the victim told Miami Beach Police Det. David Alvarez. An Alexander cousin, Ohad Fisherman, is at large, Dade County prosecutors said.

More than 30 women have alleged they were raped by Oren Alexander, Alon Alexander, or both brothers, according to a lawsuit filed by model Angelica Parker.

Parker charged that she was raped by Alon and Tal Alexander in 2012 while their brother Oren watched. They denied the allegations.

No bail, prosecutors urge

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, prosecutors asked that the three brothers be held without bail., citing the nature of the crimes they're accused of, their wealth and close connections to Israel, where extradition to the U.S. can be a "drawn-out" process.

"After relying on their substantial wealth and connections to carry out and conceal their crimes for years, all three defendants now face charges carrying potential sentences in prison of fifteen years to life," assistant U.S. attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Elizabeth A. Espinosa wrote.

The three brothers "pose an ongoing and significant danger to the community and present a serious risk of flight," the prosecutors said.

[mariacallous]

Hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied bail again on Wednesday after his lawyers argued for the second time that he should be released from "horrific" jail conditions while awaiting trial in a sex-trafficking case.

A New York federal judge remanded the musician into custody on Tuesday after prosecutors argued he was a "serious flight risk".

Mr Combs, 54, was arrested this week, accused of running a criminal enterprise from at least 2008 that relied on drugs and violence to force women to "fulfil his sexual desires", according to prosecutors.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Instead of jail, Mr Combs's lawyers were proposing a bail package that included a $50 million bond co-signed by Mr Combs, his mother and other family members, as well as home detention, surrender of his passport, weekly drug test and a visitor log that would be submitted to pre-trial services each night.

But the judge hearing Wednesday's arguments did not agree to the proposal.

“My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering," Judge Andrew Carter said. "That is a real concern that I have here.”

After the ruling, Mr Combs's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told reporters the ruling "did not go our way," adding "the fight continues".

A 14-page indictment charges Mr Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation to engage in prostitution.

If convicted on all three counts, the rapper and record producer faces a sentence of 15 years up to life in prison.

Asked by US Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky on Tuesday how he wished to plead, Mr Combs stood up and said: "not guilty".

Mr Agnifilo said afterwards that the musician's defence team already had launched an appeal of the judge's bail decision.

"We believe him wholeheartedly," Mr Agnifilo told reporters outside the Manhattan court of his client. "He didn't do these things."

'Freak Offs'

According to court documents, Mr Combs "wielded the power" of his status to "lure female victims... to engage in extended sex acts" called "Freak Offs".

"During Freak Offs, Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant," the indictment said.

In a news briefing, US prosecutor Damian Williams said officials found firearms, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant during raids on Mr Combs's homes in Miami and Los Angeles, about six months ago.

Mr Williams said federal agents also found three semi-automatic rifles with defaced serial numbers and a drum magazine.

He told reporters that further charges were possible, without offering details.

Mr Agnifilo, the musician's lawyer, maintained, "there's no coercion and no crime."

"He's not afraid of the charges," he said, adding that he believed Mr Combs was the target of "an unjust prosecution".

In court documents, federal prosecutors said that Mr Combs had "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct".

Prosecutors accuse Mr Combs of "creating a criminal enterprise" whose members - under his direction - engaged in sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson and bribery.

"On numerous occasions", the documents said, Mr Combs assaulted women by "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them".

The indictment did not specify how many women were alleged victims. It also does not accuse Mr Combs himself of engaging directly in unwanted sexual acts with women.

The Bad Boy records founder, who was also known during his career as P. Diddy and Puff Daddy, has faced many of the accusations before.

Last November, his ex-girlfriend, singer Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit against him that included graphic descriptions of violent abuse. He denied the accusations, but settled the case a day after it was filed.

In May, Mr Combs released a public apology after video footage from a Los Angeles hotel appeared to show him beating Ms Ventura in a hallway.

Tuesday's indictment against Mr Combs accuses him of similar violence.

Ms Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor​​​​, declined to comment on Mr Combs's arrest.

The indictment follows a string of sexual assault allegations against Mr Combs, one of the most successful music moguls in the history of rap.

Four women, including Ms Ventura, have filed lawsuits accusing him of sexual and physical abuse.

In a statement issued last December, Mr Combs defended himself against what he described as "sickening allegations" made by "individuals looking for a quick payday".

In June, he returned a ceremonial "Key to the City of New York" following a request from Mayor Eric Adams, who had bestowed the honour on him just nine months earlier.

Days later, Howard University announced it was revoking Mr Combs's 2014 honorary degree.

The musician is credited with helping turn rappers and R&B singers such as Usher, Mary J Blige and The Notorious B.I.G. into stars in the 1990s and 2000s.

[xtruss]

Atomic Secrets: The Scientists Who Built The Atom Bomb 💣

Science and the military converged under a cloak of secrecy at Los Alamos National Laboratory. As part of the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos — both its very existence and the work that went on there — was hidden from Americans during World War II.

Many of the thousands of scientists on the project were not officially aware of what they were working on. Though they were not permitted to talk to anyone about their work, including each other, by 1945 some had figured out that they were in fact building an atomic bomb.

In 1943 J. Robert Oppenheimer was named the director of the Bomb Project at Los Alamos, a self-contained area protected -- and completely controlled -- by the U.S. Army. Special driver's licenses had no names on them, just ID numbers. Credit: Courtesy of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Archives

Robert Oppenheimer's wife Kitty was not above scrutiny. All who were affiliated with the project -- and their spouses -- were thoroughly screened and had a security file with the FBI. Credit: Courtesy of the F.B.I.

Less than a year after Oppenheimer proposed using the remote desert site for the laboratory, Los Alamos was already home to a thousand scientists, engineers, support staff… and their families. By the end of the war the population was over 6,000, and the compound included amenities like this barber shop. Credit: Time Life/Getty Images

Atomic Bomb Project employees having lunch at Los Alamos. Though food was often in scant supply, residents made the best of life in their isolated community by putting on plays and organizing Saturday night square dances. Some singles’ parties in the dormitories reportedly served a brew of lab alcohol and grapefruit juice, cooled with dry ice out of a 32-gallon GI can. Credit: Copyright Bettmann/CORBIS

Completely self-contained, the Los Alamos facility did not officially exist in its early years except as a post office box. Scientists’ families were mostly kept in the dark about the nature of the project, learning the truth only after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Credit: Courtesy of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Archives

Credited with inventing the cyclotron, University of California-Berkeley physicist Ernest Lawrence (squatting, center) looks on as Robert Oppenheimer points out something on the 184” particle accelerator. Harvard University supplied the cyclotron that was used to develop the atomic bomb. Credit: Copyright CORBIS

The Trinity bomb was the first atomic bomb ever tested. It was detonated in the Jornada del Muerto (Dead Man’s Walk) Desert, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The test was a resounding success. The United States would drop similar bombs on Japan just three weeks later. Credit: Courtesy of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Archives

Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves inspect the melted remnants of the 100-foot steel tower that held the Trinity bomb. Ensuring that the testing of a bomb with unknown strength would remain completely secret, the government chose a location that was so remote they had to import their water from over 150 miles away. Credit: Copyright CORBIS

Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves stand in front of a map of Japan, just five days before the bombing of Hiroshima. Credit: Copyright CORBIS

Though there was no evidence that Oppenheimer had betrayed his country in any way, several officials called his loyalty into question in the Cold War environment of 1954. After being subjected to months of hearings, “the most famous physicist in the world” eventually lost his government security clearance. Credit: Reprinted courtesy of TIME Magazine

[thewealthysocialite]

Death of an It Girl

What happens when the glamour fades? Dive into the life of Casey Johnson, the enigmatic baby powder heiress whose dazzling public persona masked a world of hidden struggles and poignant moments

BY REICHAN PENDRAGON

July 12, 2024

Often when we think of the term "It Girl" some names that come to mind are Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, or even Serena van der Woodsen. But someone who is often left out of that category or even forgotten comes from one of the wealthiest empires in the world. Meet Casey Johnson, the Baby Powder Heiress. Casey Johnson (born Sale Trotter Case Johnson) was born on September 24, 1979, to philanthropist and socialite Nancy Sale Johnson, and owner of the New York Jets and heir to J&J Woody Johnson. Casey was the oldest of three children: Jaime Johnson (b. 1982), and Daisy Johnson (b. 1987). Casey was raised in Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhood and resided at the penthouse at 834 Fifth Avenue. Although Casey was born into great privilege and wealth, home life for Casey for some would be a dream come true but to her it was anything but so. Casey's father Woody wasn't a lovey-dovey kind of guy, and because Casey was so unique, he didn't know how to show his love to her. This would cause him to often over-indulge her and even get her a brand-new car before she even had a driver's license. At the age of eight, Casey was diagnosed with diabetes and even co-wrote a book with her father entitled Managing Your Child's Diabetes.

While living in New York, Casey attended a number of schools, first she attended the private Chapin School, then the all-girls private Marymount school, and lastly the Dwight School where she went alongside Paris Hilton. After graduating in 2001, Casey attended Brown University for only a few semesters before dropping out after learning her poodle, Zoe would not be allowed to live in her dorm with her. After this, she struggled to find her calling; first, she taught singing to children at Dwight School, next, she interned at her friend and publicist Lizzie Grubman's P.R. firm, and finally got a job as the beauty editor for the Manhattan File. The same year, the magazine went under and her parents got a divorce. This, along with the constant gossip columns bashing her, made Casey take this as a sign to leave the East Coast and head to California. Once in Los Angeles, Casey clung to fellow socialites Nicky and Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Bijou Phillips, and would often be seen clubbing with the wealthy heiresses. Casey gained close bonds with the women and was even asked by Paris Hilton (after her sister Nicky declined) if she would join her in participating in the Simple Life. Casey declined and felt that joining a reality show would halt her nascent acting career or make people not take her seriously. Johnson would later call this the "stupidest mistake of [her] life". In 2002, Casey [along with Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord and Nicky Hilton] would be featured in the documentary "It Girls", which was filmed during New York Fashion Week. In 2004, Casey's Beverly Hills home was burglarized while she was at an MTV after party. Casey would then place blame on playboy playmate Nicole Lenz for being a part of the scandal. Back in New York, Casey's parents became concerned about their daughter's constant partying and alleged substance use. Sale and Woody Johnson would then fly to Los Angeles to stage an intervention for their daughter in hopes she would check in to a rehab center. Casey didn't take this too well and according to her mother said the following, "I don’t need any help. I'm sorry you wasted a trip." After this, Woody would essentially wash his hands of Casey.

In January 2006, Casey, her then-boyfriend John Dee, and her aunt Elizabeth "Libet" Johnson traveled to Cambodia to visit Sovann Komar, the orphanage Libet had established in Phnom Penh in 2003. Sometime after, Casey broke up with Dee and quickly noticed a close friendship and or connection with John and Libet and began to assume the two were having an affair, eventually emailing her aunt on February 19, 2006, with the subject title "I’m sure u r sleeping with him." Libet replied "I know you know in your heart that those things you just wrote me are untrue. I really don’t know why you want to lash out at me, when I have done nothing to hurt you.… Please leave me out of your problems." Libet would later tell Dee about this in an email, writing "But I got a very, unhappy phone call from Casey, telling me that, "if I ever talked to you (or your Mother) again, she would never speak to me again." Somehow, someway Page Six obtained emails between Libet Johnson and John Dee. One email from February 3, 2006, read the following, "Your zest for life and passion for everything you do is infectious. I know we met for a reason Love, Libet." When asked for comment, Casey said the following "I think [my aunt] needs help," She told the New York Post. "I feel sorry for her. She's single. She's been divorced umpteen times. She's afraid to go out in public." "She was sleeping with my boyfriend, who I was in love with," she finished "An old woman with a lot of money is a very powerful aphrodisiac." The article was all over New York City by March 29. And this was the last straw. Woody Johnson was infuriated. He felt that Casey was using the tabloids to get revenge, and just like that, he cut off his daughter Casey from her trust fund which contained millions of dollars.

Through all the madness, Casey felt she was missing something, Casey Johnson wanted a baby. Her mother sale was openly against it and even told her "You don’t have your own life together, how are you going to keep track of somebody else’s life? This is not a puppy that if it doesn’t work out, you can give it to a friend." Despite her parents' pleas, in 2007, Casey adopted a baby girl from Kazakhstan she named Ava-Monroe, in honor of Marilyn Monroe. Kathy Hilton organized the baby shower and Nicky Hilton was given the "godmother" title. Even though she had Ava, her estrangement from her father didn't sit well with her. So much so that in 2008, Casey flew to New York with baby Ava so her father could meet his granddaughter and end the estrangement. Upon arrival at the East Hampton estate, Casey was met by her father Woody's wife Suzanne Ircha. According to Casey, Suzanne opened the door and said "What are you doing here?" After explaining her reasoning for being there Ircha told her that Woody was not home and then said quote "This is my house, so leave." to which Casey replied, "This is my father’s house and I’m staying here until he gets here because I want him to meet my daughter." After a war of words, Suzanne called 911, and around the same time the police arrived, so did Woody Johnson who demanded his daughter get off his property and "never come back". After this, Casey would make countless efforts to get in touch with her father, only to be ignored, and within a year, Casey would slip back into a dark place. Casey would then begin dating socialite Courtenay Semel, the daughter of former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel and Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive alum. Semel had previously dated actress Lindsay Lohan and internet mogul Tila Tequila. Casey and Courtenay's relationship was very toxic and tumultuous and it was even reported in January 2009 that during a physical fight, Courtenay set Casey's hair on fire. It's unclear what started the fight but nonetheless, they stayed associated, I digress, by the summer of 2009, Casey was back to living the party girl lifestyle in LA and once again her mother Sale worried for her health and mental state.

In June 2009, Casey was scheduled to be hospitalized at the Cliffside Malibu clinic while her mother Sale had plans to bring her granddaughter Ava back to New York while Casey was treated, but none of Sale's plans went to fruition when Casey threw Sale out of her house, along with her luggage. Things got so intense that even the police were called after Casey told them that Sale was trying to take her daughter from her. Her mother said quote, "Casey knew in her heart that she couldn’t take care of Ava, but she couldn’t ego-wise and illness-wise say: 'I know I can’t take care of her like she needs to be cared for …'" That year in August, Casey was hospitalized for her diabetes. It was alleged that Casey's alcohol and drug use was preventing her from properly caring for her diabetes. This was when the decision was made to give her daughter Ava to family friend Kim Richards when she checked into rehab at Cliffside Malibu. Allegedly Casey became enraged with the fact that Ava began calling Richards "mommy". Johnson then sent her friend British socialite and model Jasmine Lennard to go retrieve Ava. Casey would be hospitalized two more times throughout summer and early fall. Sale Johnson would then make the decision to cut off her daughter and would not allow her daughter to access any money unless she went to rehab. Sale then gained custody of Ava and brought her to New York. At the time, Casey was renting her home in Los Angeles and when her mother cut her off, she could no longer pay her bills and was only getting deeper into debt, her power was shut off and she hid her Porsche in her garage so it wouldn't be repossessed, "It was like Grey Gardens" one source said, "There are dirty dishes everywhere and rotting food. There is graffiti on the walls. The pool looks like a swamp." In November 2009, Casey's mental state took a turn for the worse when she attempted to take her own life. She sent a text to ex-girlfriend Courtenay Semel saying "I've taken a lot of pills, and I’m going to sleep forever." Semel called an ambulance and upon arrival found Johnson unconscious. Casey was then admitted into intensive care for three days. Days after her release from intensive care, Johnson broke into her friend Jasmine Lennard's house and evidently stole clothes, jewelry, and lingerie. Lennard received a tip from Courtenay Semel who told Jasmine to call the police after seeing Casey wearing Jasmine's clothes when Casey was getting into bed with her. When the authorities arrived, they recovered all of Lennard's items and Casey was ultimately arrested for grand theft and held on $20,000 bail. When asked for comment, Lennard stated the following, "I tried to get her off drugs and alcohol. I tried to get her into a twelve-step program. I tried to help take care of her daughter. I’ve given her money." She continued, "I am the only person who helped this girl, and I believe she was obsessed with me, and thinks in her mind we had some kind of affair." she closed with, "She breaks into my Hollywood apartment, masturbates in my bed, has a shower in my bathroom, takes everything in my apartment" before vowing to "teach [Casey] a lesson".

After feeling betrayed by Courtenay Semel, Casey turned to Courtenay's ex-girlfriend, Tila Tequila. According to Tila, Casey showed up a mess and needed someone to talk to, but not even a full month later, Tila revealed via Utream she was engaged to Casey, sporting an alleged 17-carat ring, which Courtenay Semel claimed was the same fake ring Casey had privately proposed to her with at the Sundance Film Festival. On December 29, 2009, Casey and Tila would allegedly get into a big fight. Casey would leave her dogs at Tila's Studio City house while she stayed in a friend's guest house. Casey would spend New Years alone. On January 4, 2010, Casey Johnson was found dead by a housekeeper. The official cause of death was ruled diabetic ketosis. She was buried on January 12, 2010, at Trinity-All Saints' Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey. She was 30 years old.

The Wealthy Socialite 2024

[pixelpapi]

rare: lil' kim - manhattan file magazine (2001)

[rockislandadultreads]

Women’s History Month: More Nonfiction Recommendations

The Barbizon by Paulina Bren

Welcome to New York's legendary hotel for women.

Liberated from home and hearth by World War I, politically enfranchised and ready to work, women arrived to take their place in the dazzling new skyscrapers of Manhattan. But they did not want to stay in uncomfortable boarding houses. They wanted what men already had - exclusive residential hotels with maid service, workout rooms, and private dining.

Built in 1927, at the height of the Roaring Twenties, the Barbizon Hotel was designed as a luxurious safe haven for the "Modern Woman" hoping for a career in the arts. Over time, it became the place to stay for any ambitious young woman hoping for fame and fortune. Sylvia Plath fictionalized her time there in The Bell Jar, and, over the years, it's almost 700 tiny rooms with matching floral curtains and bedspreads housed, among many others, Titanic survivor Molly Brown; actresses Grace Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Ali MacGraw, Jaclyn Smith; and writers Joan Didion, Gael Greene, Diane Johnson, Meg Wolitzer. Mademoiselle magazine boarded its summer interns there, as did Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School its students and the Ford Modeling Agency its young models. Before the hotel's residents were household names, they were young women arriving at the Barbizon with a suitcase and a dream.

Not everyone who passed through the Barbizon's doors was destined for success - for some, it was a story of dashed hopes - but until 1981, when men were finally let in, the Barbizon offered its residents a room of their own and a life without family obligations. It gave women a chance to remake themselves however they pleased; it was the hotel that set them free. No place had existed like it before or has since.

D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose

In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was on the front lines. To “set Europe ablaze,” in the words of Winston Churchill, the Special Operations Executive  (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting, was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France.

In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently de­classified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There’s Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE’s unflap­pable “queen.” Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence - laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war.

Heiresses by Laura Thompson

Heiresses: surely they are among the luckiest women on earth. Are they not to be envied, with their private jets and Chanel wardrobes and endless funds? Yet all too often those gilded lives have been beset with trauma and despair. Before the 20th century a wife’s inheritance was the property of her husband, making her vulnerable to kidnap, forced marriages, even confinement in an asylum. And in modern times, heiresses fell victim to fortune-hunters who squandered their millions.

Heiresses tells the stories of these million dollar babies: Mary Davies, who inherited London’s most valuable real estate, and was bartered from the age of twelve; Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American “Dollar Heiress”, forced into a loveless marriage; Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress who married seven times and died almost penniless; and Patty Hearst, heiress to a newspaper fortune who was arrested for terrorism. However, there are also stories of independence and achievement: Angela Burdett-Coutts, who became one of the greatest philanthropists of Victorian England; Nancy Cunard, who lived off her mother's fortune and became a pioneer of the civil rights movement; and Daisy Fellowes, elegant linchpin of interwar high society and noted fashion editor.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 

Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley’s all-black “West Computing” group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens.

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future.

[warningsine]

NEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - Donald Trump sexually abused magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and then defamed her by branding her a liar, jurors decided on Tuesday and awarded her $5 million in damages.

The former U.S. president, campaigning to retake the White House in 2024, will appeal, said his spokesman Steven Cheung. Trump will not have to pay so long as the case is on appeal.

Carroll, 79, testified during the civil trial that Trump, 76, raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan in either 1995 or 1996, then harmed her reputation by writing in an October 2022 post on his Truth Social platform that her claims were a "complete con job," "a hoax" and "a lie."

Carroll held hands with her lawyers as the verdict was read.

She left the courthouse with her lawyer Roberta Kaplan, smiling and wearing sunglasses, and entered a car without speaking to reporters.

The nine-member jury in Manhattan federal court awarded $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Although the finding of sexual abuse was enough to establish Trump's liability for battery, the jury did not find that he raped her.

The jury deliberated for just under three hours before rejecting Trump's denial that he assaulted Carroll. To find him liable, the jury of six men and three women was required to reach a unanimous verdict.

Trump was absent throughout the trial which began on April 25. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the verdict a "disgrace" and said, "I have absolutely no idea who this woman is."

'CORE PRO-TRUMP VOTERS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE'

President from 2017 to 2021, Trump is the front-runner in opinion polls for the Republican presidential nomination and has shown an uncanny ability to weather controversies that might sink other politicians.

It seems unlikely in America's polarized political climate that the civil verdict will have an impact on Trump's core supporters, who view his legal woes as part of a concerted effort by opponents to undermine him.

"The folks that are anti-Trump are going to remain that way, the core pro-Trump voters are not going to change, and the ambivalent ones I just don’t think are going to be moved by this type of thing," said Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist in Pennsylvania.

Any negative impact is likely to be small and limited to suburban women and moderate Republicans, Gerow said.

Trump has cited the Carroll trial in campaign fundraising emails as evidence of what he portrays as a Democratic plot to damage him politically.

His poll numbers improved after he was charged in New York in March with falsifying business records over a hush money payment to a porn star before his victory in the 2016 presidential election.

That indictment, filed in New York state court, made him the first U.S. president past or present to be criminally charged. Trump has pleaded not guilty and said the charges are politically motivated.

Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist, said it remained to be seen whether the verdict in Carroll's case would make Trump "unpalatable" to Republican voters beyond his base, prompting them to coalesce around another candidate.

Jurors were tasked with deciding whether Trump raped, sexually abused or forcibly touched Carroll, any one of which would satisfy her claim of battery. They were separately asked if Trump defamed Carroll.

Because this was a civil case, Trump faces no criminal consequences and, as such, there was never a threat of prison.

Trump's legal team opted not to present a defense, gambling that jurors would find that Carroll had failed to make a persuasive case.

Trump had said Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist and a registered Democrat, made up the allegations to try to increase sales of her 2019 memoir and to hurt him politically.

The trial featured testimony from two women who said Trump sexually assaulted them decades ago.

Former People magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff told jurors that Trump cornered her at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in 2005 and forcibly kissed her for a “few minutes” until a butler interrupted the alleged assault. Another woman, Jessica Leeds, testified that Trump kissed her, groped her and put his hand up her skirt on a flight in 1979.

Jurors also heard excerpts from a 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which Trump says women let him "grab 'em by the pussy."

"Historically, that's true, with stars ... if you look over the last million years," Trump said in an October 2022 video deposition played in court. He has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual misconduct.

Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, told jurors during closing arguments on Monday that the 2005 video was proof that Trump had assaulted Carroll and other women.

JURORS ANONYMOUS AT JUDGE'S REQUEST

The federal trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is not related to Carroll's lawyer, began on April 25. Citing the uniqueness of a civil case against a former president, the judge decided that the names, addresses and places of employment of the jurors would be kept secret.

Carroll testified that she bumped into Trump at Bergdorf's while he was shopping for a gift for another woman. Carroll said she agreed to help Trump pick out a gift and the two looked at lingerie before he coaxed her into a dressing room, slammed her head into a wall and raped her. Carroll testified she could not remember the precise date or year the alleged rape occurred.

Carroll faced questions from Trump's legal team attacking the plausibility of her account including why she had never reported the matter to police or screamed during the alleged incident.

Two of Carroll's friends said that she told them about the alleged rape at the time but swore them to secrecy because she feared that Trump would use his fame and wealth to retaliate against her if she came forward.

Carroll told jurors she decided to break her silence in 2017 after rape allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein prompted scores of women to come forward with accounts of sexual violence by powerful men. She went public with her account while Trump was still president.

She said Trump's public denials wrecked her career and instigated a campaign of vicious online harassment by his supporters including various threatening messages and social media posts.

While Trump did not testify at the trial, a video clip from the October 2022 deposition showed him mistaking Carroll for one of his former wives in a black-and-white photo among several people at an event.

"It's Marla," Trump said in the deposition, referring to his second wife Marla Maples. Previously Trump had said he could not have raped Carroll because she was "not my type."

[skiplo-wave]

Three counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. In the 14-age indictmen filed by the New York district court, Diddy turned his "multi-faceted business empire" into a "criminal enterprise" in which he and his associates engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor and other crimes. Kidnapping / forcing victims over state lines. Diddy threatened (with guns) and coerced women to fulfill his sexual desires. This criminal enterprise believed to had started 2008-present. Multiple AR-15 guns, large-capacity magazines, "evidence" of the crimes indictment and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant were discovered during the raids.

New York Post:

Williams said during a press conference that the investigation is still ongoing and that he "can't take anything off the table" when asked if others could be indicted in the sweeping case. Williams said Diddy "used his business and employees of that business to get his way" with victims whom he forced into "Freak Off" sex sessions with male prostitutes. Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams say his office will be asking a judge to keep Diddy behind bars when he's arraigned later Tuesday. They believe his crimes are serious enough for such a request.

Jfc

[oskarlevant]

WSJ: Without limits placed on testimony, the jurors can now learn why the case was faulty

6-3 Op-Ed. Wall of text to get around paywall.

Now the Trump Jurors Can Be Told

Without the limits placed on witness testimony, they can now learn why the case was faulty.

By James Freeman June 3, 2024 12:28 pm ET

quote: In the Manhattan trial of former President Donald Trump, it seems that partisan judge Juan Merchan insisted on so many limits on the potential testimony of former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley Smith that the defense decided it was pointless to put him on the stand. But now the jurors can learn what Journal readers have known for more than a year—hush-money payments to alleged mistresses are not campaign contributions.

This weekend Mr. Smith noted this again on X and also explained in a series of posts why there was a big chronological hole in the claim that a 2016 payment to alleged mistress Stormy Daniels was improperly reported to avoid damaging news prior to that year’s election:

The payment to Daniels was made on Oct. 27. So the payment would not have been reported on the Pre-election report… The next report is the Post-Election Report…

In 2016, the Post-Election Report was required to be filed on December 8, one month after the election. So the prosecution’s theory, that Trump wanted to hide the expenditure until after the election, makes no sense at all…

Even if we assume, incorrectly, that it was a campaign expenditure, it wouldn’t have been reported until 30 days after the election. But again, none of this got to the jury, either through testimony or the judge’s instructions…

Merchan was rather obviously biased here, but I’ll give him the benefit of a doubt and say he was just thoroughly ignorant of campaign finance law, and had no interest in boning up on it to properly instruct the jury.

Mr. Smith sums up the issue under relevant federal law:

There was no illegal contribution or expenditure made, and no failure to report an expenditure. And even if we assume otherwise, the prosecution’s theory made no sense, suggesting no criminal intent.

Could this case look any worse? It seems that even if one made the error of regarding the hush-money payment as a campaign contribution, there would still be ample reason to question the constitutionality of the verdict. Steven Calabresi, who teaches law at Northwestern and Yale, writes for Reason magazine:

In 2010, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310, the Supreme Court held 5 to 4 that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by closely allied corporations and groups like The Trump Organization. Under Citizens United, it was perfectly legal for The Trump Organization to pay Daniels $130,000 in hush money to conceal her alleged affair with Donald Trump…

Groups contributing to election campaigns can pay for advertising to promote candidates, and they can also pay hush money to keep bad or false stories out of the news. The effect either way is to help the candidate. You can contribute money to generate good publicity. And, you can contribute money to avoid bad publicity. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech in both cases.

Mr. Calabresi adds:

The U.S. Supreme Court needs to hear this case as soon as possible because of its impact on the 2024 presidential election between President Trump and President Biden. Voters need to know that the Constitution protected everything Trump is alleged to have done with respect to allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels. This is especially the case because the trial judge in Trump’s Manhattan case wrongly allowed Stormy Daniels to testify in graphic detail about the sexual aspects of her alleged affair with Trump. This testimony tainted the jury and the 2024 national presidential electorate, impermissibly, and was irrelevant to the question of whether President Trump altered business records to conceal a crime. The federal Supreme Court needs to make clear what are the legal rules in matters of great consequence to an election to a federal office like the presidency. A highly partisan borough, Manhattan, of a highly partisan city, New York City, in a highly partisan state, like New York State, cannot be allowed to criminalize the conduct of presidential candidates in ways that violate the federal constitution.

The Roman Republic fell when politicians began criminalizing politics. I am gravely worried that we are seeing that pattern repeat itself in the present-day United States. It is quite simply wrong to criminalize political differences.

Some readers were disappointed in your humble correspondent for suggesting on Friday that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D., N.Y.) should pardon Mr. Trump. Given the logical and constitutional flaws in the case, these disgruntled readers think it would be better to have this outrage exposed in the appeals process and completely repudiated, whereas a pardon might appear to some to be a merciful response to a legitimate prosecution for the sake of political comity. Perhaps such readers needn’t worry. Jon Levine reports for the New York Post:

A person close to Hochul said a pardon was “unlikely.”

“I cannot image a world where she would consider doing this, this makes no sense,” said the insider.

[boricuacherry-blog]

For Vince Aletti, a young music critic in New York, Mancuso played a lot of music he didn't know about. The biggest music magazines at the time - Rolling Stone, Creem - were dominated by coverage white rock-and-roll acts. Aletti, who grew up outside Philadelphia, preferred R&B and soul music, and he carved out a niche writing about major artists in those genres, such as the Jackson 5 and Mary Wells. Then he began going to the Loft.

Mancuso was an antiques dealer and music fanatic when he opened the club in his twenties. He had grown up in Utica, New York, and set out for Manhattan in his late teens, immersing himself in the hippie counterculture of the East Village. In 1973, Aletti published a piece in Rolling Stone called "Discotheque Rock," which is often considered the first major piece to shine light on what had been an underground phenomenon. The following year, he began writing a weekly column for Record World, a music-industry trade magazine. He wrote the column for five years, reviewing hundreds of records along the way and serving as a witness to a series of evolutions in dance music. In 2009, DJhistory.com published his columns as a book, which, like the column itself, was called "Disco Files."

In 1977 he wrote a tribute to the dj Jimmy Stuard, who had just died in a fire at the Everard Baths, in Manhattan. The pages of "Disco Files" are filled with the names of others - Larry Levan, Sylvester, Arthur Russell, Patrick Cowley - who also died young, casualties of a disease that few understood. As AIDS spread, the early disco community was decimated.

And the speed at which disco became a get-rich-quick phenomenon influenced popular perception of the genre for decades to come.

[truck-fump]

<b>Trump's</b> Last Try At Slowing Hush-Money Trial Is Desperate - New York Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-last-try-at-slowing-hush-money-trial-is-desperate.html&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGjUzM2UwMTY5ZmFhZTIwMGQ6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AOvVaw1Ji9AFvvpjsQCiyxGh9MSk

Trump's Last Try At Slowing Hush-Money Trial Is Desperate - New York Magazine

One week before the trial, Donald Trump’s legal team has filed two motions seeking to move the trial out of Manhattan and halt a gag order issued …

[beardedmrbean]

Sometimes reality TV could get a little too real.

Case in point: Katrina L. Weems, who was charged last week with nine counts of illegally using food stamps and money laundering. Java'la C. Elam was charged in the same case with one felony count of illegally trafficking food stamps.

The women first publicly talked about how they bought or sold food stamps last year on "Judy Justice," a television show where Judy Sheindlin, a former family court judge in Manhattan, presides over a TV courtroom and arbitrates disputes. Earlier Sheindlin had starred in the long-running "Judge Judy" daytime show.

The episode with Weems, 41, and Elams, 25, started with the women seeking to resolve a dispute over the sale of a used 2005 Toyota Camry.

Instead, however, much of the episode dealt with the women talking about about selling and buying foods stamps, according to a transcript of the show that is quoted in the criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

"It sounded like a scam," the transcript quotes Sheindlin saying after the women discussed their food stamp dealings.

"I wonder if both those women realize that they just admitted in court to committing a felony," Sheindlin's TV law clerk, who is not identified by name, is quoted as saying. "I heard that they were exchanging food stamps for money, for cash for other things."

The clerk said she looked up Wisconsin law during the program and "sure enough, if you transfer or sell (food stamps) for money, something other than food, that's a ... felony."

Weems and Elam, who could not be reached for comment, were charged in Milwaukee County following an investigation by the state Department of Health Services, Office of the Inspector General.

Investigators discovered that "Weems financed the purchase of several people's FoodShare benefits and laundered those benefits by using those illegally acquired proceeds herself," the complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office states.

In addition, the complaint charged that "Elam trafficked her own benefits by selling them to multiple people."

Last year, the Wisconsin Law Journal saw the show on the Amazon streaming service and reported that "during the case’s opening, as the parties described their relationship, Weems admitted to purchasing unused food stamps from Elam ($50 for $100 worth of stamps). Weems, a business owner, indicated she would give them away to those she knew in need."

The legal magazine noted that purchasing or transferring food stamps is a felony.

The criminal complaint liberally quotes a transcript of Sheindlin's TV show that aired last year.

"Elam testified that she sold her FoodShare benefits to Ms. Weems for cash and they both admitted that Ms. Weems buys FoodShare EBT cards from several individuals," the complaint states, referring to the Electronic Benefits Transfer system. FoodShare refers to the Wisconsin food stamp program.

The transcript quotes Elam talking about food stamps when she was telling Sheindlin about how she met Weems.

Weems "runs a daycare and my best friend's cousin goes to her daycare and Ms. Weems was buying stamps," Elam told the judge.

Sheindlin quickly asked "buying what?"

Elam said Weems was buying food stamps "from everybody, me included."

Elam told the judge she receives food stamps but "I don't have a fam -- I have a daughter yes, but I put food in the home."

Sheindlin's curiosity was clearly aroused.

"I'm just trying to understand, " Sheindlin said. "How much does she pay you for the food stamps?"

"If I was to sell her $100 in stamps, she'll give me $50," Elam responded.

Elam told the judge that Weems would purchase stamps from other people also.

Sheindlin then focused her attention on Weems.

"And what do you do with them, Miss Weems?" the judge asked.

"I actually buy food," Weems said. "I give them away. I'm just a person that helps everybody."

Weems added that "I just buy them because they would need the money. So, I buy a lot of food. I have a surplus of food."

According to the transcript, Weems seemed to say she would sell the stamps for half their face value, although she told Sheindlin that "I never sell them."

When Sheindlin asked her how she finances her purchases, Weems told the judge, "I make about $15,000 a month. I own a tax office as well as a daycare."

Sheindlin was unimpressed with Weems' defense of the food stamp transactions.

"Irrespective of the fact that the defendant says 'I give it away. I use it,'" Sheindlin said. "But I pay for it. ... Some programs that are meant to really help people and it's just too bad that some people will always stoop to the level of abusing a program that was really meant to help people who really couldn't afford to buy food."

Weems was charged with five felonies and four misdemeanors, including money laundering and unauthorized use of food stamps. Elam was charged with trafficking food stamps, a felony.

[ghtrrgwe]

Epstein list brings a frenzy of Clinton and Trump conspiracies

The furor over the Epstein sex trafficking case feeds into a mistrust of elites

Less than an hour before a trove of papers related to sex trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump’s niece and longtime antagonist Mary Trump sent out a blast email titled “REVEALED: My Uncle & Epstein’s List” to her nearly 140,000 newsletter followers.  

But, much like the release of Epstein documents this week, Mary Trump’s post revealed little.  

Instead, the bestselling author rehashed the former president’s onetime friendship with Epstein and mentioned an unnamed woman who had made lurid abuse claims against Donald Trump before withdrawing her case.

At the other end of the dial, popular conservative commentator Glenn Beck told his 450,000 paid subscribers that “we know Bill Clinton’s mentioned 50 times” in the Epstein documents, while failing to note that the prominent Democrat’s name appeared repeatedly because of a legal argument over a witness’ truthfulness – and not because of any new claims of wrongdoing by Clinton. 

The release of the long-anticipated Epstein files by a Manhattan federal judge has sparked a feeding frenzy by hardcore partisans and conspiracy theorists, fueled in part by misinformation and internet fakes – another example of surging political paranoia and mistrust as the U.S. enters a high-stakes election year, experts say. 

Hoping for ‘the next big thing’ to bring down political enemies

“There’s a word for it: hopium,” said Mike Rothschild, an author who researches conspiracy movements. “It's this addictive hope that that the next big thing is going to come and – forget about all the failures – this is going to be the thing that finally brings down your enemy, whether your enemy is liberal or conservative.”  

“That strain of unshakable belief," he said, ''it's a very human thing.”

As the release of the documents neared, speculation of what − and who − they might expose reached a boil. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said he expected to see congressional colleagues revealed as friends of Epstein. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel threatened to sue New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for suggesting on ESPN that Kimmel would be named in the papers. (He wasn't.)

Red meat for haters of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump

The “Epstein list,” and the scandal surrounding the multimillionaire’s exploitation of teenage girls, offers plenty of red meat for partisans on the right and left.  

Trump and Epstein were filmed and photographed together at parties, and in 2002 he praised the wealthy businessman as a "terrific guy.” 

“He’s a lot of fun to be with," Trump told New York Magazine. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." 

Clinton, like Trump, appears on flight logs for Epstein’s private jet. Clinton’s spokesman said in 2019, after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, that the former president had flown on Epstein’s jet to destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia.  

Both Clinton and Trump said after the 2019 arrest they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes and hadn’t spoken to him for more than a decade. Trump told reporters in the White House the two had fallen out. “I was not a fan,” he said.  

And testimony in the papers released this week has discredited claims that Clinton was ever a guest at Epstein’s private 70-acre Caribbean Island, which he has always denied. But that hasn’t stopped social media personalities with huge audiences from stitching either Clinton or Trump – depending on the poster’s sympathy – to Epstein’s side. 

Trump – despite his own partying with Epstein – helped drive the island narrative, telling the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2015: “Bill Clinton? Nice guy. A lot of problems coming up in the famous island with Epstein." Donald Trump Jr. boosted those claims this week in a post that received 2.7 million views. 

The 'Epstein list' and Epstein conspiracies

Both former presidents have been accused of sexual misconduct. Clinton was impeached in 1998 over his affair with a White House intern. In May, a jury in a federal civil lawsuit found Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million in damages. He has appealed.

By Thursday afternoon, ahead of the release of another batch of Epstein documents, popular social media accounts were claiming that an Iowa school shooting earlier that same day had been staged to divert attention from potentially embarrassing disclosures in the Epstein papers.   

That conspiracy theory points to a broader, and less partisan, mistrust of American elites and the conviction that powerful people will do anything to cover their tracks. 

“I think there is the perception that Epstein ran in these rarefied circles, elites of society, of arts, and politics, culture, royalty – and that most of them somehow knew something about what was going on, didn't say anything, didn't do anything,” said Rothschild, the author of "Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories." “A lot of what's happening is this guilt by association, that anybody who had anything to do with Epstein is also linked to the worst things Epstein did.” 

On Thursday, Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald reporter who was pivotal in bringing Epstein down, took on her colleagues in the news media for downplaying the new documents.

“The way the Mainstream media is dismissing the Jeffrey Epstein files reminds me how it pretty much ignored the fact that Epstein molested dozens of girls in 2008 because, well, there was no proof,” Brown wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “nothing here behind the curtain to examine, right?” 

Brown was referring to a 2008 sweetheart deal that allowed Epstein to serve 13 months in a Florida jail on a single count of soliciting a minor for prostitution, ending a federal investigation in which he faced a potential life sentence. The prosecutor who signed off on that deal, Alex Acosta, later served in Trump’s Cabinet as U.S. labor secretary.  

How did Jeffrey Epstein die?

Even Epstein’s 2019 death by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell has been spun as a murder instigated by either Clinton or Trump to cover up his crimes.  

On Wednesday, Mary Trump referred to Epstein as having “allegedly committed suicide,” despite an investigation showing how lax supervision allowed Epstein to kill himself. Donald Trump, while president, retweeted a conservative poster's claim that Epstein had somehow been murdered by the Clintons – while in a federal detention center operated by Trump’s Justice Department. 

Still: Someone was likely abusing children alongside Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein is dead and Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Every other prominent person who has been alleged in civil court proceedings to have joined in Epstein’s crimes – a list that notably doesn’t include either Clinton or Trump – has denied it, and no one else has been prosecuted.

“The public interest must still be served in learning more about the scale and scope of Epstein's racket to further the important goal of shutting down sex trafficking wherever it exists and holding more to account,” Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for one of Epstein’s victims, said this week. “The unsealing of these documents gets us closer to that goal.”