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FBI VOL00009
EFTA00800508
343 sivua
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241 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 you should not respond. BY MR. LINK: Q Without disclosing their names, I will ask the question differently. Were you representing, in January 2013, undisclosed victims that had compensatory and punitive damage claims yet to be filed against Mr. Epstein? A I don't know. I don't know if at that time I was or not. Q Well, that's what this statement says, right? A It doesn't really. It says that upon information and belief, federal law enforcement continues to investigate additional allegations of Epstein's serial abuse and molestation of children. Q That's not the sentence we were just looking at. A "As a consequence" -- that's the sentence you are looking at. "As a consequence of the" -- that's what it says in the first sentence -- "Epstein continues to face the potential of further criminal prosecution and huge civil judgments from both compensatory and punitive damages in favor of many victims of his depraved criminal exploitation of Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800748
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242 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 children" -- Q Including victims represented by Edwards. A -- "including victims represented by Edwards." Q So I'm asking you, did you, in fact, in January 2013 represent any victims of Mr. Edwards (sic) that still had -- A Epstein. Q I'm sorry. Mr. Epstein. Let me do it again. Mr. Edwards, did you in January 2013 represent any victims that had potential claims for both compensatory and punitive damages against Mr. Epstein? MR. SCAROLA: You're misreading the sentence. It doesn't say what you think -- what you are reading it to say. And as the author of the sentence, I can tell you it doesn't say what you think it says. MR. LINK: I think it says exactly the way I'm reading it, but it doesn't really matter. So in answering my -- someone else will decide what it says, not you or me. MR. SCAROLA: Well, I will decide what it says because I wrote it. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800749
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243 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MR. LINK: Well, I don't think it actually works that way. I expect the jury will have to determine -- MR. SCAROLA: And I suspect that -- MR. LINK: That's improper -- MR. SCAROLA: -- to examine this witness about the allegations -- MR. LINK: -- in a pleading. MR. SCAROLA: -- in an unsworn pleading. That's correct. MR. LINK: We will find out. MR. SCAROLA: Okay. BY MR. LINK: Q In any event, did you, in fact, in January 2013 have any clients that you were representing that still had potential civil compensatory and punitive damages claims against Mr. Epstein? A I don't remember if in January of 2013 I represented anybody who was a victim of Mr. Epstein's molestation. I just don't remember. Q Take a look at the last sentence of paragraph six and the first sentence of paragraph seven. A Okay. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800750
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244 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Q Tell me which lawyers were unable to persist in the prosecution of their claims based on Mr. Epstein's tactics? A It doesn't say that. You are just reading something into it a paragraph that's not even close to what it says. Q Talks about intimidating his victims and their legal counsel into abandoning their legitimate claims or resolving those claims for substantially less than their just value, right? That's a statement of fact in here of what has happened. And it says, "Epstein's tactics have proven successful, while other victims have thus far withstood this continued assault upon them and persisted in the prosecution of their claims." Right? So if Mr. Epstein's tactics proved successful, then he must have intimidated victims and their legal counsel into abandoning their legitimate claims or abandoning their legit claims or resolving them for substantially less than their just value. And I would like to know who those lawyers and victims were, sir. MR. SCAROLA: That is argumentive. It is a misreading of the sentence. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800751
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245 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MR. LINK: Okay. MR. SCAROLA: And if the question is are you aware of victims who were intimidated by Epstein and compromised their claims for less than their value, that's a legitimate question. But skip the whole bunch of rhetoric that precedes it and ask that question. MR. LINK: You are done? MR. SCAROLA: Yeah. BY MR. LINK: Q Do you remember my question? A Hardly. Q Me too. So what I'm trying to understand is this most current lawsuit against that Mr. Epstein has allegations in it. And I know when we looked at Mr. Epstein's complaint against you, you were bothered by allegations that were in there that you said were untrue, right? A Yeah. The complaint is untrue. Q I'm just looking at these allegations that your lawyer filed on your behalf. Did you review this complaint, this counterclaim before it was filed? Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800752
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246 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 A At some point in time, but not recently. Q I said before it was filed. A I'm sure. Q And if there was something that you saw in there that you thought Mr. Scarola got wrong or was inaccurate, he unintentionally made a mistake, you would have pointed it out, right? A Well, Mr. Scarola was one of the lawyers who also represented Epstein victims, so he knew -- he knew the case, so did I. Did he know facts that I didn't know? Maybe. But this doesn't look foreign to me. I mean, Epstein intimidated victims. You've seen the police reports. He intimidated victims. He intimidated their families. Q And their legal counsel, you say in here. Mr. Scarola did not -- MR. SCAROLA: No, no. The complaint said he attempted to intimidate victims and legal counsel, and in some circumstances he was successful. MR. LINK: Right. I'm trying to figure out who it was. MR. SCAROLA: Okay, well, then ask that question -- MR. LINK: I did. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800753
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247 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MR. SCAROLA: -- are you aware of victims or legal counsel who were intimidated? MR. LINK: I asked it my way. You are better at it than I am. I will keep going my way. BY MR. LINK: Q Can you tell me one lawyer who was intimidated and resolved or abandoned a legitimate claim, or resolved it for substantially less? Can you tell me one? A Because of intimidation, many of the victims either didn't bring claims or abandoned their claims or settled them for much -- well below the value of the cases. Q You said lawyer. Tell me one lawyer, please, is what I asked. One lawyer. Did Mr. Scarola? There's no chance, right? MR. SCAROLA: How about one question at a time. MR. LINK: Fair enough. BY MR. LINK: Q Did Mr. Scarola capitulate and was afraid of Mr. Epstein? A It wasn't the -- Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800754
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248 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MR. SCAROLA: That's two questions. MR. LINK: It was? MR. SCAROLA: Yes. Did Mr. Scarola capitulate? Was Mr. Scarola intimidated by Mr. Epstein? MR. LINK: I bet he can handle that question. MR. SCAROLA: I'm sure he can, but the law requires that you ask one question at a time. MR. LINK: It actually requires that you just object to the form and then we will see. That's what it requires. I know you know that. I think you taught me that during my objections. MR. SCAROLA: Let's ask the proper question, please. THE WITNESS: All right. What's the question? BY MR. LINK: Q Can you tell me one lawyer that represented an Epstein plaintiff that abandoned their claim based on Mr. Epstein's intimidation? A I believe what is being said here is that the intimidation of the victim caused the lawyer or the Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800755
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249 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 victim to settle the case or the lawyer to not be able to get the full value of the case. I think that if you talk to Bob Josefsberg, he will tell you that that happened. Q That he settled his cases for less than he otherwise would have because of him being intimidated or not getting the evidence? A His clients being intimidated. Q I will ask him that. A Perfect. Q You can try to massage the words, as you have done, but this says intimidate his victims and their legal counsel. And I keep asking you about legal counsel. A And I keep telling you to ask him. Ask some other legal counsel. It wasn't me. Q This isn't his pleading. This is yours, sir. And I'm asking you in this pleading that you filed to please tell me one person that you are referring to in this statement that you made. One. Tell me one lawyer that abandoned a legitimate claim. A I just told you who to go to ask and you acted like I didn't say it. Q Sir, your pleadings says that a legal counsel abandoned a legitimate claim. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800756
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250 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 A It's Jack Scarola's -- MR. SCAROLA: My pleading does not say -- my pleading does not say that any lawyer was intimidated. My pleading says that Jeffrey Epstein sought to intimidate victims and their legal counsel into abandoning their legitimate claims. That's what it says. That's what he sought to do. BY MR. LINK: Q Can you identify any lawyers that were intimidated and abandoned their claim, please? If you can't, you can't. Just say, I don't know of any. A I just told you it wasn't me. Q I didn't ask if it was you, sir. I said if you can identify any. This is about the 50th time I've asked you can you tell me any lawyers that have abandoned their claim. And all you have to say is, I don't know of any. Or I do know, and here is who they are. A Any lawyers that abandoned their claim? Q Yes. A I don't know of any lawyers that abandoned their claim. Q Okay. Thank you. Do you know of any lawyers that have Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800757
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251 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 resolved their claim for substantially less than their just value? A I don't know of any lawyers that had a claim. But if they had a claim against Mr. Epstein, I don't know of any lawyer who abandoned his claim for substantially less value. Q Now, I'm not talking about a lawyer's claim. A That's what you just asked me. Q No, it's not. It's the claim for the clients they represent. A Okay. Q I am assuming that's what your paragraph talks about here, are lawyers representing victims, and that those lawyers, as a result of intimidation, either walked away from the case, or took less money than they thought was professionally and ethically available for the case because of the intimidation. That's what we're talking about. So let's try it again, which is really simple. Are you aware of any lawyer that abandoned a legitimate claim filed on behalf of a client because they were intimidated by Mr. Epstein? MR. SCAROLA: Who is the they you're speaking with? Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800758
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252 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MR. LINK: What? MR. SCAROLA: You used a pronoun. MR. LINK: Yeah. MR. SCAROLA: The pronoun followed two specific references. One was a reference to client and the other was a reference to lawyer. BY MR. LINK: Q You can answer the question. A So am I aware -- is it your question or does it relate to this paragraph? Does your question relate to the paragraph? Q Ignore the paragraph for a minute. A Pretend the paragraph doesn't exist Q I can tell it's confusing. A It is, because it doesn't relate to your question, but -- okay. So your question is -- Q You're objecting too? Now you're objecting for yourself. A No. I just thought that you were trying to relate it to this paragraph, and that's what's making this hard. Q Don't worry about what's going on in my head. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800759
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253 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 A So omit the paragraph? Q I would like to know if you can identify one lawyer that represented a victim with a legitimate claim against Mr. Epstein where that lawyer abandoned that claim because of Mr. Epstein's intimidation. A I'm not sure one way or the other. Like I said, if -- Bob Josefsberg represented a lot of people. If anybody's claim was abandoned because of intimidation, he would probably know better than me. Q Mr. Josefsberg is not sitting in that chair, sir. A Right. Q I'm asking you. So if you don't know one, is it hard no say I don't know of any? A I believe victims abandoned their claims. I remember that as a fact. I believe also that they were represented by Mr. Josefsberg. I'm not positive about that, but that's to the best of my memory. That's what I think happened. How this has anything to do with this lawsuit, God only knows. But I'm trying for you. Q So I should talk to Mr. Josefsberg to see if, when he was legal counsel for a victim he abandoned a legitimate claim because he was Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800760
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254 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 intimidated by Mr. Epstein. Is that what you're saying? A That's not what I said. I said whether a victim abandoned her claim where he happened to be the lawyer because she was intimidated or Mr. Epstein used his -- employed his extraordinary financial resources, sought to avoid damages by employing extraordinary resources at his disposal with the purpose of intimidating his victims or legal counsel, I think that that would be the person you would ask about that. Q All right. Turn to paragraph 25, which is on page eight. A Okay. Q You see that it talks about Mr. Epstein filing this claim against Edwards and Edwards' client A I do. Q -- for the sole purpose of further attempting to intimidate? A Yes. Q And to abandoning or settling their legitimate claims. A Right. Q We talked about that earlier, right? Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800761
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255 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 A Yes. Q And can you -- III. was a defendant in this lawsuit, right? A Right. Q At the time that she was a defendant, she was represented by you and your law firm as her lawyer against Mr. Epstein, right? A Correct. Q Did you and your law firm represent III. in the defense of this lawsuit? A Yes. Q And in representing III. in the defense of this lawsuit where you're also a defendant, did you charge her for that work? A No. Q Did you do it on a contingency basis? A No. Q Did you charge her for costs? A No. Q Did you have a written fee agreement with her? A Specifically for the defense of this case? Q Yes, sir. A Not a fee agreement, because I didn't charge her a fee, and I don't think that there was a written Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800762
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256 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 agreement at all, to the best of my memory. Q Did you have any writing with her at all discussing the terms upon which this representation would go forward? A No, other than I told her I would represent her pro bono in this. It was unfair that this was his tactic to try to extort her into abandoning her claim, as well. Q Did you have any writing with her describing a conflict situation related to your being a defendant in this lawsuit representing her in the claims against Mr. Edwards (sic) and defending A Epstein. Q Epstein. Thank you. -- and defending her in the claim brought by Mr. Epstein against her? A I don't know if she signed a conflict waiver. I'm trying to think through what that conflict would be. It's not jumping out at me. I don't think that she signed a conflict waiver. Q Just so I get the names right -- thank you for correcting me. At the time you, Brad Edwards, represented in a state lawsuit against Mr. Epstein. A Right. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800763
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257 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Q You, Brad Edwards, represented in a federal lawsuit against Mr. Epstein. A Right. Q Mr. Epstein sued_ and you individually in December 2009. A Right. Q Your law firm and you represented yourself, right, in the defense of Mr. Epstein's suit? A Mr. Scarola represented me. Q Well, you filed a notice of appearance. A Not then. Q When did you file it? A I don't remember. You would have to show me the pleading, but not initially. Q But you did, before Mr. Epstein's suite was dismissed, file a notice of appearance, right? A Before Mr. Epstein Mr. Epstein's lawsuit with m was dismissed? Q Against you. A Against me was dismissed? Q Uh-huh. A Yes. Q And Mr. Epstein sued_ and you and your law firm agreed to represent her without charging her to defend against the lawsuit Mr. Epstein brought? Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800764
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258 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 A That's right. Q And as far as you can remember, there's no written fee agreement? A True. Q And there's no written conflict waiver letter? A Yes. We just went through that. MR. SCAROLA: Good place for a break? MR. LINK: Yeah. Perfect. Thank you. THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time is 4:01 p.m. This is the end of tape three and we are going off the record. (A recess was had.) THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time is 4:17 p.m. This is the beginning of tape four. We are back on the record. BY MR. LINK: Q Mr. Edwards, looking at Exhibit 18 -- we started the day talking about lawyers in the Rothstein firm that worked on the Epstein matters with you. And that is -- you testified earlier that Russell Adler -- this is an email from him -- was the head of the tort group. A Right. (Plaintiff's Exhibit Number 18 was marked Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800765
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259 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 for identification.) BY MR. LINK: Q And this is a memo from him to you copying Marc Nurik. Marc Nurik was a lawyer at Rothstein's firm? A One of the criminal defense lawyers. Q And it's references Mr. Epstein's non-prosecution agreement? A That's what it looks like. Q And it looks like it's a message from Mr. Adler to you. Says, "Brad, Wayne Black and I just had a great conversation with Marc Nurik about the non-prosecution agreement, and I need you to please get in contact with Marc and meet with him to discuss the possibilities. Bring with you a copy of the agreement." Next sentence says, "We also discussed the assets situation and there are some major possibilities that need to be explored with Marc and others." "Get on it" exclamation point. Were you reporting to Mr. Adler in how to represent the three Rothstein clients -- the three ladies -- on how to prosecute the Epstein matters? A Well, this email is dated April 8th, 2009, so Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800766
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260 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 I had just started at the firm. I had just got there. Russ Adler was one of the only lawyers that I had known for years before I got to the firm. And Russ Adler handled sexual abuse cases. So, especially in the beginning, I talked to Russ about how to kind of navigate through the complications with Jeffrey Epstein and with the type of defense that was going on. So this just appears that Wayne Black and Russ Adler -- Wayne was the investigator -- that they were talking also about how to -- what we needed to do in the investigation. Yeah, Russ was definitely involved then. He didn't do much in the day-to-day, so I don't want to say anything to that. Q I understand. But I'm talking about on April 8th, 2009, it looks to me like he's giving you instructions on what to do. Do you agree? A Not giving me instructions on what to do. I mean, he's telling me bring Marc Nurik the non-prosecution agreement, is the instruction. If anything, we are working together with the common goal. Q The get on it, exclamation point -- A We're buddies. Then we were just friends. Get on it is let's do this. Palm Beach Reporting Service, Inc. EFTA00800767