Elon Musk said he is prepared to pay the legal defense fees for anyone who “speaks the truth” about Jeffrey Epstein and is hit with a lawsuit for doing so, days after the latest batch of Epstein files highlighted the billionaire’s past connections and communications with the deceased convicted sex offender.
Key Takeaways
- Musk’s post was in response to a public service announcement featuring statements from survivors of Epstein’s sex crimes, released to coincide with Super Bowl Sunday.
- Anti-human trafficking advocacy group World Without Exploitation released the ad, which was reposted on X by several lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
- In the 40-second clip, notes that 3 million Epstein documents have not yet been released, and the survivors tell Attorney General Pam Bondi, “it’s time for the truth.”
What Prompted Musk’s Legal Fees Offer For Epstein Victims?
Right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh chimed in on the video in an X post, accusing the survivors of embarking “on a months-long publicity campaign which curiously didn’t start until the exact moment Biden left office,” instead of “just” naming their abusers. In a follow-up post, Walsh wrote: “For those claiming that they can’t name names because they’ll be sued: they could simply give the names to any of their many advocates in Congress, who could read the names out loud from the floor,” as he once again appeared to cast doubt on the claims. Musk responded to Walsh’s post, tweeting: “I will pay for the defense of anyone who speaks the truth about this and is sued for doing so.” The billionaire’s post, however, did not specify how he’ll determine which allegation is “the truth.”
What Do We Know About Musk’s Connections With Epstein?
The most recent tranche of Epstein files released by the Justice Department featured several email conversations between Musk and the convicted sex offender. In a November 2012 email, Musk asked Epstein: “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” On Christmas Day later that year, Musk wrote another email to Epstein asking if he had any parties planned, adding: “I’ve been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose…a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I’m looking for.” Musk had previously said Epstein “tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED.” In response to the latest file releases, Musk tweeted: “I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his ‘Lolita Express’, but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.” The billionaire also pointed out: “No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released, and I’m glad that has finally happened.” A photo of Musk sitting with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for dinner is also featured in the latest document release. Epstein had emailed the photo to himself in August 2015, but the disgraced financier does not appear in the picture himself. In an email sent later that month, Epstein said he “had dinner with zuckerburg, mu=k, thiel hoffman, wild,” possibly referring to LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman and Palantir chairman Peter Thiel.
Crucial Quote
“The most important ad you will see on Super Bowl Sunday. You don’t “move on” from the largest sex trafficking ring in the world. You expose it. #StandWithSurvivors,” Schumer wrote in his X post as he shared the PSA video.
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This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
