SDNY Epstein Investigation

Edition label: 2026-10

Jurisdiction: Southern District of New York¹
Lead: U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman²
Key actions: Epstein indictment (July 2019)³; Maxwell indictment (June 2020)⁴; Maxwell conviction (2021)⁵

Overview

Barr recalled Justice Department discussions about making sure the 2019 charges did not run afoul of the NPA.⁶

AG Barr’s Role

William P. Barr maintained deliberate non-interference:⁷ - Does not recall reviewing the indictment; may have been shown it⁸ - Did not approve charge decisions; does not recall approving subpoenas, though notes it’s possible issues came up⁹ - Did not recall communicating directly with any SDNY line prosecutors¹⁰ - Barr recalled David Bowdich (FBI Deputy Director) as his primary FBI contact; Barr said he thought SDNY communications would have gone more to the Deputy Attorney General’s office¹¹ - Believed he was told the substance of Maxwell’s case when prosecutors were ready to indict, but did not review the evidence himself¹²

Barr first learned of the investigation around the time of Epstein’s arrest (July 2019), possibly slightly before.¹³

Co-Conspirator Scope

Barr states he was never briefed that SDNY had actionable evidence against any of the prominently named figures:¹⁴ - Trump, Clinton, Richardson, Mitchell, Dubin, Gates, Black, Dershowitz, Branson¹⁵

Barr testified that he could not recall whether SDNY filed urgent reports beyond Epstein and Maxwell;¹⁶ he said a report “quite possibly” existed for Prince Andrew and that one should have been considered given the sensitivity.¹⁷

Geoffrey Berman’s team may not have fully informed Barr of who was being investigated¹⁸ — Barr describes the SDNY as “relatively well-known for playing its cards very close to the vest.”¹⁹

Witness Cooperation

SDNY sought Prince Andrew as a witness;²⁰ Barr testified that he was aware of a dispute over Andrew’s cooperation.²¹ Geoffrey Berman made public remarks about the dispute outside Epstein’s Manhattan residence on January 27, 2020, as reported at the time by the Associated Press²²; Barr criticized the handling.²³

Post-Epstein Death

The investigation continued after Epstein’s death, resulting in Maxwell’s indictment.²⁴ The co-conspirator investigation’s current status post-Maxwell conviction is unclear from Barr’s testimony.²⁵

Tensions

• Barr argues SDNY’s leak culture would prevent cover-ups²⁶ — but also describes the SDNY as playing its cards very close to the vest²⁷ and says it may not have fully briefed him.²⁸ These positions are in tension.
• Barr never directly asked Berman which prominent figures were being investigated.²⁹

Open Questions

• Was the SDNY investigation the primary federal prosecution of J. Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as opposed to one of several concurrent federal proceedings?
• Did the SDNY investigation run in parallel with the earlier Florida non-prosecution-agreement, rather than only beginning after it concluded?

Sources

• U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Deposition of William P. Barr. Washington, DC, August 18, 2025. — primary; Barr’s account of his role, Berman’s independence, and co-conspirator scope