Hillary Clinton campaign baselessly accused of pressuring Epstein victim in 2008, documents reveal

The accuser previously admitted to lying about being in sex tapes with Bill Clinton to ‘draw attention to Epstein’s behavior’

A Jeffrey Epstein accuser baselessly claimed Hillary Clinton “intimidated” her friend into staying silent about her allegations about Bill Clinton in 2008 in an effort to protect her presidential campaign, court documents unsealed on Monday revealed.

Writing in a 2016 email to a New York Post reporter, Sarah Ransome alleged that an unnamed friend had appeared in sex tapes with Bill Clinton, as well as Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, and months later was “approached by Special Agents Forces Men sent directly by Hilary Clinton herself.”

“They heavily intimidated her, ruffled her up (luckily she took photos as evidence) and was then forced to sign a confidentiality agreement which ensures that she can never come forward publicly implicating her husband,” Ms Ransome wrote. She also claimed the friend was given “a substantial payout directly from the Clinton Foundation to keep her quiet” and was “forced against her will to sign a legally binding confidentiality agreement.”

There is no evidence to these claims, and Ms Ransome herself admitted she lied about the existence of the tapes, telling the New Yorker in 2019 that she “invented the tapes to draw attention to Epstein’s behavior, and to make him believe that she had ‘evidence that would come out if he harmed me.’” In the 2016 emails, she refused to share the photos or videos she claimed to possess, citing “massive consequences to her [friend’s] safety.”

A spokesperson for Ms Clinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

A representative for Virgin Group pointed out the New Yorker article and added in a statement: “We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a “sex tape” is entirely false. The allegations are baseless and unfounded.

“The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.”

The emails were presented by attorneys for Alan Dershowitz — Epstein’s former lawyer who helped him negotiate the 2008 “sweetheart deal” to avoid being prosecuted for sex crimes against minors — as evidence that Ms Ransome, who has accused Mr Dershowitz of sexual abuse, is “not credible.”

“The Emails are a necessary antidote to Ms. Ransome’s deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility,” Mr Dershowitz’s legal team wrote.

On a media appearance on Tuesday, Ms Ransome again walked back from her previous remarks, stating that “there are videos that exist”.

“The people that know they exist I’m sure are very frightened of them being released,” told ITV’s Good Morning Britain “It’s no secret that everything was recorded.”

This time, Ms Ransome did not elaborate on who was allegedly filmed.

Monday’s release also includes other unsubstantiated claims Ms Ransome emailed to the reporter in 2016, including that her emails had been “hacked” and that she had “reached out to the Russians for help and they are coming to my aid.”

In documents unsealed last week, Epstein’s former household staff testified that Mr Dershowitz visited Epstein’s home in Florida “very often” and spent time there “in the presence of young girls.” They also said he would get massages during these visits — the typical method Epstein employed in instigating sexual abuse.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Mr Dershowitz said he and his wife received “a single massage in the 1990s with a professional massage therapist” and that he “never saw a young girl in Epstein’s presence.”