Epstein list delay chaos as 'Jane Doe 107' claims she'll be in danger in her country if her name becomes public
- Jane Doe has until January 22nd to prove she would be in danger if named
- It's unclear if Judge Preska will release others' names while her appeal is pending
- Name of 187 Epstein associates and witnesses was due to be released this week
The release of the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein list of associates and high profile friends has been thrown into chaos by a woman who claims she will be in danger if named in her 'culturally conservative country'.
The entire list of 187 names was due to become public this week, but a filing by a woman named in the court papers as 'Jane Doe 107' appears to have stalled it and caused confusion.
On December 21, Judge Loretta Preska granted the woman a 30-day appeal, delaying the release of her name until January 22nd. She has until then to prove that she will be in danger if she is unmasked.
While she has won a last-minute reprieve, it remains unclear if the same delay now applies to the entire list.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York - which was yesterday advising that the list was imminent - is yet to provide an answer, and the woman's attorney is also in the dark as to whether everyone else will now enjoy the same extension.
The Messenger cites a court source who says some of the names will be released today.
Jane Doe's attorney asked for a 30 day extension to submit proof that if she is named, she will be in danger
Judge Preska granted the extension on December 21st, giving Jane Doe until January 22nd. But it's unclear if that delay now applies to the whole list, or solely to her. There are 187 names to be unsealed
In her lawyer's filing, the unidentified woman claimed she would in danger if her name was made public.
'As Doe 107 has previously stated, she lives in a culturally conservative country and lives in fear of her name being released,' attorney Richard Levitt wrote.
He asked Judge Preska for 30 days to file additional 'submissions', which she granted.
The woman must submit an affidavit to prove the risk she says she will be subjected to, in addition to proof of 'hate mail' she claims she has received.
The 'list' contains the names of 187 people who were mentioned in a 2015 lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
The lawsuit was settled in 2017, two years before Epstein's arrest, but the names of those involved have remained protected for years.
Epstein killed himself in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial. The list of names comes from a 2015 lawsuit filed against Ghislaine Maxwell (right)
Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly Roberts, who sued Maxwell in 2015
Among those who is on the list is Bill Clinton, who is named at least 50 times, according to ABC. He is shown receiving a neck massage from Chauntae Davies, a then 22-year-old massage therapist. The photo was taken in 2002 in Portugal
Epstein receives a massage from Sarah Kellen on his private island. She is among those who is awaiting the release of the list
On December 18, Judge Preska agreed to unseal them, agreeing with motions from newspapers and Giuffre that there was no longer a legal need to protect those named.
Alan Dershowitz, a former Epstein associate, is among those who supports their release.
'The reason I wanted everything put out– and I don’t think the judge put everything out, I think she was selective in what she put out and that’s unfair.
'I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, and I wanted them out for personal reasons because I know that they would prove what I’ve said from day one, that I did nothing wrong, and the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else.
'So I wanted everything out right from the beginning because I have nothing to hide,' he told NewsNation's Leland Vittert last night.
'There are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted.
Epstein and Maxwell on his private jet, known as the 'Lolita Express' because it ferried underage girls to his Caribbean island
Maxwell's attorney last night complained that in a 'case about men abusing women', only a woman was behind bars
'Presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel quality scientists, he was very well thought of in the beginning,' he said.
Maxwell, who remains in prison on sex trafficking charges, has not commented on the list or its pending release.
Her attorney Arthur Aidala - who also represents Harvey Weinstein - said in a separate NewsNation appearance that the list may not be as explosive as people hope.
'Epstein ran in the wildest of circles. There may not be as much to know as everyone thinks. This case may not have been what everyone thinks it is.'
He complained, however, that in a case about 'men abusing women', only one person - a woman - is behind bars.
'If you look at this crime, it's all about men abusing women, for a long period of time, a lot of men, that's what we're waiting for, and yet there's only person in jail - a woman.
'There's not one guy behind bars.'
