This episode contains graphic content that may not be suitable for all ages.

Listener discretion is advised.

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Please do not suffer in silence.

In the spring of 2008, inside the offices of the United States Attorney for the Southern

District of Florida, a document was finalized that brought an end to the federal government's

investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.

The document was a non-prosecution agreement.

On its face, the name was unremarkable.

It described a type of agreement that exists throughout the criminal justice system, often

used to resolve cases without trial.

But this agreement was handled outside the normal public process.

It was not filed an open court, and there was no public acknowledgement

that it existed at the time it was signed. The individuals whose testimony had formed the basis

of the federal case were not notified of this agreement. They were not even told that negotiations

were underway, and they were not informed when the agreement was finalized.

No court hearing accompanied the signing, and no press release announced that the investigation

had been resolved.

Under the terms of the agreement, Jeffrey Epstein was guaranteed that federal prosecutors

would not bring charges related to the conduct uncovered during the FBI's investigation, which had been operating

...