“King of Pop” Michael Jackson was among the rich and famous figures whose relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light on Friday when the Justice Department finally began releasing records related to its investigation into the late sex offender.
One photo featuring Jackson shows the “Beat It” singer standing alongside Epstein in front of a painting of woman lying topless on a beach.
Another shows Jackson with singer Diana Ross and former President Bill Clinton on what appears to be a private plane.
Epstein, 66, died behind bars at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019, while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
Jackson died from an overdose-induced cardiac arrest in 2009 at the age of 50. The pop music superstar was investigated for possible child molestation between 1993 and 1994, and again between 2004 and 2005, according to the FBI. He was never charged with any crimes.
Little has been reported about Epstein’s relationship with Jackson. The disgraced financier was known to rub elbows with many highly influential figures, including President Trump, filmmaker Woody Allen and billionaire businessman Leon Black. None of those individuals have been accused of involvement in Epstein’s wrongdoing.
A photo of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was also included in the DOJ’s file dump. The 82-year-old rock star is pictured dining with Clinton, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Jagger’s name was among the celebrities listed in a contact book already released by the Justice Department, but he has been accused of nothing nefarious involving Epstein.
President Trump said before taking office in January that he’d promptly order the release of the federal files pertaining to the Epstein investigation, though the process has been met with numerous delays.
The DOJ was compelled by Congress in November to make the trove of documents available by Friday. While they promised a batch was coming, they said it would take several more weeks to roll out the full array of files. Democrats have threatened to take legal action, calling the delay a “violation of federal law.”
With News Wire Services