## JAMES PATTERSON

FILT

causes had made him a player on that side of the political aisle. He had a famous Republican, Bill Clinton's nemesis, Ken Starr, work- ing the other side. And just to make sure they'd covered the bases, Epstein's team also recruited Roy Black-the lawyer who'd cleared William Kennedy Smith of rape and kept Rush Limbaugh out of prison for his alleged illegal drug use-and Jay Lefkowitz, a defense attorney who'd worked with US attorney R. Alexander Acosta at Ken Starr's law firm.

And so in September, the US attorney's office reached a for- mal agreement with Epstein's team: the United States would defer federal prosecution in favor of prosecution by the state of Florida.

A non-prosecution agreement (NPA) was drafted; among other things, it assured Epstein that he would not be prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida for felony offenses involving the sexual abuse of underage girls. (By that point, thirty known victims had been discovered.) Instead it allowed him to plead guilty to state felony offenses for solicitation of prostitution and the procurement of minors for prostitution. The NPA established a procedure that allowed Epstein's victims to sue him in civil court and took the extraordinary step of ensuring that "any potential co-conspirators" of Epstein's would be immune from prosecution.

"In consideration of Epstein's agreement to plead guilty and to provide compensation in the manner described above, if Epstein successfully fulfills all of the terms and conditions of this agreement, the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspira- tors of Epstein," the agreement stated, mentioning Sarah Kellen and Nadia Marcinkova by name.

"The parties anticipate tha
part of any public record," 1
United States receives a Freed
any compulsory process comm
ment, it will provide notice
disclosure."

Remarkably, despite assur
feds, none of the victims was
this NPA.

If Epstein did not sign the a count indictment and a decade team of lawyers had gotten him ted all the teeth in South Florid: For all his protestations of in in the world to agree to an NPA. On September 24, 2007, Eps Once again, none of the notified.

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