Jeffrey Epstein’s former “Lolita Express” pilot detailed several high-profile individuals he recalls among the passengers on Epstein’s numerous flights around the world.
While under oath during the Ghislaine Maxwell trial on Tuesday, pilot Larry Visoski Jr. was asked to describe his experience, to which he said “I certainly remember President Trump, but not many people associated with him,” adding that he also flew Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, violinist Itzhak Perlman, former Senator John Glenn and Prince Andrew. He said that while he was tasked with ‘cleaning up’ after one of Clinton’s flights, he ‘never saw any sexual activity’ on the plane.
Everdell: And John Glenn and George Mitchell flew on Epstein's plane, right? Visoski: Yes. Everdell: And Kevin Spacey? Visoski: Yes. [Inner City Press coverage of Spacey case @SDNYLIVE: https://t.co/kcgy5yYjUN
Trump and Epstein were known to have associated with each other in the 90s as New York City playboys and successful entrepreneurs. As the Daily Mail reports, “It was previously reported that Trump had flown on Epstein’s plane from Palm Beach, where both had homes, to Newark, in 1997. Epstein is also said to have flown on one of Trump’s private planes.”
Trump is said to have severed his relationship with Epstein and banned him from Mar-a-Lago after the pedophile was reportedly trying to recruit a towel attendant in the early 2000s – prior to his conviction for soliciting child prostitution.
This is not true and isn't news. This came out years ago. The flight was in the late 90s and was a ride from Palm Beach to NYC, not to Epstein Island. Trump later banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. https://t.co/GaENydKB8m
“Mr. Epstein brought her to the cockpit. She had piercing power blue eyes,” he said of one alleged victim – to which Maxwell’s attorney Christian Everdell asked “And beyond the striking blue eyes, you have said she had large breasts, right?”
To which Visosky replied that she was a “mature woman.”
When asked if he remembers Virginia Roberts, Visoski replied, ‘Yes. A shorter woman with dirty blonde hair.‘
‘She didn’t look young. I mean, whatever you decipher is the definition of young. But she was a woman in my category,’ he added.
Maxwell entered the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday morning wearing a cream sweater, black slacks and looked on as Visoski was questioned.
He said Maxwell ‘was the Number 2’ and that ‘Epstein was the big Number 1’ when asked about their relationship.
When asked how many other assistants Epstein had in addition to Maxwell, he replied that there were many, identifying Maxwell’s own assistants.
He specifically named Sarah Kellen – who has been accused of playing a pivotal role in Epstein’s empire: procuring girls, coaching them and acting as a ‘lieutenant’ to Maxwell. -Daily Mail
Visoski also identified parts of Epstein’s 10,000 New Mexico ranch where airplanes were parked – describing how he used to go into the main residence to pick up luggage and help install electronics, a task he said he also performed on Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little St. James.
He said that Epstein’s relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell was “more personal than business,” but “I wouldn’t characterize it as romantic.”
Everdell: You saw nothing in 30 years that made you think Mr. Epstein was an abuser, right? Visoski: I did not. Everdell: Nothing further. Judge Nathan: Re-direct. AUSA Maurene Comey: Did you let your 14 year old daughter massage Mr. Epstein? Visoski: I did not.
Alec let’s rip in respects of QAnon, referring to them as “QAnon trash”. This kind of approach is always concerning, specially when a group who’s basic intention is to protect people, comes under attack like this. Yet when you see the way he replies to a commenter on one of his posts, it really shows that wealth does not equal intelligence, and obviously “class” either.
Now there is a big elephant in the room in respects of QAnon, and that’s its direct link to Trump. Understandably, some really don’t like the fact that QAnon has pretty strong links to Trump, which is interesting considering the lengthy friendship Trump has had with Epstein over the years. They even co-hosted a model swimsuit contest at Trumps Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, so this association doesn’t necessarily fit. Yet the sentiment is there, and that’s a growing passion to stop the objectification of other humans.
Now back to darling Alec, which honestly, watching him talk, makes me feel like I need to send him back to school with a lunchbox a swift kick up the arse. It’s obvious his wealth has done nothing to enhance him as a human, rather just mask the empty vessel he operates with smart suits, flash cars and expensive liquor – yet even that is a bit of a push. Why so harsh you ask? Well after watching his Instagram post, you will hear the sweet whimpers of denial fluffing from his cheeks. It’s just a little insulting don’t you think? Specially when we consider this…
That’s right, you heard that correct. Word on the street is, Epstein and Mr Baldwin are quite the little buzzom buddies they are. Yet of course, this is all speculation as Alec has not confessed to anything and there is no proof except his name being on the flight logs and in Jeffrey’s little black book. Alec’s response has done nothing to sway the rumours, and if anything, has enflamed them. Do you think he is guilty, and if so… of what crime?
And oh, before you go, I suggest you critically analyse this video and tell me what you see and hear…
Midget Gems, the colorful and chewy candy, have been enjoyed for generations as a delicious treat. But did you know that the beef gelatine used to make them can provide a range of health benefits? That’s right, this ingredient can do more than just make the candy chewy – it can also support healthy joints, … Continue reading The Power of Midget Gems: Health Benefits You Need to Know→
The Nazi book burnings of 1933 marked a turning point in the history of free speech and intellectual freedom. As part of a broader campaign of censorship and repression, the Nazi regime sought to eradicate any ideas that were deemed threatening to its ideology and authority. By burning books and destroying the works of countless … Continue reading When Words Become a Threat: The Significance of the Nazi Book Burnings→
Human trafficking is a pervasive global issue that affects millions of people every year, regardless of their age, gender, or sexual orientation. However, within the larger population of trafficking survivors, LGBTQ+ individuals face unique and often compounded challenges. The stigma and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in society can exacerbate the trauma of trafficking, making … Continue reading Trafficked and Stigmatized: Addressing the Unique Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Human Trafficking Survivors→
Human trafficking is a global problem that affects millions of people, particularly women and children, every year. This heinous crime involves the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for the purpose of forced labor, sexual exploitation, or domestic servitude, and generates billions of dollars in illegal profits for traffickers. To combat human trafficking effectively, a multifaceted approach … Continue reading Preventing Human Trafficking: Strategies for Raising Awareness and Empowering Communities→
For millennia, the concept of reincarnation has been an integral part of various spiritual and religious traditions around the world. However, the idea of the soul transmigrating from one body to another after death has often been met with skepticism and deemed unscientific. Carl Sagan, the renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, was one of … Continue reading Reincarnation as a Scientific Possibility: Carl Sagan’s Contemplation on Life’s Continuum→
Bill Clinton’s code name in Epstein’s black book “no.42 do not use”
I stumbled into a bit of a rabbit hole and came across all the names within the black book. One name / entry randomly stuck out and upon doing some research, it’s links back to Bill Clinton.
Clearly there was a good phone number and a bad phone number for Clinton and Epstein to talk on. The “do not use” was Clinton’s office number at his CHILDREN’S foundation in Harlem.
Hope someone else finds this as interesting as I did.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accounts of workplace problems on the long-running daytime series, Variety has learned.
Executives from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm, who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, said sources.
A Warner Bros. Television spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. A rep for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
The memo comes on the heels of recent unflattering reports about working conditions at the show. In April, Variety reported on the treatment of legacy crew members during the coronavirus lockdown. In mid-July, BuzzFeed published a report alleging racism and intimidation on the show. The memo came from the desks of Telepictures executive vice president Donna Redier Linsk and WBTV vice president of human resources Donna Hancock Husband.
The name of the third party consultant was not immediately clear. Both companies underscored their commitment to providing an environment where employees can flourish, said one of the individuals familiar with the document.
BuzzFeed’s story contained a spectrum of accused racist behavior, from microagressions to jokes about mistaking two Black female employees with the same hairstyle, as well as criticism of statements allegedly made to another staffer by executive producer Ed Glavin. Glavin and fellow executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly addressed the allegations in a joint statement to Buzzfeed.
“We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us,” the group said.
“For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
In April, Variety reported about distress and outrage among DeGeneres’ production crew, who were subjected to poor communication and told to expect reduced compensation during initial coronavirus shutdowns — even as the series hired nonunion crews to mount a quarantined production from the host’s Los Angeles home. The crew was restored to full pay prior to the publication of Variety‘s report.
At the time, a Warner Bros. spokesperson acknowledged that communication could have been better but cited complications due to the chaos caused by COVID-19. WarnerMedia has, like all other studios, been under pressure in recent years to investigate all claims of workplace hostility in response to increased focus on misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Alan Dershowitz has been named on the flight logs of Jeffrey Epstein’s Lolita Express.
The central witness in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation — the person relied on by Netflix in its documentary series “Filthy Rich” — is a 50-year-old woman named Maria Farmer.
It now turns out that she may have been motivated by the anti-Semitic attitudes she has long harbored, to falsely accuse prominent Jews of sexual misconduct. This is some of the bigotry Maria Farmer spewed during a recorded two-hour interview that can be heard online, such as:
“I had a hard time with all Jewish people.”
“I think it’s all the Jews.”
“They think Jewish DNA is better than the rest of us.”
“These people truly believe they are chosenevery one of them.”
“All the Jewish people I met are pedophiles that run the world economy.”
“They are ‘Jewish supremacists'” and they are “all connected” through a mysterious organization called MEGA, which is run by Leslie Wexner who is “the head of the snake.”
Farmer claimed to have evidence that the Israeli Mossad hired Jeffrey Epstein to video tape prominent American political leaders committing acts of pedophilia so that Israel could blackmail them into doing their bidding, and that the entire conspiracy was under the protection and direction of “The Rothschild’s.”
These anti-Semitic canards sound like they could have come directly from “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and other classic anti-Semitic forgeries and screeds, but all of this and more come from the bigoted brain and malicious mouth of Maria Farmer.
There is more, much more, of the same in the two hours of conspiratorial ranting that can be heard in the interview, which is being widely praised and circulated by white supremacist and anti-Semitic groups and individuals.
Farmer’s obvious anti-Semitic bigotry doesn’t prove, of course, that she is lying about everything she said.
Even bigots are capable of telling the truth, though their claims should always be viewed with skepticism.
But there is additional evidence of her mendacity. Although she hadn’t accused me directly of any wrongdoing, she has provided a sworn affidavit claiming the following:
“4. Alan Dershowitz was an individual who came to visit Epstein at his New York mansion a number of times when I was working for Epstein. Dershowitz was very comfortable at the home and would come in and walk upstairs. On a number [of] occasions I witnessed Dershowitz at the NY mansion going upstairs at the same time there were young girls under the age of 18 who were present upstairs in the house.”
The problem is that Farmer acknowledges that she terminated her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in early summer of 1996 — after she was allegedly raped by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on Leslie Wexner’s premises.
She never entered Epstein’s New York home after that.
But I didn’t meet Epstein until well after that, as I can prove.
She couldn’t possibly have ever seen me in Epstein’s house, because I was never in his house at any time that she could possibly have been there.
So, it’s impossible for her to have ever seen me there during the time period she knew him.
Moreover, on the few occasions when I was in Epstein’s New York house, well after Farmer was long gone, I never went into the private areas of that home.
I was generally with my wife or other lawyers or academics, in the public areas — dining room, living room, den — and I never saw any young girls around.
Why would Farmer make up such an easily disprovable story about me, and swear to it under pains of perjury, which she may now suffer?
Because I’m a prominent Jew? Part of Mega? An Israeli agent?
Or, perhaps because her lawyer encouraged her to make statements about me?
Atty. David Boies, who is suing the Epstein estate on her behalf and hoping for a big payday for him and his firm, is fully aware of these facts as well as of her sordid background.
But he has failed to disclose the truth and has allowed her affidavit to remain in the court files. Serious questions about his ethics are raised by this information.
Why did he submit her probably false affidavit?
Why has he not withdrawn it despite his clear knowledge of the above circumstances?
Why is he allowing her to spew her anti-Semitic hatred on the internet?
What is his motive for being complicit in such bigotry?
Does he share her views?
There have been rumors from the very beginning about anti-Semitic statements or sentiments expressed by some of the witnesses.
Now we have proof — from the mouth of the witness herself — that it is true about the first and most prominent witness.
Even if true about others as well, this would not excuse or mitigate Epstein’s crimes.
But it would raise questions about the credibility of their accusations against others.
The bigoted motives of accusers are always relevant to their credibility.
Throughout history, anti-Semitism has motivated false accusations. Maria Farmer’s overt anti-Semitism must be investigated beyond her own bigoted public statements.
These revelations, which were known to Netflix before they mendaciously presented Farmer as a credible witness, also raise questions about the credibility and ethics of Netflix and the producers and directors of the Epstein series.
They withheld from their viewers this and other damming information in order to present a false picture of their primary witness. The time has come for the responsible media to investigate all the principles — accusers and accused alike — in the tragic Epstein saga.
The #MeToo movement has done a great feat of good in exposing predatory men, but as with every movement, it’s subject to exploitation by those who misuse it for financial gain, revenge and other personal benefits.
As philosopher Eric Hoffer once cautioned, “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”
Every woman who alleges she has been abused should be listened to and taken seriously. This means that their allegations should be thoroughly investigated.
But investigation is a double-edged sword: for most women, an investigation will confirm the truth of their accusation, because most women are telling the truth; for some, however, it will expose biases, bigotry and possibly perjury.
Maria Farmer’s claims should be thoroughly investigated, especially in light of the bigotry that has come from her own mouth.
Maxwell is Alleged to Have Facilitated, Participated in Acts of Abuse
Additionally Charged With Perjury in Connection With 2016 Depositions
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that GHISLANE MAXWELL was arrested this morning and charged with enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to commit both of those offenses, and perjury in connection with a sworn deposition. The Indictment unsealed today alleges that between at least in or about 1994 through 1997, MAXWELL and co-conspirator Jeffrey Epstein exploited girls as young as 14, including by enticing them to travel and transporting them for the purpose of engaging in illegal sex acts. As alleged, knowing that Epstein had a preference for young girls, MAXWELL played a critical role in the grooming and abuse of minor victims that took place in locations including New York, Florida, and New Mexico. In addition, as alleged, MAXWELL made several false statements in sworn depositions in 2016. MAXWELL is expected to be presented this afternoon in the in federal court in New Hampshire. This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Ghislaine Maxwell facilitated, aided, and participated in acts of sexual abuse of minors. Maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, and then delivered them into the trap that she and Jeffrey Epstein had set. She pretended to be a woman they could trust. All the while, she was setting them up to be abused sexually by Epstein and, in some cases, Maxwell herself. Today, after many years, Ghislaine Maxwell finally stands charged for her role in these crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Preserving the innocence of children is among the most important responsibilities we carry as adults. Like Epstein, Ms. Maxwell chose to blatantly disregard the law and her responsibility as an adult, using whatever means she had at her disposal to lure vulnerable youth into behavior they should never have been exposed to, creating the potential for lasting harm. We know the quest for justice has been met with great disappointment for the victims, and that reliving these events is traumatic. The example set by the women involved has been a powerful one. They persevered against the rich and connected, and they did so without a badge, a gun, or a subpoena – and they stood together. I have no doubt the bravery exhibited by the women involved here has empowered others to speak up about the crimes of which they’ve been subjected.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “The heinous crimes these charges allege are, and always will be abhorrent for the lasting trauma they inflict on victims. I commend our investigators, and law enforcement partners, for their continuing commitment to bringing justice to the survivors of sexual assault, everywhere.”
If you believe you are a victim of the sexual abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI, and reference this case.
According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
From at least 1994 through at least 1997, GHISLAINE MAXWELL assisted, facilitated, and participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Jeffrey Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18. The victims were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by MAXWELL and Epstein, both of whom knew that their victims were in fact minors. As a part and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims, MAXWELL and Epstein enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein’s residences in different states, which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse.
As alleged, MAXWELL enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways. For example, MAXWELL attempted to befriend certain victims by asking them about their lives, taking them to the movies or taking them on shopping trips, and encouraging their interactions with Epstein. MAXWELL also acclimated victims to Epstein’s conduct simply by being present for victim interactions with Epstein, which put victims at ease by providing the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who seemingly approved of Epstein’s behavior. Additionally, to make victims feel indebted to Epstein, MAXWELL would encourage victims to accept offers of financial assistance from Epstein, including offers to pay for travel or educational expenses. MAXWELL also normalized and facilitated sexual abuse by discussing sexual topics with victims, encouraging them to massage Epstein, and undressing in front of a victim.
As MAXWELL and Epstein intended, these grooming behaviors left minor victims vulnerable and susceptible to sexual abuse by Epstein. MAXWELL was then present for certain sexual encounters between minor victims and Epstein, such as interactions where a minor victim was undressed, and ultimately MAXWELL was present for sex acts perpetrated by Epstein on minor victims. That abuse included sexualized massages during which a minor victim was fully or partially nude, as well as group sexualized massages of Epstein involving a minor victim where MAXWELL was present.
As alleged, minor victims were subjected to sexual abuse that included, among other things, the touching of a victim’s breasts or genitals, placing a sex toy such a vibrator on a victim’s genitals, directing a victim to touch Epstein while he masturbated, and directing a victim to touch Epstein’s genitals. MAXWELL and Epstein’s victims were groomed or abused at Epstein’s residences in New York, Florida, and New Mexico, as well as MAXWELL’s residence in London, England.
Additionally, in 2016, while testifying under oath in a civil proceeding, MAXWELL repeatedly made false statements, including about certain specific acts and events alleged in the Indictment.
* * *
GHISLAINE MAXWELL, 58, is charged with one count of enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one count of conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, one count of conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and two counts of perjury, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Rossmiller, Alison Moe, and Maurene Comey are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Many were surprised to learn earlier this month that the key co-conspirator in Jeffrey Epstein’s intelligence-linked sexual blackmail operation, Ghislaine Maxwell, had been in hiding in New England since Epstein’s arrest and subsequent “suicide” last summer. Her recent arrest, of course, has returned attention to the Epstein scandal and to Ghislaine’s ties to the entire operation, in which she played a central and crucial role, arguably more so than Epstein himself.
Ghislaine was first reported to be living in New England at the mansion of her alleged boyfriend Scott Borgeson on August 14th of last year. Though Maxwell is believed to have stayed there until purchasing the nearby New Hampshire home where she was arrested, attention from her presence on the East Coast was immediately and sensationally re-directed to the West Coast when, a day later on August 15th, the New York Post published a picture allegedly depicting Maxwell reading a book on “CIA operatives” at an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles, California. The photo was later revealed to have been photoshopped and a fake, but ultimately served its purpose in distracting from her actual location in New England.
While the media frenziedly covered the fake In-N-Out Burger photo, the appearance of an unexpected visitor nearby Borgeson’s mansion succeeded in largely slipping under the radar. On August 18th, Ghislaine’s sister Christine was spotted “packing up a number of bags” into a SUV just a few miles from Borgeson’s “secluded beachfront” home. Christine, who currently lives and works in Dallas, Texas, declined to comment on why she was visiting the exact area where Ghislaine was allegedly hiding at the time.
Out of the seven Maxwell siblings, Ghislaine Maxwell has undoubtedly received the bulk of media scrutiny both in recent years and arguably ever since the suspected homicide of the family patriarch, Robert Maxwell, in 1991. In the years since his death, Robert Maxwell’s close ties to Israeli intelligence and links to other intelligence agencies have been documented by respected journalists and investigators including Seymour Hersh and Gordon Thomas, among others.
While Ghislaine’s own ties to intelligence have since come to light in relation to her critical role in facilitating the Jeffrey Epstein sexual blackmail operation. Little, if any attention, has been paid to her siblings, particularly Christine and her twin sister Isabel, despite them having held senior roles at the Israeli intelligence front company that facilitated their father’s greatest act of espionage on Israel’s behalf, the sale of the bugged PROMIS software to the U.S. national laboratories at the heart of the country’s nuclear weapons system.
Not only that, but Christine and Isabel later became directly involved with technology-based business ventures that directly involved Ghislaine during the very period she worked with Epstein on behalf of Israeli and U.S. intelligence to ensnare powerful U.S. political and public figures in a sexual blackmail scheme involving minors. At the time, Ghislaine described her profession to a number of newspapers as “an internet operator.” Then, after this venture’s multi-million dollar sale to a competitor, Christine and Isabel became involved with successors to the PROMIS software scandal that were closely tied to U.S. intelligence and Israeli intelligence, respectively.
Ghislaine herself also became involved in these affairs, as did Jeffrey Epstein following his first arrest, as they began courting the biggest names in the U.S. tech scene, from Silicon Valley’s most powerful venture capital firms to its most well-known titans. This also dovetailed with Epstein’s investments in Israeli intelligence-linked tech firms and his claims of having troves of blackmail on prominent tech company CEOs during this same period.
With Ghislaine’s name and her ties to intelligence now inking their way back into the media sphere, detailing the decades-long course of these technology-focused espionage operations and their persistent ties to the Maxwell sisters demands the attention it deserves, as the need to air out the real Maxwell family business – espionage – is now greater than ever before.
Trap doors and Treason
One of the most brazen and successful operations conducted by Israeli intelligence on a global scale is undeniably its sale of a bugged software program to governments, corporations and major financial and scientific institutions around the world. That software program, known as the Prosecutor’s Information Management System or by its acronym PROMIS, was orginally created and marketed by Inslaw Inc., a company created by former NSA official Bill Hamilton and his wife Nancy.
In 1982, Inslaw leased its revolutionary PROMIS software to the U.S. Justice Department, then headed by arch neocon Edwin Meese III, Ronald Reagan’s most trusted advisor and who would later go on to advise Donald Trump following the 2016 election. The success of the software, which allowed integration of separate databases and information analysis on a previously unimaginable scale, eventually caught the attention of Rafi Eitan, the notorious and legendary Israeli spymaster and handler of the “most damaging spy” in American history, Jonathan Pollard. Eitan, at the time, was serving as the then-head of the now defunct Israel intelligence service known as Lekem, which focused specifically on espionage related to scientific and technical information and discoveries.
Eitan had first learned of PROMIS from Earl Brian. Brian was a long-time associate of Ronald Reagan who had previously worked for the CIA in covert operations and had been in charge of Reagan’s healthcare program when Reagan was governor of California. Brian often bragged of the nickname he had acquired in overseeing that health care initiative – “the man who walked over the dead.” In 1982, however, Brian was attempting to build a business empire, in which then-AG Ed Meese’s wife was a major investor, and he had first met Eitan while attempting to sell a healthcare system in Iran.
Brian divulged the efficacy of PROMIS, but – instead of praising its revolutionary approach to data analysis – expressed his frustration that the software enabled U.S. federal investigators to successfully track and target money laundering and other financial crimes. He also expressed frustration that he had been left out of the profits on PROMIS, the development of which he had followed closely for several years.
As their conversation wore on, Eitan and Brian hatched a plan to install a “trapdoor”, today more often referred to as a back door, into the software. They would then market PROMIS throughout the world, providing Israeli intelligence and allied elements of U.S. intelligence with a direct window into the operations of its enemies and allies while also netting Eitan and Brian massive profits for the sale of the software. Brian, of course, would also be able to use PROMIS to circumvent authorities investigating financial crimes.
According to the testimony of ex-Mossad official Ari Ben-Menashe, after a copy of PROMIS was obtained by Israeli military intelligence (via direct collusion with the U.S. Department of Justice), Ben-Menashe contacted an Israeli American programmer living in California on Eitan’s orders. That programmer then planted a “trapdoor” or back door into the software that would allow Lekem covert access to any database connected to a device on which the software was installed.
Once the back door was present, Brian attempted to use his company Hadron Inc to market the bugged PROMIS software around the world, though he first had tried to buy out Inslaw to do so. Unsuccessful, Brian turned to his close friend, then-Attorney General Ed Meese, and the Justice Department then abruptly refused to make the payments to Inslaw that had been stipulated by the contract, essentially using the software for free, which Inslaw claimed to be theft.
Meese’s actions would force Inslaw into bankruptcy and Inslaw subsequently sued the Justice Department, with a US court later finding that the Meese-led department “took, converted, stole” the software through “trickery, fraud and deceit.” With Inslaw out of the way, Brian sold the bugged software to Jordan’s and Iraq’s intelligence services, a major boon for Israel, and to a handful of companies. Despite this, Eitan was unsatisfied with Brian and Hadron and he quickly turned to the person he thought could most effectively market and sell PROMIS to governments of interest all over the world, Robert Maxwell.
First recruited as an asset of Israeli intelligence in the early 1960s, Maxwell’s standing with Israeli intelligence would strengthen considerably beginning in the early 1980s, when he purchased a web of Israeli companies, many of which were official “service providers” for the Mossad. One of these companies, a computer firm called Degem, had been used for years to provide cover to Mossad assassins that conducted kidnappings and murders in Latin America and Africa.
Through Degem and other Maxwell-owned companies based in Israel and elsewhere, Maxwell marketed PROMIS so successfully that Israeli intelligence soon had access to the innermost workings of innumerable governments, corporations, banks and intelligence services around the world. Many of Maxwell’s biggest successes came in selling PROMIS to dictators in Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America. Following the sale and after Maxwell collected a handsome paycheck, PROMIS’ unparalleled ability to track and surveil anything – from cash flows to human movement – were used by these governments to commit financial crimes with greater finesse and used to hunt down and disappear dissidents. Israeli intelligence, of course, watched it all play out in real time.
In Latin America, for instance, Maxwell sold PROMIS to military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina, which were used to facilitate the mass murder that characterized Operation Condor as the friends and families of dissidents and so-called subversives were easily identified using PROMIS. PROMIS was so effective for this purpose that, just days after Maxwell sold the software to Guatemala, its US-backed dictatorship rounded up 20,000 “subversives” who were never heard from again. Of course, thanks to the back door in PROMIS, Israeli intelligence knew the identities of Guatemala’s disappeared before the victim’s own families. Israel was also intimately involved in the arming and training of many of the same Latin American dictatorships that had been sold the bugged PROMIS software.
Though Israeli intelligence found obvious use for the steady stream of sensitive and classified information, their biggest prize was yet to come – top secret government laboratories in the United States. Eitan tasked Maxwell with selling PROMIS to US labs in the Los Alamos complex, including Sandia National Laboratory, which was and is at the core of the US nuclear weapons system. Notably, the eventual sale of PROMIS to these laboratories by Maxwell occurred during the same period in 1984 when Eitan tasked one of Israel’s top experts in nuclear targeting with supervising Jonathan Pollard’s espionage of U.S. nuclear secrets on Israel’s behalf.
In order to plot how he would accomplish such a feat, Maxwell would meet with none other than Henry Kissinger, who told him that – in order to sell PROMIS to these sensitive laboratories – he needed to enlist the services of then-Senator for Texas John Tower, who was the head of the Senates’ Armed Services Committee at the time. Maxwell quickly struck a deal with Tower and then, using Mossad money, paid Tower $200,000 for his services, which included opening doors – not just to the Los Alamos complex, but also to the Reagan White House. Tower would arrange a trip for Maxwell to travel to Sandia National Laboratory, where he would market PROMIS. Unlike most other PROMIS sales, this one would not be handled by Degem, but a US-based company called Information on Demand.
It is worth noting that, despite Tower’s obvious and treasonous actions with respect to U.S. national security, another long-time “source” of Robert Maxwell, George H.W. Bush, would attempt to nominate Tower to serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense. When the Senate refused to confirm Tower, only then did Bush nominate Dick Cheney, who would then head the Pentagon and oversee the U.S.’ role in the First Gulf War. Not long after his failure to secure the nomination as Pentagon chief, Tower died in a suspicious plane crash soon after the equally suspicious death of Robert Maxwell.
Front Companies and FBI Cover-ups
Robert Maxwell purchased Information on Demand from its founder, Sue Rugge – a former librarian, through the Pergamon Group in 1982 – the very year plans were made by Rafi Eitan and Earl Brian to subvert PROMIS. Its offices were just a few doors down from the home of Isabel Maxwell and her first husband Dale Djerassi, son of the scientist credited with creating the birth control pill.
According to FBI files obtained by Inslaw Inc. via a FOIA request in the 1990s, San Francisco’s FBI opened an investigation into Information on Demand a year later in October 1983 and subsequently interviewed Rugge about the business and its activities. She told the FBI that the company’s sources “include over 250 computer data bases” and that company uses these to “locate single facts as well as provide answers to complex questions dealing with such areas as comprehensive marketing research, custom data summaries, sophisticated literature searching, current awareness service and global information capability.
One of these databases included Lockheed’s Dialog database and “the Defense Technical Center which is connected to the Department of Defense (DOD) which contains classified information. ” She asserted, however, that the company “has no password for access and further no need for access.” Elsewhere in the document, it notes that Information on Demand claimed not have any access to classified information “to the best of their knowledge” and “includes information concerning government and various available means of tapping government information databases.”
The FBI asked Rugge about one client of the company in particular, whose name and identifying information is redacted in its entirety, but notes that this mysterious client had worked with Information on Demand since at least 1973. Subsequent efforts by Inslaw Inc. and others to learn the identity of the redacted client have been unsuccessful since 1994.
Notably, just one month before the FBI opened an investigation into Information on Demand and interviewed Sue Rugge, another related Maxwell-owned firm, Pergamon International Information Corporation, had sent a letter to then-CIA Director Bill Casey, offering to provide the agency with access to patent databases. The only redacted portion of the letter is the identity of PIIC’s Executive Vice President, who had written the letter to Casey.
After Rugge had been interviewed, FBI interest in Information on Demand peaked soon after in June 1984, when a formal investigation was opened. This took place after two employees of Sandia National Laboratory who worked in technology transfer approached the Bureau over Information on Demand’s efforts to sell PROMIS to the laboratory. Those employees were compelled to contact the FBI after obtaining information from employees of the National Security Agency (NSA) regarding “the purchase of Information on Demand Inc. by one Robert Maxwell, the owner of Pergamon International.” The specific information on this purchase from the NSA is included in the report but redacted in its entirety. Two months later, one of the Sandia employees followed up with the Bureau, suggesting that the NSA and FBI jointly investigate Information on Demand, but was essentially stonewalled and told to take it up with FBI headquarters.
The FBI case file is coded as a foreign counter-intelligence investigation specifically, suggesting that the case was opened because the FBI was made aware of the alleged involvement of a foreign intelligence service in some aspect of Information on Demand’s activities that related specifically to the “dissemination, marketing or sale of computer software systems, including but not limited to the PROMIS computer software product.” It also noted that Maxwell himself had previously been the subject of a “security investigation” conducted by the FBI from 1953 until 1961, the year Maxwell was formally recruited as an Israeli intelligence asset.
In early August 1984, FBI headquarters and other higher-ups in the Ed Meese-led Department of Justice, which itself was complicit in the whole sordid PROMIS affair, ordered the New Mexico office to halt its investigation into Information on Demand, Maxwell and PROMIS. The cover-up, oddly enough, continues today, with the FBI still refusing to release documents pertaining to Robert Maxwell and his role in the PROMIS scandal.
Several months following the shuttering of the FBI investigation into Information on Demand, Robert Maxwell again returned to Sandia National Laboratories in February 1985, signing the contract for the sale of PROMIS and listing himself as President and CEO of Information on Demand. A few months later, he passed that role on to his daughter Christine, who served as the company’s president and CEO up until her father’s death in 1991, according to her résumé. Upon the collapse of his business empire shortly after his demise, which also resulted in the closure of Information on Demand, Christine created a company called Research on Demand that offered similar services and specialized “in Internet- and Big Data analytics-related market studies for companies in the Telecoms.”
In addition, Isabel Maxwell, who lived in close proximity to the company’s offices in Berkely, CA, told Haaretz that she had also worked for Information on Demand, which she refers to as “her sister’s company,” following her 1989 divorce from Dale Djerassi.
Recreating their Father’s Legacy
After the death of Robert Maxwell, in what most of his family and many of his biographers regard as a murder conducted by Israeli intelligence, his children began to pick up the pieces and sought to rebuild their father’s empire. Of his seven children, five took on different aspects of their father’s vast portfolio.
Kevin and Ian Maxwell took over much of his businesses (and the associated fall-out) and his murky network of interlocking companies, trusts and foundations spread throughout the world. Ghislaine, having already positioned herself in New York at her father’s behest to anchor his efforts to expand his empire and operations into Manhattan, began a sexual blackmail operation on behalf of Israeli intelligence alongside Jeffrey Epstein. Christine and Isabel, however, would take off where Maxwell’s intelligence-linked work with PROMIS and in technology had left off by cashing in on a new revolutionary technology, the Internet.
“We literally were trying to think about how to restart this whole business” that had collapsed after their father’s death, Christine Maxwell would later say of her decision to found, along with her husband Roger Malina, Isabel and Isabel’s then-husband David Hayden, their internet services company – the McKinley Group – in January 1992. Isabel would remember the decision similarly, telling Wiredin 1999, that she and her sister had “wanted to circle the wagons and rebuild,” seeing McKinley as “a chance to recreate a bit of their father’s legacy.” In 2000, Isabel would tell The Guardian that her father would “love it [the internet] if he was still here.” “He was very prescient….He’d be in his element, he’d be having a blast, I’m sure he’d be thrilled to know what I’m doing now,” she told the UK-based publication while “throwing back her head and laughing loudly.” Notably, at that time, Isabel was leading Israeli software company with ties to Israeli military intelligence and powerful Israeli political players, including some who had previously worked directly under her father.
It’s not hard to see why Christine and Isabel saw the internet as their chance to expand upon and rebuild upon Robert Maxwell’s “legacy.” As previously mentioned, Christine, right up until her father’s death, had been president and CEO of the Robert Maxwell-owned Israeli intelligence front company, Information on Demand, where Isabel had also worked. Upon his death, Christine had founded a related company called Research on Demand, which specialized in “internet and big data analytics” for telecommunications firms, and would later overlap with the McKinley Group’s work. McKinley began as a directory with a rating system for websites, later transitioning into the Magellan search engine, all of which Isabel Maxwell told Cnet in 1997were all Christine’s idea.
McKinley created what became known as the Magellan online directory, remembered as “the first site to publish lengthy reviews and ratings of websites.” Magellan’s “value-added content” approach attracted several large corporations, resulting in “major alliances” with AT&T, Time Warner, IBM, Netcom and the Microsoft Network [MSN] that were negotiated by Isabel Maxwell. Microsoft’s major alliance with McKinley came in late 1995, when Microsoft announcedthat Magellan would power the search option for the company’s MSN service. Time Warner first chose Magellan for its early web portal called Pathfinder and Magellan was on the homepage of the internet browser Netscape for much of the 1990s.
However, McKinley’s fortunes were troubled as its efforts to be the first search engine to go public fell through, igniting a stand-off between Christine Maxwell and Isabel’s husband that also resulted in the company’s essentially falling behindother market leaders both missing the window for a second IPO attempt and lagging behind in adding ad revenue to their business model. Excite, which was later acquired by AskJeeves, ultimately bought the McKinley Group and Magellan for 1.2 million shares of Excite stock in 1996, which was then valued at $18 million. It was allegedly Isabel Maxwell who made the deal possible, with Excite’s CEO at the time, George Bell, claiming she alone salvaged their purchase of McKinley.
Despite the company’s lackluster end, the Maxwell sisters and other stakeholders in the company, Ghislaine Maxwell among them, not only obtained a multi-million dollar payout from the deal, but also forged close connections with Silicon Valley high-rollers. Upon McKinley/Magellan’s sale, the overt ties of Christine and Isabel Maxwell to intelligence in both the U.S. and Israel would grow considerably.
A Family Affair
While the company is often framed as being a venture between Christine and Isabel Maxwell, McKinley Group and Magellan were much more than just the twin sisters’ business. For instance, a November 2003 article in The Evening Standard notes that Christine and Isabel launched the company with considerable help from their brother, Kevin Maxwell who the article described as being “consumed by an overwhelming desire to be his ‘dad reincorporated’” according to confidants. Another Evening Standard article from March 2001 cited report that “Kevin played a major role” in the company’s affairs.
In addition, at the time,The Sunday Times noted in November 2000 that Ghislaine Maxwell “had a substantial interest in Magellan” and netted a considerable sum following its sale to Excite in 1996. It also noted that Ghislaine, throughout the 1990s, had “been discreetly building up a business empire as opaque as her father’s” and that “she is secretive to the point of paranoia and her business affairs are deeply mysterious.” However, she would nonetheless describe “herself as an ‘internet operator’” even though “her office in Manhattan refuses to confirm even the name or the nature of her business.” A separate article in The Scotsmanfrom 2001 also notes that Ghislaine “is extremely secretive about her affairs and describes herself as an internet operator.”
Exactly how involved Ghislaine Maxwell was involved in the McKinley Group and Magellan is unclear, though her decision to describe herself as an “internet operator” and her documented “substantial interest” in the company suggest that it was more than superficial. What is notable, however, is that Ghislaine’s time as an “internet operator” and her business interests in Magellan overlap directly with her time working alongside Jeffrey Epstein in an Israeli intelligence-linked sexual blackmail operation.
During this period of time, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein frequently had considerable overlap in their finances, with press reports from the time often asking whether Ghislaine’s expenses were paid by Epstein or through her access to the “lost Maxwell millions” that had been hidden in a web of murky, untraceable financial entities and allegedly “disappeared” following his 1991 death.
The latter is certainly a possibility as it was Ghislaine who was the first to walk into her late father’s office on the Lady Ghislaine following his death, where she “shredded all incriminating documents onboard,” according to journalist John Jackson who witnessed the scene. This would likely mean that she was quickly able to distinguish which documents were “incriminating” and was intimately aware of his more unsavory business activities. In addition, prior to his death, Robert Maxwell had provided Ghislaine with a “tailor-made” New York corporation called Maxwell Corporate Gifts, of which little is known. The corporation was reportedly intended to aid her in establishing a foothold in New York’s power base for Robert Maxwell’s planned expansion into New York society, a plan first set into motion following his purchase of the New York Daily News.
Notably, an article from The Evening Standard in 2001 makes an odd comment about a major source of income from Epstein during the 1990s, stating that “has made many millions out of his business links with the likes of Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Ohio billionaire Leslie Wexner, whose trust he runs.” In addition, Epstein victim Maria Farmer noted in an interview that she overheard Ghislaine and Epstein discuss Bill Gates as though they knew him well in 1995. However, these mentions of Bill Gates here defies the official narrative about the Epstein-Gates relationship, which claims they first met in 2011.Given the “major alliance” between McKinley/Magellan and Microsoft that was forged in 1995-1996, it is certainly possible that Epstein’s pre-2001 “business links” with Bill Gates were, in fact, related to Ghislaine’s involvement and stake in Magellan. This is also supported by the fact that, as will be shown in Part 2 of this report, Magellan co-founder Isabel Maxwell had a personal relationship with Bill Gates and that he put her subsequent company, Israel-based CommTouch, “on the map” after a major investment that had been brokered between Gates and Isabel personally. Part 2 will also show how both Isabel and Christine’s overt involvement, with Israeli and U.S. intelligence, respectively, deepened after Magellan was sold to Excite in 1996.
Midget Gems, the colorful and chewy candy, have been enjoyed for generations as a delicious treat. But did you know that the beef gelatine used to make them can provide a range of health benefits? That’s right, this ingredient can do more than just make the candy chewy – it can also support healthy joints, aid digestion, and even boost your skin’s appearance.
In this article, we’ll dive into the power of beef gelatine in midget gems and explore the health benefits that come with enjoying this classic candy. Whether you’re a fan of midget gems already or are looking for a new way to support your health, this article will provide you with all the information you need to know about the health benefits of beef gelatine in midget gems.
An Overview of Beef Gelatine and Its Nutritional Value
Gelatine is a protein that is derived from collagen, which is a structural protein found in the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals. Beef gelatine is a specific type of gelatine that is derived from the collagen of cows.
Beef gelatine has been used for centuries in various foods and products, from candy to marshmallows to photographic film. But beyond its use in these products, beef gelatine has a variety of nutritional benefits that are worth exploring.
One of the primary benefits of beef gelatine is its protein content. Protein is essential for a healthy diet, as it is necessary for building and repairing tissues in the body. Beef gelatine is particularly high in certain amino acids, including glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids play important roles in collagen synthesis, which is essential for healthy skin, bones, and connective tissues.
In addition to its protein content, beef gelatine also contains a range of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. These minerals are essential for bone health, as they help to build and maintain strong bones. Beef gelatine also contains trace amounts of other important nutrients, including iron and vitamin B12.
But perhaps the most significant health benefit of beef gelatine is its ability to support joint health. Studies have shown that gelatine supplementation can help to reduce joint pain and stiffness, particularly in individuals with osteoarthritis. This is because gelatine is a rich source of collagen, which is a key component of joint cartilage. By supplementing with gelatine, individuals can support the health and function of their joints, reducing the risk of degeneration and pain.
Another benefit of beef gelatine is its ability to support healthy digestion. Gelatine is a hydrophilic colloid, which means that it has the ability to absorb water and form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. This gel can help to support the health of the intestinal lining, reducing inflammation and promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Additionally, gelatine can help to improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients, which can be particularly beneficial for individuals with digestive disorders or malabsorption issues.
It’s important to note that not all gelatine is created equal. Many commercial gelatine products are derived from low-quality sources and may contain additives or preservatives. For this reason, it is important to choose high-quality, grass-fed beef gelatine from a reputable source. Grass-fed beef is higher in important nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, and is free from antibiotics and hormones.
In conclusion, beef gelatine is a highly nutritious ingredient that offers a range of health benefits. From supporting joint health to promoting healthy digestion, beef gelatine can be a valuable addition to a healthy diet. When choosing a beef gelatine supplement, be sure to choose a high-quality, grass-fed source to ensure that you are getting the most nutritional benefit possible.
The Health Benefits of Midget Gems with Beef Gelatine, from Improved Joint Health to Better Digestion
Midget Gems are a classic candy in the United Kingdom and have been enjoyed for generations. These brightly colored, chewy treats come in a variety of fruity flavors and are made with a unique ingredient: beef gelatine.
Beef gelatine is a protein derived from collagen, which is found in the skin, bones, and connective tissues of cows. It is used as a gelling agent in many food products, including candy like Midget Gems. But beef gelatine is more than just a candy ingredient – it also has some surprising health benefits.
Improved Joint Health
Collagen is a crucial component of cartilage, which is the cushioning tissue between bones in joints. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, which can lead to joint pain, stiffness, and even arthritis. However, studies have shown that taking collagen supplements can improve joint health and reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Midget Gems with beef gelatine can also contribute to improved joint health. The beef gelatine in these candies is a natural source of collagen, which means that snacking on Midget Gems can help support healthy joints. Of course, it’s important to remember that candy should not be relied upon as the sole source of collagen in your diet, but incorporating Midget Gems into a balanced diet can be a fun and tasty way to support joint health.
Better Digestion
Gelatine has long been used to improve digestion and promote gut health. This is because gelatine contains glycine, an amino acid that supports the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Glycine also helps to repair the lining of the gut and reduce inflammation, which can contribute to a healthy digestive system.
Midget Gems with beef gelatine can help support digestion in a number of ways. The glycine in the beef gelatine can help to stimulate the production of digestive juices, making it easier for the body to break down and absorb nutrients from food. Additionally, the gelatine in Midget Gems can help to coat the lining of the digestive tract, which can protect it from damage and irritation.
Other Health Benefits
In addition to improved joint health and better digestion, beef gelatine has some other surprising health benefits. For example, studies have shown that gelatine may help to improve sleep quality by increasing the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Gelatine has also been shown to support healthy skin, hair, and nails by promoting collagen production.
While Midget Gems with beef gelatine are not a magic cure-all, they can contribute to a healthy, balanced diet. Of course, it’s important to remember that candy should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle. But incorporating Midget Gems into your diet can be a fun and tasty way to support your health.
In conclusion, Midget Gems with beef gelatine are more than just a delicious candy. They also contain a natural source of collagen, which can support joint health, better digestion, and other surprising health benefits. So the next time you reach for a bag of Midget Gems, you can feel good knowing that you’re not just satisfying your sweet tooth – you’re also supporting your health in a small but tasty way.
The Nazi book burnings of 1933 marked a turning point in the history of free speech and intellectual freedom. As part of a broader campaign of censorship and repression, the Nazi regime sought to eradicate any ideas that were deemed threatening to its ideology and authority. By burning books and destroying the works of countless authors, the Nazis aimed to erase entire cultures and worldviews from history. The symbolism of the book burnings resonates to this day, reminding us of the dangers of censorship and the importance of defending free expression. This article will explore the significance of the Nazi book burnings, the political context in which they occurred, and their lasting impact on the world.
The political context of Nazi Germany and the rise of censorship
The rise of censorship in Nazi Germany was an essential component of the regime’s consolidation of power and the imposition of its totalitarian ideology on German society. From the early days of the Nazi Party, censorship was seen as a tool for maintaining control over the population and suppressing any opposition to the Nazi regime.
In the aftermath of World War I, Germany was plunged into a deep economic and political crisis, and the Weimar Republic, established in 1919, struggled to maintain stability and legitimacy. In this context, extremist groups such as the Nazi Party gained significant support, advocating for a strong, authoritarian government and the restoration of German national pride.
Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933, following a campaign that exploited the country’s dissatisfaction and economic distress. Once in power, the Nazi regime moved quickly to eliminate any potential threats to its authority, including political opponents, Jews, homosexuals, and other groups deemed undesirable.
The censorship of the media, literature, and other forms of cultural expression was a key element in the Nazi’s strategy for controlling the population and promoting their ideology. The regime established the Reich Chamber of Culture, which was responsible for monitoring and controlling all aspects of cultural life, including the press, literature, theater, music, and film.
The Nazi regime sought to control the flow of information and ideas by imposing strict censorship laws and regulations. The press was heavily censored, and journalists who opposed the regime were imprisoned or executed. The regime also monitored and censored private correspondence, intercepting letters and telegrams that contained criticism of the government.
In addition to censorship, the Nazi regime also used propaganda as a means of promoting their ideology and shaping public opinion. Propaganda films, posters, and literature were widely distributed, and public speeches and rallies were carefully choreographed to reinforce the regime’s message.
One of the most significant and symbolic acts of censorship by the Nazi regime was the book burnings of May 10, 1933. In a coordinated effort across Germany, books deemed “un-German” or “harmful to the German spirit” were burned in public squares. The books targeted by the regime included works by Jewish and Marxist authors, as well as those critical of the Nazi regime or its ideology.
The book burnings were a highly orchestrated event, designed to symbolize the regime’s rejection of intellectual freedom and its determination to impose its ideology on German society. The event was attended by thousands of people, including students, professors, and other members of the public, who were encouraged to participate in the destruction of books.
The book burnings were met with widespread condemnation by the international community, with many seeing them as a clear sign of the dangers posed by the Nazi regime. The event also provoked significant opposition within Germany, with many intellectuals and members of the public speaking out against the regime’s actions.
Despite this opposition, the Nazi regime continued to tighten its grip on the country, implementing increasingly draconian measures to suppress any dissent. The censorship of literature and other forms of cultural expression remained a key component of the regime’s strategy, and thousands of books were banned or destroyed during the course of the regime’s rule.
The legacy of Nazi censorship remains a powerful reminder of the dangers of totalitarianism and the importance of defending free speech and intellectual freedom. The book burnings of 1933 were a stark symbol of the regime’s determination to impose its ideology on society, and they continue to serve as a warning of the dangers of censorship and the need for vigilance in protecting our fundamental freedoms.
The symbolism and aftermath of the Nazi book burnings
The Nazi book burnings of 1933 were a stark symbol of the dangers of censorship and repression. On May 10th, 1933, German university students gathered in Berlin to burn thousands of books that were deemed “un-German” or threatening to Nazi ideology. The event marked a turning point in the history of intellectual freedom, reminding us of the dangers of censorship and the importance of defending free expression.
The symbolism of the book burnings was powerful and far-reaching. By burning books, the Nazis aimed to erase entire cultures and worldviews from history. They sought to suppress any ideas that challenged their authority, including those that represented Jewish, Marxist, or democratic values. The books that were burned represented a wide range of authors, from Albert Einstein to Helen Keller, and covered a wide range of topics, from literature to philosophy to science.
The aftermath of the book burnings was devastating. Thousands of books were destroyed, including many rare and valuable volumes. In addition to the immediate loss of knowledge and cultural heritage, the book burnings had a long-lasting impact on intellectual freedom and free expression. They were a warning of what was to come, as the Nazis continued to suppress dissent and impose their ideology on society.
One of the most significant outcomes of the book burnings was the rise of self-censorship. In the aftermath of the burnings, many authors and publishers were afraid to publish or distribute works that might be deemed “un-German” or critical of the regime. This had a chilling effect on intellectual discourse, as many scholars and writers feared for their safety and livelihoods. The book burnings were a stark reminder of the power of censorship, and the dangers of allowing the state to control the flow of ideas.
Another outcome of the book burnings was the erosion of intellectual diversity and creativity. By suppressing dissent and eliminating alternative viewpoints, the Nazis created a culture of conformity and sameness. They sought to impose their ideology on society and eliminate any competing worldviews. This had a profound impact on the intellectual and cultural landscape of Germany, as well as on the world more broadly. The book burnings were a warning of what can happen when a single ideology is allowed to dominate intellectual discourse, and when diversity and creativity are suppressed.
Despite the devastating impact of the book burnings, there were also stories of resistance and courage. Many authors and publishers stood up to the regime, risking their lives to protect intellectual freedom and preserve cultural heritage. Some managed to smuggle books out of Germany, preserving knowledge and culture that might otherwise have been lost. These acts of resistance serve as a reminder of the importance of standing up to censorship and defending free expression, even in the face of great danger.
In conclusion, the Nazi book burnings of 1933 were a powerful symbol of the dangers of censorship and repression. They represented a turning point in the history of intellectual freedom, and had a profound impact on the world of ideas. The book burnings serve as a warning of what can happen when a single ideology is allowed to dominate intellectual discourse, and when diversity and creativity are suppressed. They also serve as a reminder of the importance of defending free expression, even in the face of great danger. The legacy of the book burnings lives on, reminding us of the need to protect intellectual freedom and preserve cultural heritage for future generations.
The lasting impact of Nazi censorship on free speech and intellectual freedom
The Nazi regime’s censorship and suppression of intellectual freedom had a profound impact on society, leaving a lasting legacy that still resonates today. Through propaganda, censorship, and the burning of books, the Nazis aimed to control the flow of information and shape public opinion in support of their ideology. This article will examine the lasting impact of Nazi censorship on free speech and intellectual freedom.
One of the most notable effects of Nazi censorship was the silencing of opposition voices. In Nazi Germany, any dissenting views were quickly suppressed, and those who dared to speak out risked imprisonment or worse. By controlling the media and suppressing alternative viewpoints, the Nazis were able to maintain their grip on power and shape public opinion in their favor.
The impact of Nazi censorship was not limited to Germany. In occupied territories, the Nazis sought to impose their ideology and suppress local cultures. They burned books in countries such as Poland, France, and the Netherlands, erasing centuries of cultural heritage. The goal was to impose a monolithic culture that supported the Nazi regime’s ideology and vision for Europe.
The impact of Nazi censorship on intellectual freedom was devastating. By suppressing ideas and information, the Nazis limited the ability of people to think freely and engage in intellectual discourse. Scholars and intellectuals were targeted, and their work was banned or destroyed if it did not align with Nazi ideology. This had a chilling effect on intellectual curiosity and creativity, stifling innovation and progress in various fields.
The effects of Nazi censorship continue to be felt today. The suppression of free speech and the manipulation of public opinion are still tools used by authoritarian regimes around the world. In countries like China, Russia, and Iran, governments tightly control the flow of information and suppress dissenting voices, as the Nazis did in the 1930s. This has a chilling effect on intellectual discourse and can limit progress in fields like science, technology, and the arts.
Furthermore, the legacy of Nazi censorship has also influenced the way we think about intellectual freedom today. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, includes the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and expression. This was a direct response to the atrocities committed during World War II, including Nazi censorship and suppression of free speech.
The lasting impact of Nazi censorship on intellectual freedom can also be seen in the way we approach education and the dissemination of knowledge. The importance of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and the free exchange of ideas is now recognized as essential to a healthy democracy. In many countries, education is seen as a fundamental right, and governments are expected to provide access to information and resources that promote intellectual freedom.
In conclusion, the legacy of Nazi censorship on intellectual freedom cannot be overstated. The suppression of free speech, the burning of books, and the manipulation of public opinion had a profound impact on society, limiting progress, and stifling creativity. However, this legacy has also shaped the way we think about intellectual freedom today, inspiring us to defend free speech, promote intellectual curiosity, and fight against censorship. As we remember the atrocities committed during World War II, we must continue to fight for the rights of all people to express themselves freely and engage in intellectual discourse.
Human trafficking is a pervasive global issue that affects millions of people every year, regardless of their age, gender, or sexual orientation. However, within the larger population of trafficking survivors, LGBTQ+ individuals face unique and often compounded challenges. The stigma and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in society can exacerbate the trauma of trafficking, making it more difficult for them to seek help and access the resources they need to recover. In this article, we will explore the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ human trafficking survivors, including the intersection of homophobia and transphobia with trafficking, the lack of LGBTQ+ inclusive services, and the impact of these challenges on survivors’ mental health and well-being. Additionally, we will discuss ways in which anti-trafficking organizations and service providers can better support LGBTQ+ survivors, and provide recommendations for future research and advocacy efforts in this important area.
Breaking the Silence: The LGBTQ+ Experience of Human Trafficking and Stigma
Human trafficking is a global issue that affects millions of people every year. The majority of victims are women and children, but it is important to recognize that individuals from all backgrounds and identities can fall prey to this heinous crime. In particular, members of the LGBTQ+ community face unique challenges when it comes to human trafficking, often being subject to stigmatization and discrimination that can make it difficult to access support services and receive the help they need.
One of the key issues facing LGBTQ+ individuals who have been trafficked is the intersection of homophobia, transphobia, and stigma associated with sex work. Many LGBTQ+ people face rejection and discrimination from their families, communities, and even law enforcement due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can make them more vulnerable to exploitation and less likely to seek help when they find themselves in a trafficking situation.
Moreover, for those who are involved in sex work, whether by choice or coercion, societal stigmatization and criminalization can exacerbate the harm they experience. Despite the fact that many LGBTQ+ people who engage in sex work do so out of necessity, often because of a lack of opportunities or support, they are often marginalized, dehumanized, and criminalized, making them more vulnerable to trafficking.
The combination of homophobia, transphobia, and stigma can also make it difficult for LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors to access support services and receive adequate care. Some may fear discrimination or harassment from healthcare providers or law enforcement, or may simply not be aware of their rights and the resources available to them. Additionally, many support services are not equipped to handle the unique needs of LGBTQ+ survivors, further compounding the problem.
To address these challenges, it is crucial that we break the silence around LGBTQ+ human trafficking and work to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for survivors. This starts with recognizing that LGBTQ+ people are at risk of trafficking and need specialized support to address the unique challenges they face.
Support organizations and service providers can play a vital role in this process by working to create safe and welcoming environments that are inclusive of all survivors, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can involve training staff to be aware of the specific issues faced by LGBTQ+ survivors and ensuring that support services are designed to meet their needs.
Additionally, efforts must be made to address the stigma and discrimination that LGBTQ+ people face more broadly, both in society and in the legal system. This can involve working to change laws that criminalize sex work and advocating for policies that promote equality and inclusion for all people.
It is also important for LGBTQ+ individuals to have access to education and resources that can help them avoid trafficking and exploitation in the first place. This can involve outreach efforts that provide information about the risks of trafficking, as well as resources for those who may be vulnerable.
Breaking the silence around LGBTQ+ human trafficking is not easy, but it is essential if we are to create a world where all people are free from exploitation and abuse. By working together to address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ survivors, we can help to build a more inclusive and just society that values and protects all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Double Discrimination: How Homophobia and Transphobia Compound the Trauma of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that affects millions of people worldwide. This crime is often associated with sexual exploitation, but it can also involve forced labor, domestic servitude, and other forms of exploitation. LGBTQ+ individuals are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking due to the stigma, discrimination, and marginalization they face in their communities. In addition to the trauma of being trafficked, these individuals also often experience double discrimination due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, which can compound their trauma and make it harder for them to access support and services.
Homophobia and transphobia are pervasive forms of discrimination that affect LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide. In many countries, same-sex relationships and gender nonconformity are criminalized, which can lead to harassment, violence, and even arrest. LGBTQ+ individuals are often stigmatized, marginalized, and ostracized from their communities, which can make them more vulnerable to human trafficking. When trafficked, these individuals are often subjected to additional discrimination and abuse due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, the trauma of human trafficking is often compounded by the fear of being outed or mistreated due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Traffickers may use this fear to control and manipulate their victims, threatening to expose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families or communities if they attempt to escape or seek help. This can leave LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors feeling trapped, isolated, and alone, with no one to turn to for support.
Moreover, LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors may face additional challenges in accessing support and services due to discrimination and prejudice. Service providers may not be equipped to meet the specific needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, or may not have the training or sensitivity to address the unique challenges these survivors face. This can lead to further marginalization and discrimination, and can make it harder for these survivors to recover and heal from their trauma.
To address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors, it is essential to create safe and inclusive spaces that prioritize their needs and experiences. This includes providing LGBTQ+ sensitive support and services, such as gender-affirming healthcare, trauma-informed counseling, and legal assistance. It also involves engaging with LGBTQ+ communities and organizations to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking and its impact on these populations.
Governments and international organizations also have a critical role to play in addressing the double discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors. This includes recognizing the specific vulnerabilities of these populations and developing targeted policies and programs to support their needs. It also involves promoting laws and policies that protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and hold traffickers accountable for their crimes.
In conclusion, the double discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors is a serious issue that requires urgent attention and action. Homophobia and transphobia can compound the trauma of human trafficking, leaving these individuals feeling isolated, marginalized, and alone. To address this issue, it is essential to create safe and inclusive spaces that prioritize the needs and experiences of LGBTQ+ survivors. This includes providing targeted support and services, engaging with LGBTQ+ communities and organizations, and promoting laws and policies that protect the rights of these individuals. By working together, we can create a world where all individuals are valued, respected, and protected from exploitation and abuse.
Creating Safe Spaces: Addressing the Specific Needs of LGBTQ+ Human Trafficking Survivors in Support Services.
Human trafficking is a devastating crime that disproportionately affects marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Studies show that LGBTQ+ people are at a higher risk of trafficking due to systemic discrimination, economic disadvantage, and social exclusion. Yet, LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors often face unique challenges and barriers when seeking support and services.
One of the biggest challenges is finding safe spaces where survivors can feel comfortable and supported. Many LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors have experienced violence and trauma at the hands of their traffickers and in the wider community, making it difficult for them to trust others. For these survivors, accessing support services and reporting their experiences can be a daunting and potentially risky process.
To address these challenges, it is essential that support services are designed with the specific needs of LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors in mind. Creating safe spaces where survivors can feel supported and validated is crucial to helping them heal and move forward from their experiences.
One key step in creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors is providing culturally competent support services. This means understanding the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and tailoring services to meet their specific needs. For example, some LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors may feel more comfortable working with counselors who are also part of the LGBTQ+ community. Others may need support with navigating the legal system, finding employment, or accessing medical care.
In addition to cultural competency, it is important to create physical safe spaces where LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors can feel comfortable accessing support services. This may involve creating LGBTQ+-specific shelters or providing LGBTQ+-inclusive housing options. Providing separate spaces for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals can also help to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.
Another key aspect of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors is recognizing and addressing the intersectional nature of their experiences. Many LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors face multiple forms of discrimination and marginalization, including racism, ableism, and classism. Support services must be designed to address these intersecting forms of oppression and provide holistic care that acknowledges and addresses the unique challenges that LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors face.
Finally, it is essential to involve LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors in the design and delivery of support services. Survivor-centered care means recognizing that each individual’s experience is unique and that survivors are the experts on their own experiences. By involving survivors in the development of support services, organizations can ensure that services are tailored to meet the specific needs of LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors.
Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors is essential to supporting their healing and recovery. By providing culturally competent, physically safe, intersectional, and survivor-centered care, support services can help LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors rebuild their lives and reclaim their dignity and agency. As a society, we must recognize the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ trafficking survivors and work to ensure that they have access to the support and resources they need to heal and thrive.
In my previous thread about apologists one of the comments wondered about why the MSM wasn’t all over this story as it unfolded. To me, and I’m sure many here, the answer is obvious to us. However, this rabbit hole is most likely a hell of a lot deeper than we can imagine. So I thought we might start a list of sorts.
These are the reasons I think/posit/suspect the MSM is not all over this;
A member of the Rothschild family is under the umbrella as a minor player on the periphery. If you think for a picosecond that any court on this planet can get to them you are delusional.
There are 5 folks that control, through corporate structure, 90% of the media outlets worldwide. 3 of them are directly or indirectly involved. Not personally mind you, but involved in that their media moguls and/or in-house attorneys can be put on the island, at the parties, or have been listed by a victim or two.
There is a SCOTUS Justice who’s name has appeared on the flight logs. In his defense, there is no other information and no other nefarious nexus, but nonetheless there he is.
At least one very powerful US political family is allegedly involved and can be put on the island, at the parties, and has been named by a victim or two.
Foreign royalty is allegedly involved and can be put on the island, at the parties, and has been named by a victim or two.
Key players, witnesses, and folks holding potentially explosive information keep dying and doing so under some really questionable circumstances.
6a. The giveaway to this is is the media immediately making excuses for the questionable circumstances.
Lately, and in frighteningly cartel-like tactics, it appears that jurists are the next target. Let me be very very clear here. I am not a tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist, but I do find it very odd that a week after Justice Roberts (he’s the SCOTUS Justice on the flight logs) shows up with a black eye and stitches (no explanation), that a Federal Judge assigned to a case related to Epstein gets home invaded, her son killed, and husband wounded. 7a. Going back to 6a., the MSM immediately prints a story that it’s “not unusual for a shooter to commit suicide”. Which is exactly what the shooter in Judge Salas case did. Awfully handy there, no way we can ask him why he did it huh ?
The bottom line here is that it’s not in the news because every “estate” in this nation would be rocked to the core if 100% of this ever got out. Epstein, again in my opinion, died because they squelched his deadman switch or he was too arrogant to have one. We can only hope Maxwell either has one, or has her evidence squirreled away (in multiple copies, in multiple places) safely.
I for one want an end to this. Prosecute the hell out of the offenders and clear those who are innocent. You know, the way the justice system is supposed to work. What I fear is going to happen is in Warren Commission fashion, the powers that be will cook up some watered down, ridiculous on its face bullshit, and try to convince us it’s over. That’s my biggest fear.
Edit/
Just to add and put into context:
Epstein’s private banker hangs himself, the judge involved with that case gets home invaded (son killed, husband wounded), shooter then kills himself and leaves behind a manifesto that seems to point away from the case but that can never be substantiated. Ok – I buy it’s not all connected – NOT !
2nd Edit/
Just a note : if you get personal and insult me or anyone here, you get blocked. I have been very careful to keep this level across the board.
Civility is a rule of this sub and it should go without saying. If you can’t support your position without becoming insulting you can fuck off.
Ghislaine Maxwell hired Jacob Wohl to smear alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein and her, a former friend told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview
As part of a $25k deal, Wohl and his lobbyist colleague Jack Burkman also allegedly pushed to get former New York US Attorney Geoffrey Berman fired
Wohl and Burkman are far-right lobbyists who have become a laughing stock in DC after several failed attempts to smear top political figures
Maryland paralegal Kristin Spealman claims she was initially contacted by the duo to use her in a smear campaign against Nancy Pelosi and Ted Cruz
Spealman told DailyMail.com they bragged to her they had been hired in early June for $25,000 to dig up dirt on Maxwell’s alleged sex trafficking victims
Federal documents filed this month show a company linked to Maxwell had hired Wohl and Burkman to lobby on ‘issues relating to US DOJ, Senate Judiciary, House Judiciary,’ DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal
Berman’s removal was intended to stall or stop the criminal investigation into Maxwell, Spealman said
Berman was ultimately pushed out by Barr in June, but two weeks later Maxwell was charged as part of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring
Ghislaine Maxwell hired fake news purveyor Jacob Wohl to smear her and Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims, a former friend has told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.
As part of a $25,000 deal made in June, Wohl and his lobbyist colleague Jack Burkman also allegedly pushed to get New York US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who had led Epstein’s case, fired in order to stall or stop the criminal investigation into Maxwell.
Wohl and Burkman are far-right lobbyists who have become a laughing stock in DC after several failed attempts to smear top political figures including Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Cruz, Robert Mueller and Dr. Anthony Fauci by paying women to make false claims of sordid affairs and drug-dealing.
One of the women they tried to use for their smear plots, Maryland model and paralegal Kristin Spealman, told DailyMail.com the men had been hired by Maxwell, who currently faces trial over charges she and Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex.
Spealman, 36, said the lobbyists bragged to her they had been hired in early June for $25,000 to dig up dirt on Maxwell’s alleged sex trafficking victims and to get Berman fired using Burkman’s supposed influence with Attorney General William Barr.
Berman ultimately stepped down after a push from Barr. But less than two weeks later, Maxwell was charged on July 2 as being part of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring and taken into custody.
When contacted for comment Wohl told DailyMail.com that Maxwell ‘deserves representation’.
‘Every person, even those accused of the most odious of crimes, deserves representation and possesses the right to engage lobbyists to petition the government on their behalf,’ the 22-year-old said. ‘Otherwise, we cannot comment on client matters.’
Burkman similarly told DailyMail.com: ‘All persons accused of crimes–however terrible–have the right to representation and representation in the court of public opinion.’
DailyMail.com has contacted Maxwell’s lawyers for comment.
Federal documents filed this month show a company linked to Maxwell had hired Wohl and Burkman to lobby on ‘issues relating to US DOJ, Senate Judiciary, House Judiciary,’ DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
A form filed with the US Senate by Burkman’s company, J M Burkman & Associates, on July 3 under the Lobbying Disclosure Act shows Wohl and Burkman were hired by Granite Realty LLC. a frequent misspelling of Granite Reality – the company linked to Maxwell.
Maxwell bought the house through Granite Reality LLC, of 155 Seaport Blvd, Boston MA, the address of Nutter McClennen & Fish, a law firm which has previously acted for her. It is the same address on the disclosure form.
The form lists Burkman and Wohl as lobbyists for Granite Realty, described as a ‘real estate company’, and indicates the pair will be lobbying over ‘Issues relating to US DOJ, Senate Judiciary, House Judiciary.’
New York prosecutors say the firm is connected to Maxwell, with the LLC linked to her purchase of a New Hampshire house where she was arrested on July 2 – the day before Burkman’s lobbying disclosure was filed.
New Hampshire property records show Granite RealtyReality paid $1,070,000 cash in December for the home, aptly named Tuckedaway.
Maxwell used a fake name and the ‘carefully anonymized LLC’, set up just weeks before the purchase, to buy the house while she hid from law enforcement, prosecutors in her New York sex trafficking case said.
Wohl and Burkman told Spealman that Maxwell also used the secretive LLC to hire them as lobbyists around early June, the model claimed.
‘Her company Granite Realty LLC hired them to first get rid of the US attorney Jeffrey Berman,’ the paralegal said.
‘She wanted him fired. And then I guess she assumed the charges would go away or maybe she wouldn’t be prosecuted. I think that was the goal.’
Spealman claimed Burkman bragged to her that he was ‘really good friends’ with Barr and had persuaded him to fire Berman.
On June 19, Barr did release a statement saying Berman would step down – though Trump had reportedly been considering removing the prosecutor for two years.
Berman at first refused to resign, then later capitulated when his deputy was announced as the new acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
There is no evidence that Wohl or Burkman had any role in Berman’s firing.
There is also no evidence that Burkman and Barr have a close relationship.
‘The second part of their job was to discredit the [alleged] victims of Jeffrey Epstein and her,’ Spealman said.
‘I believed those girls, I felt like they were telling the truth and they were real victims.
‘I was disgusted with the things [Wohl and Burkman], were telling me. They were saying really bad things about them.
‘Like the one girl who said she got pregnant by Epstein and they made her get an abortion. Jacob said ”no, her boyfriend got her pregnant and then she demanded money.” It was just a lot of stuff that made them look bad.
‘That’s their job now, to discredit these victims. Hopefully so that the charges go away or [Maxwell] wins.’
The lobbyists allegedly told Spealman their smear targets included Epstein accusers Virginia Giuffre, Sarah Ransome and Courtney Wild, the model said.
Spealman claimed Wohl and Burkman revealed their plot with Maxwell during a night of partying at Burkman’s Arlington, Virginia home on July 11.
The part-time model said the two men had already spent months trying to get her involved in other smear campaigns.
Spealman said Burkman first called her last September asking her to be a part of a purported reality TV show that he and Wohl were producing, which involved ‘playing innocent pranks on celebrities and politicians.’
After wining and dining the model at DC hotel bars and restaurants, as well as dangling the prospect of a $300,000 paycheck for her role, the two lobbyists revealed their real plans, she said.
‘At the third meeting they totally switched things,’ Spealman told DailyMail.com. ‘They said they wanted me to say I was selling Percocet to Nancy Pelosi. I was pretty shocked because that’s a big leap from what they had sold me on.
‘I don’t want to have that sort of reputation. I’m a paralegal. I was worried about defamation suits. I was like ”look guys, I can’t do that”.’
The model said the fake news peddlers agreed to change their plans. But at the next meeting in October, Spealman said they presented her with a statement to sign claiming she had ‘steamy sex’ with married senator Ted Cruz.
Spealman claimed Wohl and Burkman asked her to read the bogus statement at a press conference scheduled the next day.
‘I received a text directing me to a lavish fourth-floor suite,’ the statement said. ‘Inside was Senator Cruz, clad only in boxers. After a few old fashioneds, I was a willing participant in a night of steamy sex.
….. .. story continues & details other smear campaigns ….. ..
does the DM lurk? they edited the article (see italic text & line-through in above) after the Granite Realty/Reality issue was mentioned
Ghislaine Maxwell isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future. That much is known.
The heiress and socialite who, a federal indictment alleges, herded girls as young as 14 into the clutches of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and conspired to abuse them, is in jail—and behind bars is where a judge is determined to have her remain while awaiting trial.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty on all charges: conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel and engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, all between 1994 and 1997; as well as two counts of perjury for allegedly lying in a 2016 deposition when she denied massaging girls and begged ignorance of Epstein’s pattern of behavior.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she’s quoted when asked if Epstein had a “scheme to recruit underage girls for sexual massages,” the unifying thread of the accusations against him.
She’s facing up to 35 years in prison.
Epstein, meanwhile, is dead, officials determining that he took his own life in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center last August while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His ignominious end was a deflating turn of events for his victims, many of whom spoke out in the recent Netflix series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and the countless observers who felt his 13 months of privilege-laden jail time between 2008 and 2009 was a slap on the wrist for heinous crimes.
And needless to say, for those convinced that Epstein took a host of secrets with him to the grave, the idea that Maxwell could end up telling all has proved most tantalizing. So far, however, she has exercised her right to remain silent.
On July 14, Maxwell, who was born in England and holds U.K., French and U.S. passports, was denied bail, the judge deeming her a flight risk. France also has no extradition treaty with the United States. Moreover, prosecutors said that Maxwell had $4 million stashed in a Swiss bank account, plenty to live on if needed, and she had already attempted to evade capture when the FBI showed up to arrest her earlier this month.
“The agents saw the defendant ignore the direction to open the door and, instead, try to flee to another room in the house, quickly shutting a door behind her,” it was alleged in a filing opposing her request for bail. Moreover, the filing contended, she had a private security team that included former members of the British military run errands for her so that she wouldn’t need to leave the grounds for fear of being spotted; and she had in her possession a cell phone that was wrapped in tinfoil, a “seemingly misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement.”
She was residing in a sprawling home on 156 acres in rural Bradford, N.H., when she was taken into custody on July 2. Maxwell had quietly purchased the property for a little more than $1 million in cash last year.
“If you’re looking for a place to hide, boy, you can’t find a better one,” a source who was familiar with the details told NBC News. “It’s a lovely house on a lot of turf and it’s up a driveway that’s a little bit more than half a mile long. Nobody comes up there to bug you or poke or pry.”
And she wasn’t alone, according to prosecutors, who also said in court last week that Maxwell was now married but “declined” to share any specifics, including her husband’s identity, with the court—and in making “no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse,” she further proved herself undeserving of release on bail.
In trying to negotiate a reported $5 million bail package, Maxwell’s attorneys stated in a court filing that their client had simply been trying to maintain a low profile since Epstein’s arrest and suicide to protect herself and her family from “unrelenting and intrusive media coverage.” They also argued that she was at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 behind bars, prisons and jails all over the country having become hot spots for the virus.
“Ghislaine Maxwell is not Jeffrey Epstein,” the lawyers stated. “She was not named in the government’s indictment of Epstein in 2019, despite the fact that the government has been investigating this case for years. Instead, the current indictment is based on allegations of conduct that allegedly occurred roughly twenty-five years ago. Ms. Maxwell vigorously denies the charges, intends to fight them, and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.”
Annie Farmer, who has alleged that as a teenager she was assaulted by Epstein at his ranch in New Mexico after Maxwell encouraged her to give her host a massage, begged to differ.
Speaking via video conference at Maxwell’s bail hearing, Farmer said, “I met Ghislaine Maxwell when I was 16 years old. She is a sexual predator who groomed and abused me and countless other children and young women. She has never shown any remorse for her heinous crimes or the devastating, lasting effects her actions caused.”
Bail was denied and U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan remanded Maxwell to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Her trial date was set for July 12, 2021.
“Knowing that she is incarcerated for the foreseeable future allows me, and my fellow survivors, to have faith that we are on the right path,” Jennifer Araoz, who previously accused Epstein of raping her when she was 15, said in a statement to NBC News after the hearing. “I would like to thank both the prosecutors and the judge for taking us one step closer to seeing that justice is served.”
A lot can happen in a year—as a lot can happen in just a few weeks, making it seem as if it’s been far longer since Maxwell was arrested.
She has stayed put, in solitary confinement and with paper bedding, but her story is a multi-tentacled creature that continues to reach far and wide—and, some hope, will eventually ensnare more people in its grasp.
Even Princess Beatrice‘s surprise wedding last week—happy news coming from Britain’s royal family—had a tinge of scandal about it. While her nuptials were first downsized and then postponed completely due to the pandemic, her father Prince Andrew‘s past friendship with Epstein, which re-reared its head last summer, had already affected the size and scope of her big day.
In a tone-deaf interview with BBCNewsnight in November, Andrew tried to explain away why he continued to socialize with Epstein after he had pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution, saying Epstein’s Manhattan mansion was a convenient place to stay in New York. “I mean I’ve gone through this in my mind so many times,” Queen Elizabeth II‘s second-eldest son said. “At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honorable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable, but that’s just the way it is.”
Andrew also insisted he had no recollection of meeting Virginia Roberts Giuffre—who has alleged in news interviews and in a 2009 civil lawsuit against Epstein (in which she was identified as Jane Doe 102) that she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York starting when she was 17—despite a widely circulated photograph of them taken together in 2001.
Giuffre has alleged that her first sexual encounter with Andrew took place at Maxwell’s home in London’s Belgravia neighborhood.
“I think it’s… from the investigations that we’ve done, you can’t prove whether or not that photograph is faked or not because it is a photograph of a photograph of a photograph,” Andrew stammered. “So it’s very difficult to be able to prove it, but I don’t remember that photograph ever being taken.”
Overall, he has denied engaging in any illegal sexual activity.
Days after the Newsnight interview aired, Andrew took the only honorable course left and stepped down from his duties as a senior royal, saying in a statement that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
Since then, his appearances in public have largely been limited to glimpses of him accompanying the queen to church—and the FBI has said he’s been entirely uncooperative.
A former Epstein staffer also named Andrew in Filthy Rich as a member of the VIP crowd who partied on Epstein’s private enclave in the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas Island of Little Saint James—or “Orgy Island,” as it’s been so indelicately nicknamed—and Giuffre recounted her allegations against him in the series. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice stated publicly that the royal had remained unhelpful, but Andrew’s legal team maintained he had “on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DOJ” and been rebuffed.
“In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered,” the lawyers stated.
Meanwhile, Giuffre says she first met Maxwell when she was working as a locker room attendant at the spa at the Mar-a-Lago Club, President Donald Trump‘s resort and longtime home in Palm Beach, where Epstein and Maxwell (who at one point were a romantic couple but eventually segued into so-called confidantes) were regulars back in the 1990s.
Trump, who has been photographed socializing with Epstein and Maxwell, by all accounts cut ties with them years ago, before Epstein’s arrest in Florida in 2006 for sexually abusing minors. But, in another headline-grabbing off-the-cuff remark, when asked Tuesday during a press conference for his thoughts on whether Maxwell might name some powerful names as the investigation continues, the president replied, “I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly.”
He continued, “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.”
Cue those who thought the sentiment rather inappropriate considering the charges against her. When pressed further to explain what Trump meant, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Fox and Friends Friday, “Well, what the president was noting is that the last person who was charged in this case ended up dead in a jail cell, and the president wants justice to be served for the victims in this case. And he prefers this to play out in a courtroom.”
There is heightened scrutiny on Maxwell’s well-being behind bars in light of what happened to Epstein, who had previously been on suicide watch but wasn’t when he died. Multiple investigations into the circumstances that allowed him the opportunity to hang himself in his jail cell found that two guards assigned to Epstein’s unit were dozing off when they should have been conducting checks on the inmates and then falsified the times in their duty log. They were supposed to check the cells every 30 minutes, but apparently three hours went by before they checked on Epstein again.
And then there was the theory—and a not particularly fringe theory—that Epstein was killed to prevent him from potentially spilling dirty secrets about his rich and powerful friends.
“I can understand people who immediately—whose minds went to sort of the worst-case scenario, because it was a perfect storm of screw-ups,” U.S. Attorney General William Barrtold the Associated Press in November after Justice Department and FBI investigations concluded Epstein’s death was a suicide.
Which hasn’t changed the concern that Maxwell may not live to tell her story, should she want to talk—though so far there’s no indication that she does.
On Thursday, Judge Nathan denied a request from the defendant’s attorney for a gag order to prevent prosecutors, law enforcement, and lawyers of the alleged victims from speaking publicly about the case. Nathan wrote that she expected all parties to conduct themselves appropriately to not endanger Maxwell’s chance for a fair trial, and she would reassess if need be.
Perhaps more consequential was the decision made by another federal judge on Thursday to allow 80 documents pertaining to a 2015 civil defamation lawsuit that Virginia Giuffre filed against Maxwell to be unsealed. Her lawyers have a week to appeal before the decision goes into affect—and they did vow to appeal.
In their initial motion to ensure that the documents, including the majority of a 418-page deposition, remained sealed, Maxwell attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca wrote, “This series of pleadings concerns [Giuffre’s] attempt to compel Ms. Maxwell to answer intrusive questions about her sex life. The subject matter of these [documents] is extremely personal, confidential, and subject to considerable abuse by the media.”
In her ruling, however, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Preska said, “In the context of this case, especially its allegations of sex trafficking of young girls, the Court finds that any minor embarrassment or annoyance resulting from disclosure of Ms. Maxwell’s mostly non-testimony about behavior that has been widely reported in the press is far outweighed by the presumption of public access.”
But while the documents are said to be littered with names and some people are indeed rubbing their hands in anticipation, third-party names will still remain redacted for now, per Preska’s order, along with personally identifiable information and medical records.
Giuffre—whom Maxwell called an “absolute liar” in a previously unsealed excerpt of her deposition—reached a confidential settlement with Maxwell in 2017, and Thursday’s decision pertains to a lawsuit filed by the Miami Herald to make the papers public. The Herald‘s 2018 investigation into how Epstein ended up with a seemingly very lenient deal back in 2008, when local authorities said they had plenty of evidence to go after him for more, played a major role in events leading up to his arrest on sex-trafficking charges in July 2019. He killed himself barely a month later.
As seen in Filthy Rich, Epstein continues to haunt the survivors of his actions, now roughly three dozen women who have said they were raped or otherwise preyed on by the billionaire investment manager.
Also on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Epstein’s mansions in Palm Beach and Manhattan’s Upper East Side—both homes where he allegedly abused girls and pimped them out to his fancy friends—are on the market for $22 million and $88 million, respectively.
His estate, currently still valued at around $636 million, has set up a compensation fund to handle ongoing litigation settlements.
“This Mansion presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the largest single-family home in New York City,” reads the listing for the Manhattan townhouse in Lenox Hill. “This historic landmark could easily present itself as a palatial consulate, embassy, foundation, or a museum to once again house some of the world’s greatest works of art.”
There is no mention of its late owner in either listing.
“I believe the past ownership of the property will bear no relationship to its future,” Kelly Warwick of the Corcoran Group, the listing agency for the Palm Beach property, told the WSJ. “The location and what can be done with it is really what matters.”
MEYREUIL, France—Ghislaine Maxwell, 57, comes from a family by turns brilliant and accomplished, deceptive and doomed. Her backstory is full of sex and science, money and magical illusions. And today she is the world’s most wanted woman—at least by the media and Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.
She is the youngest child of the notorious and disgraced British media mogul Robert Maxwell, rumored after his mysterious death in 1991 to have been an Israeli spy. She was the alleged paramour-turned-pimp for Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire pedophile who reportedly committed suicide in his cell on August 10.
But there are no known criminal charges against her, only allegations in a civil suit. Indeed, there is speculation she may be cooperating with federal prosecutors. And while she might have decided to hide out here in Provence at her sister’s house in the shadow of Cézanne’s favorite mountain, she was spotted Thursday in California eating a burger while reading a book about CIA heroes.
Ghislaine Maxwell, in short, is a survivor.
“In moments of greatest adversity, that’s where they’re the coolest; it’s bred into the family,” an executive with one of Robert Maxwell’s media companies said after his drowning upended his media empire and forced his wife and children to clean up the mess. “Maxwell’s whole life was ‘Never panic.’”
As we looked for her in France in recent days, she was, of course, nowhere to be seen. But we did discover enough skeletons in the family closet (including those of her in-laws and their families) to fill a house of horrors.
We searched near her dead mother’s estate east of here—and even at the bottom of a cliff in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, a few hours from Meyreuil, where her brother-in-law Al Seckel, giver of TED talks on optical illusions, reportedly fell to his death in 2015 after he was exposed as a swindler in Los Angeles.
We also looked at the family tree of her other brother-in-law, an American astrophysicist whose genius rocket scientist father Frank Malina at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California pioneered what would become NASA before he fled to France with J. Edgar Hoover’s G-Men on his heels.
For Ghislaine, presumably, outer space is not an option. But in point of fact, she does know how to operate a lot of exotic machinery. In addition to speaking four languages and holding a degree from Oxford, she’s a trained private helicopter pilot, a submersible pilot and qualified to operate undersea robots. Much was made of the latter qualifications when she was fund-raising for her now defunct TerraMar oceanic environmental project, which shuttered after Epstein’s arrest last month.
Ghislaine, who wanted to be seen as a visionary, liked to hang out with others who cultivate that rep, and was pictured with Elon Musk, whose Space X program is based in Hawthorne, just south of Los Angeles.
Ah, there’s a California connection again.
But France is still where Ghislaine Maxwell’s family history begins. Both she and her mother, the elegant and long-suffering Elisabeth Maxwell, were born here. And while some French officials have called for an investigation into Epstein’s activities in Paris, where he had an opulent apartment, Ghislaine’s French connection goes back decades in the south.
It also grew out of the horrors of Auschwitz, which wiped out Robert Maxwell’s parents and siblings and eventually inspired his French Protestant wife, Elisabeth, to become a renowned Holocaust scholar.
And it includes Ghislaine’s very interesting American in-laws who moved back and forth between Provence, the Dordogne and the United States. Their roots involved the pioneering, often reckless rocket scientists of the 1930s who were called the “Suicide Squad” for their risky work at the Jet Propulsion Lab. Among their circle: L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology fame; the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman; and Briton Aleister Crowley, known for black magic and a sex cult.
Maxwell family observers don’t find it strange that Ghislaine and some of her sisters were drawn to larger-than-life, certifiably strange men.
“They attach themselves to bizarre psychopaths like their father,” says a researcher who delved into the family years ago. “Ghislaine wasn’t the only sister to hook up with a weird guy.”
The daddy issues—and the mysterious death issues—began with Robert Maxwell, born into poverty as Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch in Czechoslovakia in 1923. He wanted a big family to recreate, in a way, the siblings he lost to the Nazis, and he very much wanted riches and fame. He achieved all of it, including a seat in the British Parliament. But two of his children died young and greed overtook his ambition.
When Robert Maxwell mysteriously disappeared from his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, and his naked body was retrieved floating in the waters off the Canary Islands in November 1991, he already had been drowning in debt.
His business empire was on the verge of ruin and he’d stolen, Bernie Madoff-style, more than $400 million from his employees’ pension funds to forestall bankruptcy. The Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter Seymour Hersh had recently accused him of being a longtime Israeli intelligence agent in a book about Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal,The Samson Option.
The conspiracy theories surrounding Robert Maxwell’s death rivaled those of Epstein’s today, although the official take was that he fell off his boat during an early morning walk around the deck.
“What are the driving forces that make people do things?’ Ghislaine’s mother Elisabeth asked about her husband in 1995 during a New York Times interview to promote her unusually candid autobiography, A Mind of My Own. In it she admitted Maxwell was a philanderer and often treated her badly—but she said she loved him.
“I hope one day there will be a balance. That time passes, passions fall and eventually some truths emerge,” she said. “It was really a Greek tragedy that his path should have finished the way it did.”
Two of Maxwell’s sons, Kevin and Ian, were investigated for fraud involving their father’s empire after his death and both were cleared in 1996, although at one point Kevin was banned from running a company in the U.K. for eight years. Both landed back in court in 2015 and 2016 facing bankruptcy issues involving another U.K. financial company to which they owed money.
Maxwell biographer Tom Bower was sympathetic to the Maxwell kids, calling their problems, “the tragic legacy of a crooked father. His children just inherited an awful pack of cards.”
Ian Maxwell, now 63, broke his silence about his father in an interview last year with the Sunday Times of London.
“The embrace was suffocating and so loving and everything came your way,” he said. “But then if you were far away in disgrace or you had blotted your copybook, no matter what you had done you were cast out.”
The Oxford-educated Ghislaine, who used to be referred to reflexively as a “British socialite,” reportedly was her father’s favorite. But two of her sisters, the twins Isabel and Christine, now 69, are the most accomplished of the family. They are internet content pioneers who started Magellan, one of the first search engines, and were featured in Michael Wolff’s book, Burn Rate, about his foray into early startups.
The sisters (Christine was said to be the brains behind the operation) made millions when Magellan was later sold to the Excite search company.
Curiously, Isabel followed in the family tradition of filing for bankruptcy in December 2015 despite having been a multi-millionaire. That move may have been related to the untimely demise at age 56 of her third husband, the infamous con man Al Seckel who, she later found out, was not legally her husband since he was still married to his first wife. In 2015, when he reportedly died, he was potentially on the hook for millions.
Seckel was the subject of an extraordinary 5,000-word investigation earlier that same year by The Tablet’s Mark Oppenheimer that laid bare decades of a convoluted and litigious life as the “world’s greatest collector of optical illusions.”
Seckel, the son of a refugee from the Nazis, moved to L.A. and used his wile and charm to pass himself off as an Ivy League graduate and double doctoral candidate at Caltech.
Soon, Seckel zeroed in on the movers and shakers. “An age before Silicon Valley had captured the geek imagination,” Oppenheimer wrote, “Caltech and the surrounding aerospace industry was the frontier of nerd power and glory.”
Seckel befriended and bewitched the Nobel Prize-winning physicists Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann among other neuroscientists, as well as academics and even magicians like James Randi.
Seckel then used those contacts to sell rare books to prestigious customers who were often hoodwinked out of thousands in bad deals. He moved on to co-opt the burgeoning field of optical illusion, popularizing the art of manipulating images by using research from others in books he wrote.
(His daughter, Elizabeth Seckel, has built on her father’s work in optical illusion by pioneering something called “mirror box therapy.” Seckel brought her method, sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative, to Haiti after the earthquake in 2012 to help recent amputees with their phantom limb pain.)
In 2010, Seckel hosted a scientific conference on Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous private island with Gell-Mann, Leonard Mlodinow, who was Stephen Hawking’s co-author, and MIT’s Gerald Sussman.
Oppenheimer told The Daily Beast this week that there was “no evidence” that Seckel or any of the scientists at the island party were involved in any sexual activity with young girls.
In 2004 Seckel gave a TED talk that’s been viewed almost 2.5 million times about “perceptual illusions that fool our brains.”
Because of Seckel’s shady past, it was not surprising that vague reports of his death—a perceptual illusion perhaps?—began popping up just weeks after Oppenheimer’s July 2015 story exposed him to hordes of creditors.
A paid obituary was published on Legacy.com, supposedly after appearing in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, but it does not appear on the paper’s website. One report has circulated around various Seckel-obsessed corners of the internet that his body was found at the bottom of a cliff near the home in France where he had moved with Isabel.
But The Daily Beast could not locate any officials in the town where Seckel was last known to live who had any report of his death. Oppenheimer and others said they have not yet found proof, either. The Daily Beast was unable to reach Isabel Maxwell or Elizabeth Secker for comment.
Christine Maxwell and her astrophysicist husband Roger Malina have, until recently at least, divided their time between their home here in Meyreuil and Dallas, Texas. Malina teaches at the University of Texas there and Christine is a doctoral candidate in the humanities department, a UT spokeswoman told The Daily Beast. Malina was also a director at an astrophysics center in Marseille until last year.
Roger Malina is the son of Czechoslovak-born Frank Malina, an early Elon Musk type who was part of the ragtag group whose daring rocket experiments in 1930s Pasadena led to the formation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in L.A., the precursor to NASA.
Frank Malina’s best friend, Jack Parsons, was the most charismatic of the group. He led a double life with non-scientist friends like L. Ron Hubbard and Robert Heinlein, author of Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, and other sci-fi classics. Parsons also joined an occult group involving the dark arts and sex fetishes founded by Aleister Crowley, an English occultist and magician. The book and CBS TV series Strange Angel are based on Parsons’ life.
In an odd echo of Jeffrey Epstein’s reported desire to seed the human race with his own DNA, Parsons and Hubbard tried for a time to impregnate women to bring forth Babalon, a goddess described as the “Scarlet Woman” in the Themelic belief system to which Crowley subscribed.
When Parsons died in a mysterious explosion at his home at age 37, he had stopped working for JPL and was for a time a consultant to Israel’s nascent rocket system. Media accounts at the time hinted at “sexual perversion,” “black robes,” “sacred fire” and “intellectual necromancy,” according to Vice—and there were also whispers that he might have been murdered.
Frank Malina, Christine Maxwell Malina’s father-in-law, was more of a straight arrow than Parsons and fared better, at first. But some historians say he was cheated of his rightful place as a true hero of the early space race because of years of harassment by the FBI who labeled him a socialist during the McCarthy years because he had campaigned against racial segregation, and raised money for republicans in the Spanish Civil War. After World War II he fled to Paris, where he became a painter and watched the space program soar from afar.
In a brutal twist, Wernher von Braun, a Nazi rocket scientist who was brought to the U.S. as part of Operation Paperclip, the government program that brought Nazi scientists to build American rockets, became the face of the early space program that some feel Malina deserved to have been.
Roger Malina blogs about his famous father on his website where he wrote last year: “Yes, Elon Musk, they triggered in the USA the work that led to your ‘strange’ vision—and they did it a stone’s throw from where your company SpaceX is currently headquartered. And you are dreaming the same dreams as the ‘suicide squad,’ as they were called, at Caltech in the 1930s.”
Looking back, that does seem a strange sobriquet, and oddly appropriate, if not for the rocket builders of 80 years ago, then for the Maxwells and those who were close to them.
The Tatty Journal 