Newly released Justice Department documents are fueling fresh scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein's international connections and raising questions about whether America's elites were targeted by foreign intelligence services, according to a report.
The latest trove of Epstein-related records includes correspondence showing that senior Russian officials and business figures cultivated relationships with the late financier and convicted sex offender, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The documents also show Epstein repeatedly trying, over multiple years, to arrange a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though there is no evidence such a meeting ever happened.
The Post reported that Putin's name appears more than 1,000 times in the newly released files, but most references are from media clippings Epstein collected, not direct communication.
Still, Epstein's private emails show persistent efforts in the 2010s to gain access to the Russian leader through intermediaries, including former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland.
In one 2013 email to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Epstein claimed he had been invited to Russia's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum — an event Putin regularly attends — but said he declined because Putin would need to set aside "real time and privacy," according to the newspaper.
One of the most striking revelations involves Sergey Belyakov, a former graduate of Russia's Federal Security Services (FSB) Academy and a senior economic official.
The Post reported Belyakov maintained a close relationship with Epstein from 2014 into 2018, exchanging friendly messages and invitations.
Epstein also introduced Belyakov to high-profile Western figures, including Barak and tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the documents show.
In a 2015 message, Epstein even asked Belyakov for help dealing with what he described as a "Russian girl from Moscow" allegedly attempting to blackmail powerful businessmen in New York — an exchange that likely will intensify suspicions about Epstein's role in gathering compromising material.
The revelations are already triggering international fallout.
Poland announced it is opening an inquiry into possible ties between Epstein and Russian intelligence, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday.
The Kyiv Post reported Tusk warned the scandal may have been "co-organized" by Russian security agencies, and suggested Moscow could hold compromising material against influential figures still active today.
While such claims remain unproven, they align with long-running concerns about Russia's use of blackmail and influence operations against Western leaders.
The Kremlin dismissed the allegations. A spokesperson mocked the claims as not worthy of serious comment, The Washington Post reported.
For many Americans, the growing Epstein file revelations are reinforcing a grim reality: While Washington obsessed over "Russian collusion" narratives for years, real foreign influence may have been happening through darker, more personal channels and aimed at some of the most powerful people in the West.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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