People whose names are popping up in this week's release of late Jeffrey Epstein's court records "unfortunately" can't sue for defamation, even though their connections with the financier who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges were likely "innocent and utterly appropriate," retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew Napolitano said on Newsmax Friday.
"I say unfortunately, because in the public's mind when your name is on the list, you had something to do with Jeffrey Epstein," Napolitano told "Wake Up America."
For example, he said that Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz was Epstein's lawyer, so "of course, he would be there to meet and confer with his client."
"There's not a shred of allegation against him," said Napolitano. "Former President Donald Trump flew on his plane or met him at Mar-a-Lago; not a shred of allegations about inappropriate behavior."
Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton can't sue about the revelations, even if there is "some innuendo" in the papers, "because of something called the litigation privilege," said Napolitano.
"If I'm suing you, I get to say things about you and that's privileged," he explained. "You get to say things about me. That's privileged."
The Epstein documents, he added, came about as a result of three or four defamation cases and two criminal cases "during the course of which some people said things about each other."
"The dust settles, the cases are over," said Napolitano. "The Miami Herald sues under the Freedom of Information Act and says we want the FBI's files."
He added that there also will likely be no criminal prosecutions for defamation claims, as the statute of limitations for that had expired.
And as far as Clinton is concerned, "it's going to be meaningless to his political career, and he can't sue anybody over it, but his name is there."
Hillary Clinton will also likely be asked about her husband and allegations in connection with Epstein, Napolitano said, adding that he's not sure if any of the dates of Bill Clinton's contacts with Epstein occurred while his wife was secretary of state.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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