The Justice Department's files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have revealed the lengths he went to engage crisis public relations experts to help him navigate his myriad scandals, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
New York PR guru Dan Klores previously counted Epstein as a client. Klores worked with socialites Paris Hilton after her sex tape leaked and Lizzie Grubman after she crashed into 16 people in the Hamptons.
Epstein paid Klores' firm $10,000 in January 2007, after he was arrested on prostitution charges, according to bank records obtained by THR.
The New York financier later switched to Howard Rubenstein, who worked for the World Trade Center's leaseholder after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Kathie Lee Gifford during her sweatshop scandal.
Epstein also worked with Merrie Spaeth, who previously served in the Reagan administration and advised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that attacked John Kerry over his service in Vietnam when he ran for president.
Spaeth helped Epstein pen drafts of a public apology in 2008, which was never released, according to Bloomberg, which obtained emails from Epstein's personal Yahoo email account.
Spaeth later told Bloomberg she terminated the relationship "because of my discomfort with it."
After Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution, R. Couri Hay, a publicist who worked for New York society figures, sent him a strategy proposal to revive his image, charging between $15,000 and $20,000 per month, THR reported.
"You have a very colorful story but it's not all black nor is it strictly black and white," he wrote Epstein. "I can help you turn your reputation around."
"At the appropriate times we could discuss possible photo opportunities with Pulitzer prize-winning scientists and other VIP's that would demonstrate their respect and trust for you at targeted events," Hay added.
Hay told The New York Times he never ended up working for Epstein and claims he didn't realize how "heinous" the financier was, admitting he was "blinded a little bit by the glamorous facade that Jeffrey and Ghislaine [Maxwell] put on in social circles in New York and in Palm Beach."
Epstein later engaged Mike Sitrick, an L.A.-based PR specialist, previously compared to the Winston Wolfe character in "Pulp Fiction," who was played by Harvey Keitel.
Sitrick previously worked with Michael Vick, Vince McMahon and the Church of Scientology and was tasked with handling the scrutiny over his relationship with then-Prince Andrew, THR reported.
Epstein later stopped paying Sitrick, who sued him. Sitrick won a default judgment for $155,000.
"I have no idea why he didn't pay the bill," Sitrick told THR, noting he never met Epstein in person. "No one ever expressed dissatisfaction with our work before or during the litigation."
Later, Epstein engaged Matthew Hiltzik, who has represented Elizabeth Holmes as well as Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp during their disputes with ex-wives Angelina Jolie and Amber Heard, respectively.
Hiltzik charged Epstein $25,000 a month and produced a memo suggesting ways to improve his image, THR said. An idea they had was to have people like Bill Gates and Noam Chomsky speak out on Epstein's behalf.
Hiltzik told THR he broke off ties with Epstein after he spurned his advice to take public accountability.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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