Alan Dershowitz has defended several notorious clients over the years; he was part of the Dream Team representing O.J. Simpson. Dershowitz was counsel for Patty Hearst, Leona Helmsley, Mike Tyson, Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial, Harvey Weinstein, and, of course, Jeffrey Epstein. Dershowitz helped negotiate Epstein’s 2006 sweetheart deal and non-prosecution agreement in Florida.
Dershowitz is now speaking out against the Epstein survivors. I suspect it’s not so much on behalf of his former clients, Epstein and Trump. Epstein is trying to save his own reputation as his name has started appearing in the files, which are being grudgingly released by the Department of Justice, already out of compliance with the terms of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
It isn’t shocking that he's named in the Epstein files, in Congressional files, flight logs, court filings, and emails. It’s what hasn’t come out yet that has Dershowitz making preemptive strikes because some of the information is already in the public record. In her early sworn statements, Virginia Giuffre alleged that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to Alan Dershowitz for sex.
In the Edwards & Cassell v. Dershowitz case, she stated: "Adults, including Jeffrey Epstein and his close friend Alan Dershowitz, began to be interested in having sex with me.”
In her declaration, Giuffre asserted that she was trafficked by Epstein beginning at age 15. Epstein and Maxwell forced her into sexual activity. She included Dershowitz among the adults. She later repeated the allegation in other filings and public statements.
Dershowitz launched a full public denial campaign, repeatedly stating the allegations “never happened.” Dershowitz used television, op‑eds, and interviews to rebut the claims, including demanding retractions from media outlets that reported the allegations
Dershowitz did not just deny the allegations — he turned to the courts. He filed multiple lawsuits, including defamation suits against media outlets (e.g., CNN) for their coverage of the allegations, and made counterclaims against Giuffre in the federal defamation case she filed against him. He even created a legal defense fund to support his efforts as he seeks $75 million in damages.
- Case No.: 19‑cv‑03377
- Parties: Virginia L. Giuffre v. Alan Dershowitz
- Nature of Suit: Assault, Libel & Slander
- Cause: 28:1332 Diversity — Defamation
- Demand: $75,000,000
The legal resources Dershowitz brought to bear, with the potential for a crushing $75 million judgment, were too much for Giuffre, who was living in Australia with her husband and children at the time. In November 2022, Giuffre agreed to abandon her defamation claim against Dershowitz and issue a statement acknowledging she “may have made a mistake” in identifying him as one of the men Epstein trafficked her to. With Giuffre’s lawsuit dismissed, all Dershowitz had to do was keep repeating his mantra of innocence, and the issue should have died away.
Now that the Epstein Files are coming out, allegedly in its entirety, we will see admissions from Dershowitz that he received massages at Epstein’s, though he claimed he kept his underwear on. We’ll be reminded that victim Maria Farmer swore she saw Dershowitz at Epstein’s New York mansion and watched him “go upstairs” while underage girls were present. His name on the Epstein flight logs will raise questions, along with questions about whether the allegations of sexual assault against Giuffre were ever investigated.
Dershowitz has decided to go on offense. He’s attacked Maria Farmer, Virginia Giuffre, and many other survivors. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, he decided to correct the record about Farmer.
“Can I correct something you said," started Dershowitz. "You said that the woman… was vindicated? She wasn’t vindicated! This is Maria Farmer. She is a complete and total nut job. Of course, the FBI didn’t believe her in 1996! She’s a complete nutcase except to CNN. CNN has her on every day.”
Farmer claimed she was vindicated because her claim that she reported Epstein to the FBI in 1996 was backed up by a report that surfaced in released files.
“The same women, the same, what do they call themselves, survivors who claim that they want transparency. They want transparency for thee, but not for me. They don’t want transparency about the women who themselves were procuring young girls for Jeffrey Epstein and getting paid $250. They don’t want that kind of transparency. Because no congressman, senator, and except for you and a few other people, no member of the media is prepared to get up and say, I doubt the words of these accusers, I doubt the words of these victims, I doubt the words of these survivors!
If you dare, dare to suggest that some of these alleged victims and survivors are phonies, and they’re making up stories for their own lining their own pocket, you’re called a victim-shamer, and you’re called an Epstein supporter. Well, I’m prepared to take that on. Where’s the ACLU? They’re supposed to defend civil liberties!”
Dershowitz has reportedly been mentioned 137 times in the documents. With his past connection to Epstein facing renewed scrutiny, it remains to be seen how Dershowitz will navigate this latest chapter in a story that continues to evolve.