EFTA00013811.pdf
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KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
SUBMISSION TO THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IN THE MATTER OF JEFFREY E. EPSTEIN
Jeffrey Epstein, a successful businessman and noted philanthropist with no prior criminal
record, has been investigated for potential violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591, 2422(b) and 2423(b).
Since the limited review conducted by CEOS, two Supreme Court decisions—one authored by
Justice Scalia and the other by Justice Thomas—have revitalized the bedrock principles that
federal criminal statutes must be narrowly construed, that they may not be stretched to federalize
conduct not clearly covered by their prohibitions, and that whenever there are two plausible
constructions of a criminal statute, the narrower construction (hich safeguards liberty) rather than
the broader construction (which expands the federal prosecutor's arsenal) controls under the
venerable rule of lenity.
Mr. Epstein's conduct—including his misconduct—falls within the heartland of historic
state police and prosecutorial powers. Absent a significant federal nexus, matters involving
prostitution have always been treated as state-law crimes even when they involve minors. Mr.
Epstein's conduct lacks any of the hallmarks that would convert this quintessential state crime
into a federal one under any of the statutes prosecutors are considering.
Mr. Epstein lived in Palm Beach, and his interstate travel was merely to go home. My
sexual conduct that occurred after he arrived was incidental to the purposes for his travel. Even
CEOS admitted that applying § 2423(b) to a citizen traveling home would be "novel." In fact, it
would be both unprecedented and in conflict with Supreme Court cases that have withstood the
test of time for over 60 years.
Moreover, Mr. Epstein did not use the intemet (either via email or chatrooms) to
communicate with any of the witnesses in this investigation. Indeed, he did not use any other
facility of interstate commerce, including the phone, to knowi…
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