An investigative reporter claims that Vanity Fair whitewashed her piece on billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2002 in an attempt to shield Epstein from legal scrutiny.

Vicky Ward made the claim following Epstein’s arrest in New York on Sunday for sex trafficking minors.

“In 2002, I was assigned to write a profile of Jeffrey Epstein for Vanity Fair. This was that piece. But what was published was far from the whole story,” Ward tweeted Monday, which included her whitewashed Epstein piece entitled, “The Talented Mr. Epstein.”

In 2002, I was assigned to write a profile of Jeffrey Epstein for Vanity Fair. This was that piece. But what was published was far from the whole story. https://t.co/XzWG9ewPip — Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) July 8, 2019

“I uncovered many concrete, irrefutable examples of strange business practices and it soon became quite clear: Jeffrey Epstein was most certainly not who and what he claimed to be.”

“I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his suspicious business activities,” she continued. “The thing I noticed was that he was *much* more focused on another topic: He would ask me again and again, ‘What do you have on the girls?'”

“I did indeed have something ‘on the girls’ — three remarkably brave first-person accounts from a mother and her two daughters about how Epstein had tried to seduce both daughters, the younger sister then only 16.”

After submitting her final draft, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter told her that he was cutting out all the information about Epstein’s victims, claiming Epstein was “sensitive” about mentioning the young girls.

“After I filed the piece, I was told that Graydon Carter was cutting the testimony of Maria Farmer, her mother, and her sister from the piece, erasing all mention of these brave women who had come forward with their stories of abuse.”

After I filed the piece, I was told that Graydon Carter was cutting the testimony of Maria Farmer, her mother, and her sister from the piece, erasing all mention of these brave women who had come forward with their stories of abuse. — Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) July 8, 2019

“I confronted Graydon, asking why he was doing something that seemed so clear to me to be so wrong. ‘He’s sensitive about the young women’ was his answer,” Ward said.

I confronted Graydon, asking why he was doing something that seemed so clear to me to be so wrong. “He’s sensitive about the young women” was his answer. — Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) July 8, 2019

Ward went on to suggest that if her original piece mentioning the names of the girls had been published, the FBI might have prosecuted Epstein sooner.

I have thought often about the fact that if my piece had been published in full—with the names and stories of these women—the FBI may have come after Epstein sooner and perhaps some of his victims would have been saved. — Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) July 8, 2019

“I tried to expose Jeffrey Epstein for what he is and I was silenced,” she added. “Everyone who knew about Epstein was silenced by people with more money and power and influence. now that silence is over. It’s time for the truth to see the light.”

I tried to expose Jeffrey Epstein for what he is and I was silenced. Everyone who knew about Epstein was—silenced by people with more money and power and influence. Now that silence is over. It’s time for the truth to see the light. — Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) July 8, 2019

The media practiced a similar policy with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, whose reported predatory “casting couch” behaviors had been deliberately ignored for years.

Twitter: Follow @WhiteIsTheFury

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