By Alexandra Wolfe, The Daily Beast - April 2, 2011

by Alexandra Wolfe Info

Alexandra Wolfe is a former contributing editor to Conde Nast Portfolio. She has written for publications including the New York Times, New York magazine, the New York Observer, and the Wall Street Journal, where she wrote design and lifestyle features for the Weekend Journal section. Before that, she was a reporter at the New York Observer. She is currently working on a book called American Coddle, about America's culture of entitlement.

Despite the pedophile mogul's conviction for soliciting underage prostitution, his circle—a who's who of the rich and powerful, from Bill Clinton to Katie Couric—is standing by their man. Renowned scientists whose research Epstein funded also back the billionaire, writes Alexandra Wolfe.

On the evening of December 2nd, 2010, a handful of America's media and entertainment elite—including TV anchors Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos, comedienne Chelsea Handler, and director Woody Allen—convened around the dinner table of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It wasn't just any dining room, but part of a sprawling nine-story townhouse that once housed an entire preparatory school. And it wasn't just any sex offender, but an enigmatic billionaire who had flown the likes of former President Bill Clinton and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak around the world on his own Boeing 727. Last spring, Epstein completed a 13-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in Palm Beach. Now he was hosting a party for his close friend, Britain's Prince Andrew, fourth in line to the throne.

Jeffrey Epstein. Credit: Newscom

When a photo later surfaced of the two men walking in Central Park that weekend, the British press seized on the story, spinning out weeks of headlines about the 16-year relationship between Epstein and Andrew, with salacious details of underage "masseuses" and even a cozy weekend in Balmoral. Members of parliament began calling for Prince Andrew's resignation as Britain's trade envoy, and when another photo surfaced of Andrew and a 17-year-old concubine Epstein had allegedly "loaned" him splashed across the London tabs, even Britain's business secretary wouldn't confirm the royal could keep his role. But the uproar over "The Prince and The Perv"—as the British headlines screamed—mysteriously drowned in the Mid-Atlantic. New Yorkers barely batted an eye about the scandal-mongering across the pond. "A jail sentence doesn't matter anymore," says David Patrick Columbia, founder of New York Social Diary. "The only thing that gets you shunned in New York society is poverty."

"In the Midwest, where I am from, he would be a social pariah," says Lorna Brett Howard, a political activist and wife of Irving Post Capital CEO and Aeropostale director John Howard. "What I see here is if you have big money or are famous then you get a pass."

“A jail sentence doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing that gets you shunned in New York society is poverty.”

Sure enough, that December night no one mentioned that their handsome host, a gray-haired 58-year-old financier with tanned skin and a joker smile, had just doled out millions of dollars in civil settlements to 17 [Published reports say 7…LS] girls who allege that he paid them to perform erotic massages and demeaning sexual acts when they were underage. They are among the 40 victims turned up by an FBI investigation. But at the time, this particular swath of Epstein's elite Rolodex had no idea that the feted royal would soon renounce Epstein as a friend, nor that the royal's ex-wife, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, would hysterically apologize for letting Epstein pay off some of her debts.

12 April 1, 2011 | 9:29pm Twitter Email Share var OutbrainPermaLink=document.location.href.replace(document.location.search, '').replace(//d+/$/,'/').replace(document.location.host, 'thedailybeast.com'); if(OutbrainPermaLink.search(/blogs-and-stories/)>=0){ OutbrainPermaLink += "full/"; } var OB_Template = "The Daily Beast"; var OB_demoMode = false; var OBITm = "1255455386150"; var OB_langJS ='http://widgets.outbrain.com/lang_en.js'; if ( typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined' ) OutbrainStart(); else { var OB_Script = true; var str = ''; document.write(str); } » The Fight for Greater Justice for Women » Is Newt Gingrich Doomed? » Let Preschool Kids Play! » The Antiabortion Crowd's Latest Target: African Americans » The Bikers Suing Their Local Police Us News , Fbi , George Stephanopoulos , Katie Couric , Woody Allen , Ehud Barak , Sarah Ferguson , President Bill Clinton , Prince Andrew , Jeffrey Epstein , Peggy Siegal , Professor Lawrence Krauss , Ghislaine Maxwell , New York Social Diary (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies Sort Up Sort Down sort by date: dhampton100

What a sad commentary of where we are as a society. We all knew Woody Allen would support him, Woody has been a known pedophile for years but for all these others to stand by his side is despicable. I surely thought more of Katie Couric, not anymore. I can't help but wonder how these people would feel if one of these girls was their daughter.

Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 6:07 am, Apr 2, 2011 hockeydog

As a fellow scientist, I too. always judge things based on empirical evidence.As a dog, I too, always hump anything I can, the younger and more innocent they are, arf-grrrrr-rff'; the fonder their memories will be.But, as an average, little-people-American I am dismayed at the undeniable fact that our country is being run by a bunch of grunions whose only apparent redeeming value is in the amount of money they float around on.Finally, as a composite American scientific canine, I have reached the conclusion that the rule of law was a nice achaic concept, but the reality is that the laws only apply to us little folks. The empirical evidence suggests that our rulers view laws as words. Words can be changed. Words can be ignored. Words can be created. I mean, whoever heard of collateralized debt obligations for crissake?

Flag It | Permalink | Reply 7:27 am, Apr 2, 2011 dalelama

DNC and Soetoro contributors all. ROFL

Flag It | Permalink | Reply 7:21 am, Apr 2, 2011 William D. Perry

Justice is not color blind in this country. It can see the color green (as in money.)

Flag It | Permalink | Reply 7:27 am, Apr 2, 2011 $('#c_total span').html('4'); $('#c_total').show(); Share this comment on Facebook

Thank you. As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.

Please log in to leave comments.

//'); document.write(''); //]]>

U.S. Military Not Happy Over Libya

by Leslie H. GelbInfo

Leslie H. Gelb, a former New York Times columnist and senior government official, is author of Power Rules: How Common Sense Can Rescue American Foreign Policy (HarperCollins 2009), a book that shows how to think about and use power in the 21st century. He is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.

X Close

The Person Behind the Porn Wikileaks Website

by Richard AbowitzInfo

Richard Abowitz covered Las Vegas for over a decade as a senior writer and editor at Las Vegas Weekly. For many years Abowitz wrote Movable Buffet blog and print column for Los Angeles Times. In addition to covering Vegas, Abowitz has been writing about music and culture for Rolling Stone since 1996. Abowitz blogs at GoldPlatedDoor.com.

X Close

Is Newt Gingrich Doomed?

by Shushannah WalsheInfo

Shushannah Walshe covers politics for The Daily Beast. She is the co-author of Sarah From Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar. She was a reporter and producer at the Fox News Channel from August 2001 until the end of the 2008 presidential campaign.

X Close

Violence in Ivory Coast Kills 800

Gbagbo continues to defend stronghold.

Nuclear Plant Leaks Directly Into Ocean

High radiation detected 25 miles out to sea.

U.S. Wraps Up Libya Combat Role

NATO to take over airstrikes on Saturday.

.weLike { text-align: center; font-family: "Arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1em; } .weLike li { padding: 10px 0; background: url("http://www.tdbimg.com/image/dot_h.gif?v=7.82") repeat-x center bottom; list-style-type: none; } .weLike li.last { background: none; } .weLike li .source { font-style: normal; color: #666; display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; text-transform: uppercase; } .weLike li .sourceStory { font-weight: bold; color: #000; } .weLike a:hover { color: #f1261d; } .weLike .weLikeHeader { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 14px; margin-top: 15px; } .weLike .weLikeHeader span { display: block; height: 14px; width: 97px; background: blue; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 50%; margin-left: -48px; background: #fff url("http://www.thedailybeast.com/images/widgets/stories-we-like/header.png") no-repeat center center; } Stories We Like EW.com 22 Most Shocking TV Deaths My Daily Female Protesters Forced to Take 'Virginity Test' in Egypt AOL News British Police Say Anarchists a Threat to Disrupt UK Royal Wedding Newsweek Give TARP a Break BLTWY 10 Latino Politicians to Watch Wonderwall 25 Most Unforgettable Pop Culture Weddings Dictionary.com What Words Will Be Changed in Two New Editions of the Bible?

Fashion's Hottest Playboy

by Alexandra WolfeInfo

Alexandra Wolfe is a former contributing editor to Conde Nast Portfolio. She has written for publications including the New York Times, New York magazine, the New York Observer, and the Wall Street Journal, where she wrote design and lifestyle features for the Weekend Journal section. Before that, she was a reporter at the New York Observer. She is currently working on a book called American Coddle, about America's culture of entitlement.

X Close Lily Collins Is Relativity's Snow White 'The Darkest Hour' Release Pushed to Dec. This Week on Stage: Daniel Radcliffe dances, Robin Williams roars "�True Blood' season premiere date: The waiting stops sucking June 26 April Fools' Day: Nathan Fillion tweets that "�Castle' is canceled. Plus, other shenanigans we saw on the worst day for internet surfing. A Guide to 'The Kennedys' Miniseries Is It Lawful to Kill Gaddafi? What Happens If Government Shuts Down? Judge Rules Against City, Man's Toilet Bowl-Flowerpot Stays Iowa Man Reaches Halfway Mark in Beer-Only Lent Fast Cops: 'Obama Robber' Busted in Austria

Sign me up for The Daily Beast's daily news emails and breaking news alerts.

Sign me up for The Yes List, weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast.

I'd like to receive e-mail notifications as:

Text Only HTML

Sign me up for occasional special offers sent by The Daily Beast on behalf of select sponsors, and for occasional special offers from IAC companies.

Please register to manage your email preferences and comment on the site. Home | Cheat sheet | Buzz board | Big Fat Story | Blogs & stories | Videos | Galleries Sexy Beast | Book Beast | Hungry Beast | Art Beast | Giving Beast COPYRIGHT © 2008-11 The Newsweek / Daily Beast Company LLC , ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SITE DESIGN BY CODE AND THEORY. This Web Accessibility icon serves as a link to download eSSENTIAL Accessibility assistive technology software for individuals with physical disabilities.

Partner Sites: Ask Kids| Bloglines| Citysearch| Expedia| Hotels| Hotwire| Reference| Thesaurus

THANK YOU Your account with The Daily Beast has been created.