After Epstein scandal, Congressmen ask TSA to help combat trafficking at Teterboro airport

Christopher Maag | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Dershowitz: A 'Shakedown plot' by Epstein accuser Attorney Alan Dershowitz attended a hearing in federal court in Manhattan Monday in his ongoing legal battle with Virginia Giuffre, a woman who claims to have been pressured into having sex with Dershowitz by Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17. (Dec. 2)

Two Congressmen from North Jersey urged federal regulators on Friday to take additional steps to combat human trafficking at Teterboro airport. The request comes after an investigation by NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY NETWORK in August exposed how Jeffrey Epstein used Teterboro as the hub of his international sex trafficking ring.

The Transportation Security Administration currently plays no role in addressing human trafficking at smaller airports including Teterboro. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D – Paterson, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D – Wyckoff, have said that should change.

“Mr. Epstein’s ability to take advantage of less stringent security regulations and staff training at Teterboro to facilitate a multidecade human trafficking ring demonstrates gaps in the current monitoring of general aviation airports,” according to the letter.

The TSA prioritizes passenger screening and other security efforts at major commercial airports such as Newark Liberty International. In a letter, the congressmen asked the agency to expand its reach, creating rules and procedures to prevent human trafficking at more than 14,500 “general aviation” airports in the United States. Such airports generally do not offer scheduled commercial flights.

The congressmen also asked the TSA to train airport staff on how to identify human trafficking, and to report the agency’s anti-trafficking efforts to the public.

“With an estimated 24.9 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, it is vitally important that the TSA act decisively to ensure the general aviation community is fully prepared to identify and stop human trafficking,” the congressmen wrote.

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In its investigation, NorthJesey.com found that Epstein used Teterboro as home base for his aviation fleet. Flying in everything from a Sikorsky helicopter to a converted Boeing 727 airliner and a Gulfstream corporate jet, Epstein recorded at least 730 flights to and from Teterboro between 1995 and 2013. The flights were recorded in pilot logs unsealed by a federal court in August.

Days after the logs and other documents were released, on Aug. 10, Epstein died in a New York City jail.

On some of those flights, Epstein’s planes carried underage girls and prominent men. Passengers included Bill Gates and Alberto Pinto, a famous interior designer. Also aboard was Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who flew to and from Teterboro on Epstein’s jet eight times beginning when she was 16. In her 2015 lawsuit against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Giuffre alleges Epstein lent her out when she was a minor for sex with his friends.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns Teterboro airport. After Epstein was arrested at Teterboro on July 6, the agency declined multiple requests by The Record to explain its security operations at the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration also ignored repeated requests for information.

Three months later, new information released by state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg reveals how Epstein may have evaded the loose patchwork of security regulations. The Port Authority Police Department secures the perimeter at Teterboro, according to a letter addressed to Weinberg by John Bilich, the authority's security chief. The FBI is responsible for investigating potential drug or human traffickers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens flight manifests for international trips, and a consortium of three federal agencies conducts training for airport workers about human trafficking.

For most flights to and from Teterboro, however, government agencies provide no security whatsoever.

“Airport operators and pilots hold the ultimate responsibility for knowing who and what is being transported aboard an aircraft,” Bilich wrote.

Christopher Maag is a columnist for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to his unique perspective on New Jersey’s most interesting people and experiences, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: maag@northjersey.com Twitter: @Chris_Maag