Sweethearts together

Matthew Menchel — the former federal prosecutor who is arguably the most egregious villain in Julie Brown’s investigative reporting about the ridiculously lenient plea agreement obtained by Jeffrey Epstein — met with Epstein multiple times afterward:

Jeffrey Epstein had multiple appointments, phone calls and dinners with Matthew Menchel — the Miami U.S. Attorney’s office chief criminal prosecutor who spearheaded Epstein’s sweetheart deal in 2007, newly released documents show. A tranche of over 8,500 pages of records from Epstein’s estate — released by the House Oversight Committee Friday — show that Epstein’s calendars and emails reflect that Menchel, who left the DOJ in 2007, had multiple meetings or dinners with Epstein in 2011, 2013 and 2017. Lawmakers also referred to a photograph of Menchel on a ski trip with Epstein sometime in the 2000s, but didn’t produce the photo.

Contacted on Friday, Menchel initially referred the Miami Herald to a 2020 statement he had previously sent the Herald in response to questions about whether he had a business relationship with Epstein. “I had no business relationship with Mr. Epstein at any point, not before, during or after my tenure at the US Attorney’s Office.” He added that Epstein had tried to get his firm to handle some of the civil litigation associated with his case, but “we declined.” After publication, Menchel told the Herald that he never skied with Epstein. He did not deny that he had met with Epstein after he left the US Attorney’s Office. Epstein’s 2008 deal allowed the New York financier to escape federal sex trafficking charges that could have put him in prison for life. It also gave immunity to others involved in his crimes, many of whom have never been identified. A 2018 investigation by the Miami Herald, called ‘Perversion of Justice,’ detailed how federal prosecutors in South Florida minimized Epstein’s abuse of almost 100 underage girls and worked closely with Epstein’s high-powered attorneys to keep the scope of his crimes secret.

Just hangin’ around with the serial child rapist who you agreed to barely punish at all although you had him dead to rights, as one does. Perhaps he just really enjoyed his sparkling personality!

It’s worth noting again here that Mike Johnson has essentially shut down the House of Representatives for months to prevent information about Epstein coming out, but I’m sure there’s nothing damaging in them concerning any important American public official.