Jeffrey Epstein left a great deal of turmoil in the wake of his death, not the least part of which was the resignation of his former associate at MIT’s Media Lab in 2016, Signe Swenson. According to Swenson, the pressure was too great to stay amidst the rumors of Epstein’s involvement there. According to those who worked there, Epstein brought a pair of models to the lab – possibly against their will.
Epstein, who signed his last will and testament only two days before his alleged suicide last month, was previously scheduled to meet with lab personnel to discuss funding for new and old projects alike.
An issue arose when staffers took note of his two “assistants” who followed him wherever he went. According to Swenson, the two women were young models of Eastern European descent. Swenson objected to Epstein’s presence on site.
“I don’t think he should be on the campus,” she said in a report filed later. “At that point it hit me: this pedophile is going to be in our office.”
Epstein locked in around $7.5 million in donations for the lab. Because his prior sex crime convictions disqualified him from donating personally, he opted to instead donate anonymously. This resulted in staffers jokingly naming him “Voldemort.”
Swenson said, “I was a participant in covering up for Epstein in 2014. Listening to what comments are coming out of the lab or MIT about the relationship – I just see exactly the same thing happening again.”
Epstein was embroiled in a number of scandals. One alleges he had his hand in eugenics practices, and one of his goals was to impregnate numerous women in order to have at least twenty children, who would live a ranch he owned in New Mexico.
He was charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008, and he pleaded guilty. He subsequently registered as a sex offender and served 13 months in prison for the conviction, but he was allowed to travel to an office six days each week so that he could continue to work. This led to a great deal of public scrutiny and controversy.
Much of the attention given to the Epstein case was likely due to the people he surrounded himself with – the social circle included names like former President Bill Clinton, current President Donald Trump, and a number of beloved celebrities.
In 2002 during an interview with New York magazine, Trump said, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
