In the 1980s, Jeffrey Epstein traveled a lot in the Middle East and Africa, and recently uncovered documents show that he often asked for multiple passports for these trips. The documents, obtained by ABC News, indicate that he frequently claimed to have lost his passports and needed new ones to support his many travel visas.
Jeffrey Epstein’s passports and the challenges of spontaneous itineraries of extensive global travel
From 1980 until he passed away in 2019, Epstein went to various countries like Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gabon, and numerous places in Europe.
In a 2011 letter to the State Department, Epstein explained that his job often required him to plan international trips on very short notice, with itineraries involving multiple destinations. He emphasized the challenge of obtaining multiple visas simultaneously within the limited time frame, stating that having a second passport was necessary for such situations.
“Please issue me a second passport so I may have the 3 visas issued for Africa while I am using my current passport in France,” he wrote in the letter.
During that period, Epstein had a prior conviction for soliciting child prostitution in Florida. It remains uncertain if his request for a second passport was approved.
In 1985, he sought a replacement passport while claiming to be ‘residing in London.’ The address he provided was situated in an area of London surrounded by foreign embassies, as detailed in the ABC report.
Notably, the FBI had previously uncovered an Austrian passport with Epstein’s photo but a different name during a 2019 raid on his mansion.
Epstein’s complicated travel history unveiled
His lawyers claimed that a friend gave him a passport with a Saudi Arabian address to protect him from potential targeting due to his Jewish heritage while visiting certain countries.
The US government revoked two of his passports because he failed to report all his international travel while using his private jet. The investigation into his use of foreign passports was closed after his death, the report also mentioned.
Recently, numerous previously censored files related to Epstein have been released. These files expose his close connections with Bill Clinton and include unverified accusations against Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, and other prominent figures in business and politics.
The files were part of a defamation lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, and the case was settled in 2017.
