‘I left my job to seek justice for Epstein’s victims’

FBI Document Suggests Trump Knew About Epstein’s Crimes Since the publication of the latest Epstein case files, it’s not just major news outlets that have begun combing through that vast trove of documents. The case also aroused widespread public interest on the internet. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Among the independent “citizen journalists” who support this work is writer Ellie Leonard. From the United States, she works together with others to unravel the most recent batch of documents published by the American Department of Justice. “I have to come to terms with the idea that I can’t fully examine 3.5 million pages,” Leonard confided to the BBC. Ellie Leonard BBC She says that, initially, she knew nothing about Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019). But she began researching Epstein’s relationships with US President Donald Trump, inspired by his interest in social justice and his opposition to the president’s economic and immigration policies. The latest batch of material, published on January 30, included three million pages, 180,000 images, 2,000 videos and a series of well-known names, such as businessmen Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. There is no indication that their mention in the documents implies any irregularity. Many people who appear in previously published documents have denied having committed any illegality. Leonard says he resigned from his job at his son’s school at the end of December 2025 to dedicate himself to this task. But, as the material increased, she soon realized she would need help. The recent publication came weeks after the deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by Trump in November. The law required the complete publication of all documents relating to the case. Leonard invited people from all over the world to help her look through the files and “they responded to my call,” in her words. She estimates that well over 1,000 citizen journalists, from countries from South Korea to Norway, have joined her project on the online platform Substack. They have varied interests and specialties, from psychoanalysis and data metrics to law. ‘I’ll believe them’ Leonard has experience simplifying complex political documents to help people be better informed before they vote. So she felt she could help in the same way with the Epstein files. But their main motivation is to achieve justice for victims whose reports have often not been given credence. “When women or survivors come forward and tell their story, I’m going to believe them. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt.” “Then I’ll start looking and finding what they say. I think it’s really important to validate their stories in this way,” she says. The group’s approach is different from that of many news organizations. Rather than starting at the top of each newly published batch of documents, where the most widely circulated videos, screen copies, and quotes are typically found, she advises the group to start elsewhere. “When a new stack of files comes out, there are a lot of highlights that people talk about over and over… and they tend to come from the top of the stacks,” she explains. “So I always recommend that people split up and start in the middle, near the end, or backwards, because everything is out of order.” By dividing the documents in this way, she says that the group can compare notes, identify gaps and avoid duplicate work much more easily. “Everyone is looking with their own knowledge and their own part of the archives and we are all working together,” according to Leonard. Small details Epstein survivor Annie Farmer (sister of Maria Farmer) speaks out in support of other victims Reuters via BBC Leonard points out that public dialogue often gravitates around the best-known figures mentioned in the documents — the “big personalities” who dominate the headlines when new material is published. But she points out that this focus can obscure other parts of the records that are equally important. “I think in this case there are smaller points that contain more detail,” she explains. Email exchanges, internal communications and small fragments of evidence, according to Leonard, “serve as receipts for the survivors’ stories.” She mentions a woman who provided authorities with Epstein’s name early in the process. “Maria Farmer reported it to the FBI in 1996,” she recalls, “and now we could see that what she said was true.” Farmer is an artist who worked for Epstein. She told the FBI that Epstein had stolen personal photos she took of her 12- and 16-year-old sisters. In the complaint, she said she believed Epstein sold the photos to potential buyers and that he threatened to burn down her house if she told anyone. Farmer also accused Epstein of asking her to take photos of young girls in swimming pools for him. After the files were published, Farmer said she felt “redeemed” after almost 30 years. Leonard says that, for her, the cumulative effect of small pieces of evidence is the most surprising, because of the way they fill in the gaps and confirm the timeline. “I can see what people were thinking, who they were talking to, who their friends were, where they let their guard down, and what information they give us in those conversations,” she says. “I really think the important points in this case will come from these conversations, because they never believed they would come to light.” ‘They need to find justice’ ‘I quit my job to seek justice for Epstein’s victims’ Getty Images via BBC Leonard says he looks at the documents without the experience of a traditional journalist, but with analytical techniques derived from his training in classical art and culture. “Traditional journalism is based on maintaining standards, on remaining vigilant,” she explains. “I think specifically about myself, I really focus on citations and finding out the facts.” She also consults well-known trained journalists and shows them the texts before publication. “I get a lot of encouragement from them. And I think that allows me to move forward, knowing that I’ve told the story to the best of my ability.” As a mother, Leonard says that, for her, this work is about “responsibility.” “I’m a mother and I will do whatever it takes to make the world a better and safer place for my children.” Regarding her investigative work, she hopes it will bring conclusions. “There needs to be closure for these survivors and they need to find justice,” says Leonard. “I think the goal is to find that for them — and that’s why we’re all working so hard.”

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