WASHINGTON — CNN anchor Jake Tapper repeated the conventional wisdom Monday when he referred to the “sweetheart deal” federal prosecutors made with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2008. Tapper’s disdain fit nicely with the narrative the media have embraced about the Epstein saga — with girls as victims, the media as heroes, and Republican-appointed prosecutors as the bad guys.

But the only part of the narrative that rings true involves the victims, who spoke during a Capitol Hill news conference last week about how small they felt when they met the rich and politically connected financier, who was found dead in a jail cell in 2019.

You see, while an 18-month sentence seems like a too-good-to-be-true deal for a sex trafficker, the Epstein case would have been nearly impossible to prosecute because Epstein tainted his witnesses in advance of any criminal charges.

At the presser, many of Epstein’s victims spoke about how they first met the sex offender who trafficked underage girls. A friend told them about an old guy who would pay $200 for a massage.

Sure, most girls must have suspected that deal was too good to be true, but teens can be stupid.

And that’s the evil genius of the Epstein play. He was dealing with girls as young as 14, who did not know what sexual predators do. The fact that he paid them, and they should have known better, was bound to instill in his victims a sense of shame — as if what happened was their fault, not his.

Those poor girls did not stand a chance against a moneyed master manipulator.

Survivor Anouska De Georgiou told the crowd not to be fooled by her polished exterior. Twenty-odd years ago, she and other victims were inexperienced kids who were dazzled by Epstein’s wealth. Other victims were fearful of becoming further victimized by Epstein’s vaunted connections.

The shock-and-awe tactic worked with women as well. Podcaster Lisa Phillips said she first met Epstein on a photo shoot. He opened doors with the prestigious Ford Models firm. “This did not just happen to underaged girls in Florida,” Phillips offered. “In New York City, hundreds of young, ambitious women were abused by him.”

Epstein was at the top of the food chain in fashion, arts, and entertainment. Many knew, participated, and profited, Phillips added, and now survivors are working on a list of Epstein associates who should be held accountable.

“Stay tuned for more details.”

I am not equating Epstein’s ploys to corrupt girls to his strategy for luring women. I am merely observing how slime operates: by spreading itself.

Sadly, the reason Epstein’s victims are a big story today is that Donald Trump, who used to be friends with Epstein but cut off the friendship years ago, was elected president in 2016 and reelected in 2024.

In 2006, a grand jury indicted the multimillionaire on a charge of solicitation. In 2007, then U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta cut the 18-month plea deal with Epstein. I believe he had a keen understanding of how vulnerable his witnesses would be to attacks.

It wasn’t until Trump named Acosta his Labor Secretary that the Miami Herald focused on Epstein and produced its award-winning “Perversion of Justice” series in 2018.

So, a word of advice for the women who want to put together a list. Beware. There’s only one name in this sad tale that will get big media’s attention. And it’s not a survivor. It’s Trump.

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Contact Review-Journal Washington columnist Debra J. Saunders at [email protected]. Follow @debrajsaunders on X. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM