Attorney claims Palm Beach Police distorted media narrative on Epstein case and alleges political pressure on State Attorney

Attorney: Police gave media ‘distorted view’ bm EPSTEIN fom 1B They did that Monday via Gold- berger and a Los Angeles publicist for Miami criminal defense attorney _ Roy Black, who also has represented Epstein in the case. “We just think there has been a distorted view of this case in the me- dia presented by the Palm Beach po- lice,” Goldberger said. Reiter has consistently declined to comment on the case and did not respond to a request for comment Monday. The implication that State Attor- ney Barry Krischer was easy on Ep- stein by presenting the case to a grand jury rather than filing charges directly against him is wrong, Gold- berger said. The Palm Beach Police Depart ment was “happy and ecstatic” that the panel was going to review the evidence. “I think what happened is they weren't happy with the result. They decided to use the press to embarrass Mr. Epstein.” But records show that Reiter wrote Krischer on May 1 — well be- fore the case went to the grand jury — suggesting that Krischer “consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases.” Rather than flat-out decline to charge Epstein, Krischer referred the case to the grand fury to “ap- pease” the chief, Goldberger said. A state attorney’s spokesman would say only that the office refers cases to the grand jury when there are issues with the viability of the evidence or witnesses’ credibility. Both the state attorney and the grand jury concluded there was not sufficient evidence that Epstein had sex with minors, according to Gold- berger. “It was just a childish perfor- mance by the Palm Beach Police Department,” Goldberger said. The defense attorney said one of the alleged victims who claimed she was a minor was in fact over the age of 18. Another alleged victim who was subpoenaed to testify to the grand jury failed to do so. Epstein’s Epstein investigation Read a ietter from Paim Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter to State Attorney Barry Krischer on the Epstein probe. PalmBeachPost.com accusers, he added, have histories of drug abuse and thefts. “These wom- en are liars. We've established that.” But why would they all invent their stories about meeting Epstein for sexual massages? “I don't have an answer as to what was the motivation for these women to come forward and make these al- legations,” Goldberger said. © lany_keller@pbpost.com Sd 03956-95 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019382