‘I Know The Names’: Ex-Trump Lawyer Claims Epstein Client List Is Being Suppressed

Last Updated:July 11, 2025, 12:22 IST

The former Trump lawyer claimed he knew the names on Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking list, but said he was gagged by court confidentiality

Dershowitz has long maintained that he was falsely accused in connection to the Epstein case and reiterated that point again during the interview.

Criminal defence attorney Alan Dershowitz, best known for representing US President Donald Trump during his first impeachment and for previously serving on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team, has reignited public interest in the long-speculated Epstein “client list."

Appearing on The Sean Spicer Show on Thursday, Dershowitz made a startling claim: “I know the names of the individuals. I know why they’re being suppressed. I know who’s suppressing them," he said.

“But I’m bound by confidentiality from a judge and cases, and I can’t disclose what I know."

Dershowitz has long maintained that he was falsely accused in connection to the Epstein case and reiterated that point again during the interview. He was previously named in a lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that Epstein trafficked her to Dershowitz for sex when she was a minor—an allegation he has repeatedly denied. Dershowitz countersued Giuffre for defamation, and the two ultimately settled in 2022 without any admission of guilt, with Giuffre stating she may have been mistaken in identifying him.

What Is The Epstein ‘Client List’ And Why Is It So Controversial?

Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of operating an international sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell later that year.

Ever since, conspiracy theories have swirled around a supposed list of powerful individuals, from politicians to businessmen and celebrities, who may have been clients or associates of Epstein in connection with his sex trafficking network.

While no official “client list" has ever been publicly released, victims, lawyers, and investigative reporters have long insisted that US authorities are in possession of documents naming Epstein’s enablers and possible co-conspirators.

Dershowitz Claims Names Are Being Hidden ‘To Protect’ The Powerful

Dershowitz doubled down during the Spicer interview, alleging that files are being “suppressed" for political or reputational reasons.

“I know the names of people whose files are being suppressed in order to protect them, and that’s wrong," he said.

He did not offer specific names or evidence, citing court-imposed confidentiality.

What Does The US Government Say Now?

On July 8, 2025, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and FBI concluded that Epstein did not have a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life, contradicting long-held conspiracy theories about the infamous case.

According to a two-page DoJ and FBI memo, investigators found no “incriminating list" of clients and “no credible evidence" that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.

Trump’s Name Resurfaces Amidst Musk’s Claim And Public Pressure

Earlier this year, the Trump administration suggested it would release all documents and names linked to Epstein’s inner circle. However, it later backtracked, saying “there is no such list", a reversal that sparked outrage among supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, many of whom have long demanded full disclosure and accountability in the Epstein case.

The MAGA base, which often sees Epstein’s alleged trafficking network as symbolic of unchecked elite corruption, viewed the administration’s retreat as a betrayal of Trump’s “drain the swamp" promise, a pledge to eliminate corruption and entrenched power in Washington. The reversal added fuel to conspiracy theories that political interests were being shielded.

Just weeks before this denial, billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, now in a public spat with Trump over political funding and legislation, had stoked controversy by implying on social media that Trump himself was named in the sealed Epstein records.

On June 5, Musk posted on X: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!"

He later deleted the post, admitting he had “gone too far," but the damage was done. His comments reignited speculation online and intensified demands for the client list to be released.

When asked about Epstein by a reporter earlier this week, Trump dismissed the topic altogether: “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years… And are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable."

Why Are Epstein’s Victims Still Demanding Answers?

Despite Epstein’s death, survivors and their legal teams continue to fight for accountability. Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing multiple Epstein victims in civil lawsuits, criticised the US government’s lack of transparency during an appearance on American network NewsNation. “What’s really just astonishing about this recent disclosure from the government is that they know they are sitting on a treasure trove of information, and they’re not turning it over," she said.

“There’s a plethora of information that the public has not been able to see relating to Epstein and his co-conspirators," she added.

Who Helped Epstein Run His Alleged Trafficking Operation?

While much of the public focus has been on Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell — who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence — victims’ lawyers say the sex trafficking network was far wider and structurally supported by a circle of enablers.

McCawley underscored that Epstein could not have operated such a vast, long-running scheme without logistical and professional support. “He needed a lawyer who would cover things up for him. He needed an accountant who would funnel money in certain ways," she said on NewsNation.

“He had a group of people around him who helped protect him and helped that scheme to continue running. None of those people have been prosecuted," she added.

What Happened To Virginia Giuffre?

One of Epstein’s most well-known accusers, Virginia Giuffre, died by suicide earlier this year. She had long alleged that Epstein and his associates abused her and trafficked her to powerful individuals.

Giuffre has stated in interviews and lawsuits that Epstein and Maxwell groomed and coerced her into what she described as sexual servitude.

“My whole life revolved around just pleasing these men and keeping Ghislaine and Jeffrey happy. Their whole entire lives revolved around sex." — Virginia Giuffre, from her 2016 deposition, as cited by The Washington Post.

Her death, after years of battling illness and trauma, has further intensified calls for justice and full disclosure.

News world ‘I Know The Names’: Ex-Trump Lawyer Claims Epstein Client List Is Being Suppressed