Judge in the US commands the disclosure of names belonging to over 170 associates associated with Jeffrey Epstein

A US federal judge has ruled that the names of over 170 associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may be made public in January. The release of these identities is a result of a settled lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was involved in sex trafficking. Those on the list have until the 1st of January to appeal if they wish to have their names removed. Epstein, a wealthy financier who associated with high-profile individuals like Prince Andrew, died in prison in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges, which were declared a suicide. The ruling, issued by New York Judge Loretta Preska, aims to unseal Epstein's connections entirely and is part of Giuffre's ongoing case against Maxwell. Previously, Giuffre's defamation lawsuit had been settled in 2017, leading to the names of many Epstein associates being kept under court seal. Last year, Prince Andrew paid a substantial amount to Giuffre to settle her claim that he sexually abused her when she was 17 years old, though he denies the allegations. Judge Preska noted that most of the individuals named in the lawsuit have already been publicly identified by the media or during Maxwell's criminal trial. However, the judge also stated that some names, particularly those belonging to child victims, will remain sealed. US congressional Republicans are currently pushing to subpoena Epstein's private plane's flight logs. Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, had social connections that involved prominent figures in business and politics.