Epstein accuser claims former Israeli PM Ehud Barak sexually assaulted her
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By Molly Boigon June 23, 2020
Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring, has accused former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak of sexual assault, according to court documents revealed Tuesday.
Giuffre’s accusation, details of which had been sealed by a court, became known this week after attorney Alan Dershowitz issued a new filing refuting her claims. Dershowitz sued Giuffre for defamation after she claimed that she had been forced to have sex with him and other high-profile figures, including Barak and Prince Andrew of England.
Dershowitz’s filing was first revealed publicly by reporter Julie Brown of the Miami Herald. Dershowitz’s document states that Giuffre alleges that she was forced to have sex with Barak.
Dershowitz went on to argue that Giuffre “has offered no proof other than her own uncorroborated word, which has been thoroughly discredited by her proven lies.”
NEW: Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, in his most recent court filing, reveals that former Israeli PM Ehud Barak is among a number of important men who have been accused by Giuffre as being part of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex scheme. It’s the first time Barak, an Epstein friend, has been named. pic.twitter.com/J2AeNJar8J
— julie k. brown (@jkbjournalist) June 23, 2020
Dershowitz’s attorney told the Herald he has access to Giuffre’s sealed depositions.
Dershowitz is suing Giuffre for what he says is a defamation of character after she accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager at the direction of Epstein.
He represented Epstein in the first criminal investigation into the financier’s alleged sex trafficking in 2005, for which the financier pled guilty to one count of procuring an underage prostitute.
Epstein financed a multimillion dollar investment for Barak in 2014, Haaretz reported last year. Epstein’s neighbors told The Daily Beast that Barak would frequently stay at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse.
Molly Boigon is an investigative reporter at the Forward. Contact her at boigon@forward.com or follow her on Twitter @MollyBoigon.
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