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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon, thread

SDNY / UN GATE, July 20 – With Jeffrey Epstein remanded on child sex trafficking charges to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell has closed down her TerraMar Project which had been welcomed in the United Nations in the Secretary General's press briefing room, before UNSG Antonio Guterres had Inner City Press thrown out.

   In June 2017 Ghislaine Maxwell's TerraMar participated in and promoted Guterres Ocean's Concerned, with Guterres' official Peter Thomson who flew to China for directly photo ops with CEFC China Energy's Ye Jianming.

 Now in July 2019 after Guterres has had Inner City Press roughed up and banned 382+ days from the UN, the video is abruptly "not available." It is another cover up.

  On 25 June 2013 Ghislaine Maxwell appeared in the UN briefing room pitching TerraMar. Inner City Press asked questions, for example on this video from 7:12. Then this:

From: G Max <ghislaine@theterramarproject.org>
Date: Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 9:38 AM
Subject: The TerraMar Project To: matthew.lee [at] innercitypress.com
Dear Matthew, It was a pleasure to meet you. As promised, here is some information on the TerraMar Project – you can see all the latest press if you go to http://theterramarproject.org/thedailycatch/category/press/ - the UN talk, Bloomberg and CNN being the latest. Don’t forget to apply for your passport at theterramarproject.org – your citizenship is pre-approved! Best, Ghislaine 

Inner City Press has been on Terramar's mailing list since. As recently as July 11, 2019 TerraMar sent out an email about clownfish. But now its website says "The TerraMar Project is sad to announce that it will cease all operations. The web site will be closed."

  As so often at the UN under Guterres, corruption once exposed just tries to slink away. Guterres is financially linked to CEFC China Energy. When CEFC's Patrick Ho was indicted and convicted for UN bribery, Guterres never started any audit but instead has Inner City Press which asked roughed up and and thrown out, 382 days now. But the net is tightening. And there are others connected; more on Patreon here. Watch that and this site.

Epstein had his bail application denied on July 18 and will remain in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. His next court appearance is July 31. Judge Richard M. Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York gave a summary of his forthcoming written order, saying that Epstein is a danger to the community and citing the July 15 testimony of victims Annie Farmer and Courtney Wild. He called the proposed bail package woefully inadequate and added his view that no package would have outweighed the danger to the community. The public's interest in a speedy trial was outweighed by the need to prevent any miscarriage of justice.

 Meanwhile the SDNY prosecutors more quietly cut a cooperation agreement with another child sex trafficking Anthony Darby.

   Inner City Press had gone to the SDNY courtroom of Judge Paul Engelmayer to cover another matter. But inside the courtroom a shackled man was pleading guilty. The courtroom deputy came over to say this was not the case Inner City Press had come to cover. But Inner City Press stayed to cover it. Soon Assistant US Attorney Wolf requested a sidebar with Judge Engelmayer.

  The reason quickly became clear. Darby was pleading guilty to 14 counts, sex trafficking of minor and conspiracy, in exchange for cooperation he would get a 5K1.1 letter - in April 2020. Judge Engelmayer to his credit, unlike at least two other SDNY Judges, did not lawlessly order the Press to leave. And for that reason for now Inner City Press is reporting only these bare bones facts: that amid criticism of the Jeffrey Epstein non prosecution agreement, this Darby deal is taking place in the SDNY. Is it a good deal? We'll have more on this.

  That Jeffrey Epstein, now in the Metropolitan Correctional Center by Foley Square, would be denied bail on July 18 at 11:30 am was widely predicted. On July 17, after Judge Berman moved the time for his decision from 9:30 to 11:30 am the next day, Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe wrote to him: "The Government respectfully submits this letter to briefly respond to one aspect of the defendant’s July 16, 2019 letter (ECF No. 24), and to provide the Court with additional information regarding the defendant’s foreign passport. The defendant’s July 16, 2019 letter asserts: “[A]s for the Austrian passport the government trumpets, it expired 32 years ago. And the government offers nothing to suggest—and certainly no evidence—that Epstein ever used it.” (ECF No. 24 at 7). In fact, the passport contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. The Government further notes that the defendant’s submission does not address how the defendant obtained the foreign passport and, more concerning, the defendant has still not disclosed to the Court whether he is a citizen or legal permanent resident of a country other than the United States." Watch this site.

On July 15 SDNY Judge Richard M. Berman asked five questions after saying he won't rule until July 18 at 9:30 am in his courtroom. Inner City Press thread on Twitter here. More on Patreon, here.

 On July 16 on the issue of the passport the US wrote to Judge Berman that "During the Detention Hearing, the Government informed the Court that it had recently learned that law enforcement agents had seized what appears to be an expired foreign passport (the “Foreign Passport”) from a safe in the defendant’s Manhattan residence during the execution of a search warrant on or about July 6, 2019. The Foreign Passport has a photograph that appears to depict the defendant, but lists a different name. Photographs of that passport are annexed hereto as Exhibit B. In the same safe, agents discovered what appears to be an expired United States passport issued to the defendant, in his true name, within three years of the date on the Foreign Passport. A photograph of that United States passport is annexed hereto as Exhibit C, so that the Court may compare the passports, both of which appear to depict the defendant. Because Exhibits B and C contain personally identifiable information and sensitive information relevant to the ongoing investigation, the Government respectfully requests that Exhibits B and C be filed under seal.  The Government is attempting to obtain additional information about the Foreign Passport, including how it was obtained and whether the passport is genuine or fabricated. But the defendant’s possession of what purports to be a foreign passport issued under an alias gives rise to the inference the defendant knows how to obtain false travel documents and/or assume other, foreign identities. This adds to the serious risk of flight posed by the defendant. FN:  The Government has asked defense counsel to advise whether the defendant is currently, or has been in the past, a citizen or legal permanent resident of a country other than the United States. To date, defense counsel has declined to respond. Certainly if the defendant is, or has been, a citizen or permanent resident of another country, that would add significantly to the overwhelming evidence of risk of flight."

 As to Epstein's allegedly claiming to be a Saudi resident, it is worth noting as Inner City Press tweeted that Epstein funded the expansion of a UN-centric NGO into Bahrain, here.

  Epstein's lawyer Martin Weinberg said among other things that Epstein is not an out of control rapist, and offered to post $100 million bail.

 In response to Judge Berman's question on who in the Department of Justice signed off on the non prosecution agreement, Weinberg cited the current Under Secretary of Treasury, who is Sigal P. Mandelker, and also Mark Filip.

  Assistant US Attorney Alex Rossmiller said they have found a passport from a foreign country, with Epstein's photo in it but another name, listing him as a resident of Saudi Arabia. Judge Berman asked for a sample of what was found in Epstein's East 71st Street mansion - and asked for any further written filings by July 16 at 5 pm. He will rule, drum-roll, on July 18 at 9:30 am in his courtroom (which on July 15 was called too full for Inner City Press.) More on Patreon, here. Watch this site.

  As Inner City Press has reported from the Magistrates Court of the SDNY this year, at least two accused pedophiles have been released on bond, with conditions.

One, Donnie Fetters, was bailed by Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang on May 10 and allowed to fly back to Iowa from whence he came to Laguardia to meet an underage girl, or what he thought was an underage girl. See the Inner City Press, the only media that day in the Magistrate Court, story here. Fetters remains free; most recently his appearance before SDNY Judge Victor Marrero was waived. This case is now US v. Fetters, 19-cr-387 (VM).

On May 30 SDNY Magistrate Judge James L. Cott granted bond to Bryan Pivnick, accused of grooming an 11 year old boy, see Inner City Press story here: now Pivnick is asking for greater access to the Internet in New Jersey, ostensibly to pay his student loans. This case is now US v. Pivnick, 19-cr-00464 (PKC). More on Patreon, here.

Certainly, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges are different. But these two recent bailings, and the SDNY's continuing usually ignored proceedings, merit reporting, which Inner City Press will continue to do, perched as for months over the PACER terminal in the 500 Pearl Street press room, if it is available, as it continues its "Murky Mag Court" series. 

Back on March 6 when the question of releasing or at least reviewing sealed Jeffrey Epstein documents was taken up by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Inner City Press story here, Alan Dershowitz was there. Afterward by the elevators in 40 Foley Square Inner City Press asked Dershowitz, what he'd thought of Judge Sweet's decision. He began to say, Judge Sweet made a mistake - when first his lawyer gestured that they should go, and then the clerk of court asked everyone to leave the floor.

 Now it's reported not only that on July 8 Epstein will be presented and indicted on sex trafficking charges but also that a search warrant was executed on Epstein's Manhattan mansion at 8 East 71st Street on July 6. Epstein is in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, photo here, along with among others convicted UN briber, Antonio Guterres linked, Patrick Ho of CEFC.

  Cursory research revealed not only Epstein as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, but bragging about his financial support to CFR, through the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation. Photo here. What will CFR say? Will they belatedly be returning the money?

While some call it a pink hued building on a dead end street, his mansion is at 9 East 71st Street - one block, it turns out, from the Qatar royal family mansion which has hosted human trafficking covered up in the SDNY, see Inner City Press here, and below.

Back in March all of the parties - the Miami Herald's Julie Brown, Mike Cernovich, Alan Dershowitz and even Virginia Giuffre -- were pushing for the unsealing of the documents, except Ghislaine Maxwell.  Her lawyer Ty Gee argued that people had relied on the commitment to seal the information. He ended by saying the U.S. judicial system is not about democracy.

But by then the panel of Judges of Cabranes, Pooler and Droney had made it pretty clear they will be remanding the case and the 167 documents back to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The only question seems to be whether Judge Sweet, who initially agreed to seal them, will get the case on remand or if another judge will.

 ...A cover letter stated that "Defendants – who are members of the royal family of Qatar – noted that if they received certification from the State Department, they would potentially be considered diplomats entitled to full immunity, resulting in immediate dismissal of the litigation for lack of subject matter jurisdiction." So the Qatar royals used the threat of support from the U.S. State Department to cover up human trafficking. We'll have more on this - and there is more on Patreon, here.