Lawyer Maintains Personal Ties with Epstein and Represents Columbia University
Newly unsealed files reveal that the lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein in his 2008 teen-prostitution plea deal, Jay Lefkowitz, maintained personal ties with Epstein even after his conviction. This included attending Epstein’s events and even inviting him to his son’s bar mitzvah.
Despite criticism from victim-rights groups, Columbia University hired Lefkowitz to negotiate a $221 million settlement with the Trump DOJ over civil-rights claims of discrimination against Jewish students.
Erica Vladimer, co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, stated that it was inappropriate for Columbia to hire an attorney with a reputation for defending child sex abusers.
Lefkowitz, a Columbia alum and former Bush White House lawyer, was involved in negotiating Epstein’s plea deal almost 20 years ago.
In another case, Columbia students reported facing extreme antisemitism on campus, leading to a settlement with the White House. Shipman, acting President of Columbia, faced questioning about ties between the university and Epstein.
During the meeting, concerns were raised about Lefkowitz’s connections to Epstein, but Shipman deferred addressing the issue to a future meeting.
Lefkowitz declined to comment on the matter, but his legal background includes positions in the administrations of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, as well as pro bono work on various causes.
