Freshly released material from the U.S. Department of Justice has surfaced a previously unseen video of Jeffrey Epstein, offering a rare and unsettling glimpse into the mindset of the convicted sex offender as he defends his wealth, downplays his crimes and invokes the devil during a tense exchange with an unidentified interviewer. The footage forms part of more than three million documents, images and videos made public on Jan. 30 under a congressionally mandated disclosure process.
In the video, Epstein appears seated in a dark shirt and glasses while an off-camera questioner challenges him about the origins of his fortune and his moral responsibility. When accused of living off "dirty money," Epstein replies bluntly, "No, it's not," and insists he "earned it," even as the interviewer presses him about advising powerful people accused of wrongdoing.
Epstein dismisses ethical scrutiny altogether, telling the interviewer, "Ethics is always a complicated subject." He then pivots to philanthropy, claiming he donated money to help eradicate polio in India and Pakistan, assertions that are referenced in the footage but remain unverified in the newly released records.
The exchange takes a darker turn when the interviewer asks Epstein about his status as a sex offender. When prompted, "What are you, [a] class 3 sexual predator?" Epstein responds with a smirk, "Tier 1; I'm the lowest." Under New York's registry system, Tier 1 is the lowest risk category, though it still denotes a serious sex offense.
The casual tone of the admission has drawn particular attention from legal analysts and victim advocates, who note the contrast between Epstein's demeanor and the gravity of the crimes for which he was convicted. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor and was later arrested again in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges.
One of the most striking moments comes when the interviewer introduces a hypothetical involving the devil and moral trade-offs. Asked directly whether he sees himself as the devil, Epstein replies, "No, but I do have a good mirror." Later in the footage, he adds, "The devil scares me." The remarks appear to acknowledge public perceptions of him while stopping short of any admission of culpability.
The identity of the interviewer has not been confirmed by the Justice Department. However, individuals familiar with the footage have suggested it may be Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist under Donald Trump, though no official documentation accompanying the release verifies when or where the interview took place.
The video is part of a broader disclosure that has renewed scrutiny of Epstein's relationships with influential figures in the U.S. and abroad. The files reference contacts involving Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and Peter Mandelson, among others, though inclusion in the records does not itself establish wrongdoing.
The latest release has also intensified political pressure in the U.K., with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying publicly that Prince Andrew should be prepared to testify before the U.S. Congress if asked. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial, a death that ended criminal proceedings but not public scrutiny.
