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David Brooks’ Epstein Connection: new Documents Reveal NYT Columnist’s Past Ties to Disgraced Financier
A recent release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has revealed that New York Times columnist David Brooks attended a dinner with the convicted sex offender in 2011, a connection he failed to disclose in a November column dismissing the importance of the ongoing revelations surrounding Epstein.
The emergence of this previously undisclosed connection casts a new light on Brooks’ public commentary regarding the Epstein case and raises questions about transparency among prominent media figures. In a November column titled “The Epstein Story? Count Me Out,” Brooks characterized the public interest in the case as fueled by QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory, arguing that Epstein’s crimes, while reprehensible, did not represent a systemic issue within the American elite.
However, photos surfaced on Thursday as part of a document release by Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight, demonstrating Brooks’ attendance at an event with Epstein. The committee has been investigating the Epstein saga and has access to documents provided by the estate of the late financier. While the exact date and location of the event remain unclear, a spokesperson for The new York Times stated that it was a “widely-attended dinner” in 2011, attended by Brooks as part of his journalistic duties.
“as a journalist, david Brooks regularly attends events to speak with noted and important business leaders to inform his columns, which is exactly what happened at this 2011 event,” said Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times spokesperson. “Mr. Brooks had no contact with him before or after this single attendance at a widely-attended dinner.” Brooks himself did not promptly respond to requests for comment.
This revelation is not an isolated incident. The documents released by the GOP-controlled Oversight Committee in November also revealed a deeper relationship between Epstein and Landon Thomas Jr., a former Times reporter who was terminated in 2018 after soliciting a charitable donation from Epstein. Emails showed thomas and Epstein discussing data regarding Donald Trump, though these tips were never published. Neither thomas nor The new York Times have publicly commented on why the information was not reported.
Thursday’s document release also included photos of other prominent figures who were known to be in Epstein’s orbit, including intellectual Noam Chomsky and political strategist steven K.Bannon. These images were released just before the Department of Justice’s mandated deadline, as dictated by the congressional Epstein Files Act, to release documents related to its investigations into Epstein.
brooks previously argued that “The Epstein case is precious to the QAnon types because hear, in fact, was a part of the American elite that really was running a sex abuse ring,” adding, “So, of course, they leap to the conclusion that Epstein was a typical member of the American establishment, not an outlier.It’s grooming and sex trafficking all the way down.”
A spokesperson for the Democratic members of the Oversight Committee has yet to provide further clarification regarding the details of the photos, but according to Politico, the Epstein estate provided the images without context following a subpoena. The ongoing release of these documents continues to
