Former Israeli PM stayed several times at Epstein’s apartment

Newly released US Justice Department documents showed Friday that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife, Nili Priel, stayed multiple times at a New York apartment owned by disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents, disclosed as part of the Justice Department's Epstein files, include email exchanges that provide additional details about the nature of the relationship between Barak and Epstein, which had been publicly acknowledged.

Earlier, the Justice Department released more than 3 million pages from the Epstein investigation; the documents mention US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Clinton and other high-profile figures.

Barak has said he first met Epstein in 2003 and continued to maintain contact with him even after Epstein became a registered sex offender following a plea deal in 2008, CNN reported.

Email correspondence from May 2017 showed Priel informing Epstein that she and Barak would temporarily leave the apartment while traveling to Harvard University and requesting that cleaning be arranged during their absence. Epstein forwarded the request to another individual, who confirmed she would handle it the following day.

Other emails released show Epstein's assistant, Lesley Groff, coordinating practical arrangements related to the apartment, including replacing a cable box with an Apple TV system.

The correspondence also indicates regular communication between Epstein, Groff and Priel concerning the Baraks' travel plans to New York and meetings involving Epstein.

Barak has previously confirmed knowing Epstein but has repeatedly said he neither witnessed nor participated in any illegal or inappropriate activity.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, but critics call the conviction a "sweetheart deal."

His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein's case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims' advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

Trump, who has acknowledged a friendship with Epstein, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein's extensive links to political, business, and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.