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Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, stood on the House floor last month to read the unredacted names of six “wealthy, powerful men” from the latest release of files on Jeffrey Epstein. Four of the men named, however, only appeared in the files due to a clerical error: The names simply came from an unrelated photo lineup, according to The Guardian. 

This kind of soundbite-manufacturing is gross. In the current atmosphere of public moral outrage, it’s important that we don’t ruin the lives of those who were in the outer reaches of Epstein’s orbit instead of the disgusting, unpunishable, and ultimately unidentifiable “elites” who are actually guilty.

But Khanna’s instinct — to look for specific names no matter how tenuous the connection — has dominated the conversation around the release. 

Those who committed crimes should be prosecuted. But as much as bringing potential co-conspirators to justice matters, we must also adopt a broader skepticism toward powerful elites. 

The extent of Epstein’s connections is troubling because their ubiquity suggests that he wasn’t the only creep wielding such influence over powerful elites. As long as turning a blind eye to evil helps advance people’s careers, some will make the decision to do so. 

Nobody is guilty by association. Nonetheless, the kind of associations people make says something about them and their world. 

There’s no real reason to believe this kind of behavior still isn’t happening in the same spheres Epstein once occupied. The majority of hand-wringing concerns crimes that took place more than two decades ago. As such, the best lesson voters can take from this isn’t about whom they should vote for, but that corruption can always take place in these positions of power.

Epstein’s network was impressive. American presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump show up in the files, as does the U.K.’s former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Epstein managed finances for billionaire businessman Leslie Wexner. His wider social circle included figures such as businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates, actor Chris Tucker, and artificial intelligence researcher Marvin Minsky, according to the Associated Press. 

It’s entirely plausible that most or all of these public figures weren’t a part of Epstein’s heinous sex abuse and trafficking network, if for no other reason than a lot of depraved human appetites can fall safely within the lines of the law. But it’s ludicrous to suggest that household names such as Clinton or Gates had no idea what was going on when they took advantage of Epstein’s private jet or network of connections. 

Worse, Epstein was hardly careful about hiding his predilections from those who knew him well. Whether through his borderline-illiterate emails about women or comments his associates made about him at the time — such as Trump’s infamous remark about Epstein liking women “on the younger side” — his appetites seem to have been an open secret. 

A significant number of important people who have a say in how we live our lives were willing to associate with him. 

Police began investigating Epstein in March 2005. He died in August 2019. It’s been more than 20 years since he was at the height of his power. Only a few politicians with connections to Epstein remain in power. 

Clinton’s and Gates’s legacies may be permanently damaged, but only after spending years largely retired and already sidelined from major decision-making. Trump, who claims he broke off his relationship with Epstein years before the investigations, can’t seek reelection and could hand his movement to people who are untainted by the Epstein scandal. 

The Epstein files are most significant as a record of these kinds of people. People like Clinton and Gates may have been willing to look away from evil to advance their careers. That isn’t a new phenomenon, and it hasn’t gone away yet either. 

The cliches that come to mind about needing faith and justice in our institutions are, of course, all true. But none of it will completely safeguard these positions against the darkest aspects of human nature. 

Whatever previously-redacted names Khanna can cite from the files, don’t get distracted by clips designed for virality. Treat power with caution.  

 

Henry Fliflet is a junior studying English.