Former Epstein aide says deputy got cash, Disney tickets

Former Jeffrey Epstein assistant Sarah Kellen has testified that the convicted sex offender bribed a Palm Beach County jail deputy with cash and Disneyland tickets to receive preferential treatment while incarcerated. Kellen also alleged Epstein used a jail computer to contact her via Skype and force her to undress on camera. Her sworn statements were made during a May 21 hearing before the House Oversight Committee, as confirmed by a transcript.

Kellen testified that she learned about the alleged bribes when Epstein's paralegal, Story Cowles, complained about having to personally deliver the cash and tickets to the jail. She identified the deputy involved as Michael Fox. A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed Fox retired from the agency in 2020 and stated the accusations had not surfaced in the original investigation into Epstein.

Epstein served 13 months of an 18-month sentence at the Palm Beach County Stockade from 2008 to 2009 after pleading guilty to state solicitation charges. He was held in a private wing and, after several months, was granted an unusually permissive work release. This allowed him to leave the jail for up to 12 hours a day,...