The Maxwell Trial Could Upend American Politics; Trump May Self Publish Because... Obama

As everyone knows, Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial began yesterday with explosive testimony about some prominent people flying on Epstein’s plane. The plane has often been referred to as the Lolita express. Epstein’s lone pilot for 30 years, Larry Visoski testified and name-dropped at a level only expected in Hollywood: Prince Andrew, Maine Sen. George Mitchell, Ohio Sen. John Glenn and, of course, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. And that’s just the pilot, just a small sampling, and just the Americans. There were many foreigners, including both government officials and businessmen

We are not going to rehash Epstein’s crimes here and what might have happened where and when. We know it’s tragic, we know it’s outrageous, all that.

We are going to do what this newsletter does and analyze this on another level and various angles that often aren’t covered. We are going to look at why this trial could have a far bigger impact on American politics than just the giant names and their fate. Our analysis is going to center around another rumor (and it is only that, it’s never been proven), that Epstein “belonged” to the intelligence community. In other words, he agreed to work with them or strongly suspected that they watched him closely and allowed it.

Given a bird’s eye view, it is one of the very few things that seems almost logical.

First of all, the pilot, Larry Visoski, was Epstein’s sole pilot for nearly 30 years. It would be rare to find a commercial pilot to fly with one airline for 30 years and it would be bizarre if this guy was a full-time employee with a salary, which would be the only way to ensure there was never any conflict in who flew Epstein. under Epstein. Or was he paid by someone else, so there would never be a conflict? Perhaps there were a few others that did a few solo flights. But still, referencing a “sole pilot” in court implies that this man flew every flight and that would mean he was almost surely salaried to avoid conflicts, at least “generally speaking,” correct?

Why have a sole pilot for 30 years? Yes, yes, Epstein had secrets to keep. But speaking of secrets, that pilot would be invaluable to others who might be interested in the passengers, correct? Is it possible that the pilot did officially work for another company? Thirty years?

It is well established that Epstein kept meticulous records, video, everything. Fine - yes, you would want that on near everyone in order to protect oneself from prosecution, which he did quite successfully. However, high-ranking American officials could never entirely ensure non-disclosure and no prosecution. Perhaps they could block 90% of them, but some rogue prosecutor or US Attorney could simply make the accusation, and that would be that. The accusation alone - by a high-ranking prosecutor alone could finish Epstein. Yes, he was lightly prosecuted long ago, but it was a relatively minor charge, and he kept very very meticulous records, almost obsessive, at least that is the rumor. There could be explanations that go beyond just protecting oneself (money being one, he brokered a lot of money for people). But still.

Ghislaine Maxwell was also protected, mostly - and perhaps still, in a way. One woman, responsible for seeking out them all? Over that entire period? All those years, all the people Epstein could pay off? Yes, again, he limits his risk by using one person, but still, one very very loyal “employee.” (They couldn’t have been romantically involved, could they? With what she knew he did?) But we see the pattern again, one person, one fixer. No more. Is that more likely under Epstein being careful, or someone else involved entirely?

A counterargument might be; “Well, he sure entertained a lot of Americans, why would the U.S. intelligence community want/allow prominent Americans to get hooked in something a foreign intelligence service might try to use for their own benefit? That one is obvious. If Epstein is only entertaining (we’re so sorry to use that word) foreign “clients,” everyone would see the plot from one-hundred miles away. Unless Americans were involved, it was an obvious trap. (Continues Below)

No one really knew how Epstein got so rich. Was government money helping to fund the operation? Yes, Epstein managed a lot of money for people he then controlled. But still.

Think about all the things that had to come together for Epstein to die the way he did. Guards that just happened to sleep at the right time, be in just the right jail cell, and it certainly wouldn’t be hard to pay off or threaten people to look the other way. If Epstein was an asset, he had one hell of an excuse to make one hell of a deal he could make with prosecutors.

But more than anything, just imagine how hard it would be for our intelligence community to pass up the opportunity to compromise that many people, people who may not have even been directly involved in foreign affairs, but even the type of people who now had no choice but to make an effort to hear things or set about to learn something. Surely to god, it did not escape our intelligence community that all these prominent foreign officials went in and out and the kind of opportunity that presented.

To wrap this way too long column up, what if - somehow, something came out in the trial, not from Maxwell (who likely won’t testify unless she reaches a deal with a clearly clean Attorney General and President), but what if it came out that the U.S. government, the intelligence community and possibly members of Congress, even presidents (Trump was at risk of revelation at any point), knew of, and allowed young girls to be used and physically assaulted, all in the name of the great “game,” spycraft. The public outrage would be overwhelming.

Will we hear of something confirming this? I would put the odds at less than 25%. Was Jeffery Epstein involved with our intelligence community in some capacity? I would be absolutely shocked if the answer was “No.” And if he wasn’t involved with our intelligence community, he sure as shit wasn’t involved with another country’s intelligence service because guess who would be the first people to pick up on it and have Epstein arrested 25 years ago?

Just sort of let that settle.

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Trump the Publishing Company:

There is nothing that could make Trump’s presence in the American political landscape “worth it,” to state the obvious. But that sure doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t take advantage of every single opportunity to revel in the man’s insecurity, those omnipresent moments when one realizes just how much terror and self-doubt sits in what passes for his frontal cortex.

There is a story out regarding the possibility that Trump will publish his own memoir because… he fears he will get a smaller advance than that which Obama received. According to Politico:

Allies of former President Donald Trump are trying to rip up the traditional book publishing paradigm in politics by setting up a publishing house of their own. And they have the ex-president helping them do it.

Trump announced last week that he was publishing a coffee table book of photographs from his time in the White House — just ahead of the holiday gift rush — with Winning Team Publishing. The outfit is a new imprint with a decidedly MAGA flavor, run by former Trump campaign aide Sergio Gor and Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.

Ok, Ok, it’s not solely to ensure he gets a bigger advance than Obama. It is also another way to grift the MAGAs. But:

Trump has not yet written a post-presidential memoir. And part of the reason, sources in the industry say, is that some of the major publishing houses have recoiled at the prospect of having to fact-check his work or the social backlash that would ensue.

Which would be just a part of the reason he couldn’t possibly get as big an advance as Obama. And here we go:

“My suspicion is Trump is self-publishing because he doesn’t want the humiliation of getting a smaller advance than he has before or anyone finding out that it is smaller than Obama’s,” said one publishing executive. Former President Barack and former first lady Michelle Obama reportedly sold their book rights to Penguin Random House for over $60 million. “I imagine that’s as big a part of it as anything.”

If there has ever been a man more obsessed with another person, and with thinner skin, it would be utterly impossible to imagine. We include this story for entertainment purposes only. Womp womp

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Given the length of the two stories above, we’re not adding a third today. Normally this newsletter will appear on Tuesdays, but I’m still working some kinks out. If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, by all means please share. Yes, eventually I would like to make a marginal amount of money but I also want the initial readers to have a significant period of time to evaluate whether they want to invest the $6-$7 a month.

jmiciak@yahoo.com and @JasonMiciak: I respond to every message.