Epstein passports
Executive summary
Jeffrey Epstein kept at least one fraudulent foreign passport in a locked safe at his Manhattan townhouse that bore his photograph but a different name and listed his residence as Saudi Arabia; prosecutors say that document contained multiple entry and exit stamps showing travel in the 1980s [1] [2]. Epstein’s legal team said the passport was obtained for “personal protection” to deter kidnappers or hijackers, while public records and later document releases show he applied for and reported many passports over decades [3] [4].
1. The passport in the safe: what was found and how prosecutors framed it
During the 2019 raid of Epstein’s Manhattan home agents found an expired foreign passport that featured Epstein’s photograph but a name that was not his, stored in the same safe with cash and diamonds — evidence prosecutors cited to argue he was a flight risk [5] [1]; prosecutors also said the passport bore stamps indicating use to enter France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s [2].
2. The alias, the country of residence and contemporaneous reporting
Reports at the time and later summaries described the passport as Austrian or from a foreign country, listing Epstein’s residence as Saudi Arabia and expiring in the 1980s; photograph reproductions and DOJ materials later released support that description [5] [6] [7].
3. Epstein’s lawyers’ explanation and competing narratives
Epstein’s lawyers told courts the passport was acquired for “personal protection” to present to potential kidnappers, hijackers or terrorists — an argument framed around his wealth and Jewish faith making him a target while traveling in the Middle East — a defense repeatedly reported in contemporaneous coverage [8] [3]. That explanation sits alongside prosecutors’ emphasis on the passport as proof Epstein had the means and preparations to flee, highlighting the partisan and legal incentives shaping each narrative [2] [1].
4. Broader passport record trail: lost passports and repeated requests
Public records obtained by ABC News show Epstein repeatedly applied for, renewed and reported lost U.S. passports across decades and requested second passports to accommodate simultaneous visas for African travel, underscoring a long pattern of complex travel documentation beyond the single foreign passport found in 2019 [4].
5. Later document releases and continuing revelations
Subsequent DOJ and congressional releases expanded the visible trove of Epstein-era documents and images to include passport photos and other identification cards, prompting renewed scrutiny and fresh reporting that reproduced the fraudulent Austrian passport image and related items in the files [9] [10] [11]. Those releases have also fueled both legitimate investigative leads and conspiratorial speculation, and the DOJ has cautioned some material in the files contains unverified or false claims [12] [9].
6. What is established, and what remains unproven in public records
It is established in federal filings and contemporary press reporting that an expired foreign passport with Epstein’s photo and another name was found in his safe and that prosecutors said it had multiple 1980s stamps [1] [2]; beyond that, sources differ about motive and implications — Epstein’s attorneys describe a safety tool, prosecutors treat it as evidence of flight planning — and public documents do not fully explain who arranged the document, why the listed residence was Saudi Arabia, or whether the passport’s stamps reflect routine travel or purposeful deception [3] [6].
7. Why the passport matters to the larger story
The passport became a vivid symbol in court and media narratives because it tied to questions of mobility, concealment and power: discovered with cash and diamonds, it magnified prosecutors’ portrayal of Epstein as prepared to vanish, while defense lawyers used it to argue for a benign, protective rationale — a contrast that reflects broader contestation over Epstein’s finances, networks and international movements [5] [2] [3].