Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What legal cases or investigations have been brought against Paolo Zampolli and his companies?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows Paolo Zampolli and his companies have been named in multiple civil lawsuits and public allegations — most concretely: a New York lawsuit over a Dominica hotel project tied to Range Developments (claim filed by Zampolli against others and claims brought against Range partners) and older New York real‑estate and modeling‑industry suits in which ID Model Management and Zampolli were defendants or plaintiffs (e.g., Shelton/ID Model motion to dismiss; a 2010 suit reported by Haute Living) [1] [2] [3]. Several media and activist pieces also allege ties to high‑profile figures (Weinstein, Epstein) and name Zampolli in investigatory threads, but those are largely allegations and online probes rather than documented criminal indictments in the provided sources [4] [5].
1. Lawsuit over Dominica/Range Developments: money, passport sales and a New York filing
Reporting describes a New York lawsuit tied to a Dominica hotel project financed through citizenship‑by‑investment (CBI) that involved Range Developments and alleged unpaid fees to Zampolli; attorney Robert Hantman said he intended to pursue Range’s principals and filed a suit in New York’s Supreme Court claiming non‑payment and “apparent fraud” related to a 5% contract for profit participation [1]. The New Today coverage frames this as concrete court action directly involving Zampolli and Range partners [1].
2. Modeling and real‑estate litigation: ID Model Management and property disputes
Court records and contemporaneous reporting show legal disputes within the modeling and real‑estate spaces. A 2005 New York decision recounts that ID Model Management and Paolo Zampolli moved to dismiss claims in the Shelton v. Elite Model Management matter; motions to dismiss by ID Model and Zampolli were granted in that procedural posture, indicating they were defendants in that litigation phase [2]. Separately, Haute Living reported a 2010 suit where Zampolli (via Paramount Realty/ID Model ties) sued Cristina Calori and related parties in New York State Supreme Court over a broker/client/property dispute [3].
3. Mention in the Weinstein complaint and related filings: alleged outreach, not a criminal charge
Courthouse News reporting on a RICO suit connected to Harvey Weinstein recounts an accusation in a complaint that Zampolli made calls to women and allegedly urged one to contact Weinstein’s lawyer — language depicts Zampolli as a figure mentioned in victims’ accounts rather than as a named defendant in that particular complaint; neither Zampolli nor attorney Spiro were parties to the complaint according to the story [4]. That reporting documents allegations in a complaint but does not show criminal charges against Zampolli in the provided excerpts [4].
4. Investigative threads, online probes and allegations linking him to Epstein/Maxwell networks
Activist and alternative outlets have published allegations linking Zampolli to broader conspiratorial probes — for example, OpDeathEaters/Anonymous threads and related summaries assert ties between Zampolli and figures in Jeffrey Epstein’s network; MEAWW summarized those allegations but did so as claims circulating online rather than as confirmed legal actions [5]. Other outlets and blogs amplify speculative or investigative pieces suggesting problematic associations [6] [7], but the materials in the provided set mainly recount allegations, not documented indictments or convictions [5] [6].
5. Media retractions, denials and limits of public record
Some later mainstream reporting and archives show contested claims: outlets have retracted or walked back stories linking Melania Trump, Epstein, and Zampolli under legal pressure in at least one instance referenced in the sources, and other coverage stresses denials from Zampolli and third parties [8] [9]. The sources indicate a mix of court filings, journalistic pieces, and online allegations — readers should distinguish between (a) formal court filings naming parties or motions (shown in [2] and p1_s3), (b) civil complaints that mention him in victim narratives [4], and (c) internet investigations and allegations without cited legal filings [5] [6].
6. What’s not in the available reporting
Available sources do not mention any criminal indictments, convictions, or government investigations (e.g., grand jury or DOJ actions) charging Zampolli personally in the material provided; they also do not provide full dockets or final judgments for every civil claim referenced here — some pieces describe filings or planned suits rather than settled outcomes (not found in current reporting). Where sources describe allegations connecting Zampolli to Epstein, Weinstein, or other figures, those descriptions are presented as claims or activist investigations rather than as established legal rulings in the provided excerpts [5] [4].
Conclusion: The provided reporting documents multiple civil disputes and public allegations involving Paolo Zampolli and his companies — most concretely a New York suit tied to a Dominica hotel/CBI project and prior modeling/real‑estate litigation — while broader, high‑profile accusations exist mainly in activist threads and secondary reporting rather than in the supplied sources’ record of criminal charges or convictions [1] [2] [3] [5] [4].