Les Wexner Is Forced To Step Down As CEO Of L. Brands

Les Wexner, the longtime founder and chief executive of L Brands—the retail company that once owned Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works—began stepping back from day-to-day leadership amid mounting scrutiny over his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. In February 2020, after nearly six decades at the helm, Wexner announced he was resigning as CEO of L Brands and transitioning to chairman emeritus, as the company pursued a restructuring that included selling a majority stake in Victoria’s Secret to private equity. Although company statements framed the change as part of a broader corporate evolution, it came against the backdrop of growing public criticism of Wexner’s long friendship and financial relationship with Epstein, who had once served as his personal advisor and money manager.Wexner’s departure from operational leadership was followed by further distancing from the company: in March 2021, both he and his wife, Abigail, announced they would not seek reelection to L Brands’ board of directors, effectively ending his formal role in governance after nearly six decades. While Wexner and his representatives have repeatedly denied that his resignation was directly caused by the Epstein controversy, critics and some investors saw the timing and cumulative pressure over the Epstein ties—and internal culture criticisms at Victoria’s Secret—as key factors in his exit from the company he built.to contact me:[email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Newly disclosed emails drawn from the vast Epstein files show Maxwell and her late partner Jeffrey Epstein actively cultivating relationships with a wide circle of wealthy, powerful men and women — including business leaders, politicians, financiers, and media figures. In some exchanges, Maxwell appears to be coordinating introductions, social events, and even personal contacts between Epstein and influential people, often disguised as casual networking or elite socializing. The correspondence contains flirtatious or unguarded tones at times, and suggests Maxwell played an active role in Epstein’s social affiliation efforts, beyond merely managing his properties or private affairs. Much of this content has reignited scrutiny over how deeply — and for what purposes — Epstein and Maxwell embedded themselves in circles of the elite, even long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.Alongside these relationship-building emails, the files also include messages that indicate Maxwell’s involvement in strategizing around Epstein’s legal troubles and reputation. Some emails reportedly touch on discrediting accusers, directing associates on how to handle public allegations, or exchanging gifts and favors with prominent contacts. These communications have fed broader concerns that Maxwell’s role was not just administrative but influential in shaping the network around Epstein — raising questions about the extent to which that network understood, enabled, or ignored the abuse that later became the center of federal prosecutions and civil litigation.to contact me:[email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Ian Maxwell, the brother of Ghislaine Maxwell, was denied a prison visit with her despite repeated attempts to secure access following her incarceration. His request was rejected under Bureau of Prisons rules governing approved visitors, which require advance clearance and compliance with strict security protocols. While the BOP did not publicly provide a detailed justification specific to Maxwell, the denial occurred amid heightened scrutiny of all contact involving Ghislaine Maxwell, given the sensitivity of her case, her conviction for sex trafficking-related crimes, and the ongoing legal and evidentiary issues surrounding the Epstein network.The denial underscored the unusually restrictive environment surrounding Ghislaine Maxwell’s detention, even compared to other high-profile federal inmates. Critics pointed out that the refusal appeared less about routine policy and more about risk management, limiting opportunities for messaging, coordination, or narrative shaping through family intermediaries. In context, the blocked visit reinforced the broader pattern of isolation imposed on Maxwell after her conviction, reflecting the government’s determination to tightly control access as her appeals and post-conviction maneuvering continued.to  contact  me:[email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein who later was convicted in federal court of sex-trafficking and related crimes, filed a motion with a U.S. federal court asking a judge to dismiss the criminal case against her before her trial began. In her legal filings, Maxwell and her attorneys argued that the charges should be thrown out on constitutional grounds, saying she was not prosecuted fairly and that fundamental legal errors and violations of her rights undermined the government’s ability to proceed with the case. This type of filing, known as a motion to dismiss, contended that due process issues amounted to a miscarriage of justice and warranted dismissal of the indictment.At the time of that motion, Maxwell was facing allegations that she had helped recruit and groom underage girls in the 1990s for Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation — charges that would later lead to her conviction and a 20-year federal prison sentence. Though her pre-trial motion sought to derail the government’s case based on legal arguments, it was ultimately unsuccessful, and she was eventually tried, convicted, and sentenced in 2021. Even after conviction, Maxwell continued to challenge her sentence and conviction through appeals and habeas petitions, arguing that legal and procedural errors should entitle her to a new trial.to contact me:[email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Michael Thomas was a veteran correctional officer employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan — a federal detention facility — where Jeffrey Epstein was being held in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Thomas had been with the Bureau of Prisons since about 2007 and, on the night of Epstein’s death (August 9–10, 2019), was assigned to an overnight shift alongside another officer, Tova Noel, responsible for conducting required 30-minute inmate checks and institutional counts in the SHU. Because Epstein’s cellmate had been moved and not replaced, Epstein was alone in his cell, making regular monitoring all the more crucial under bureau policy.Thomas became a focal figure in the official investigations into Epstein’s death because surveillance footage and institutional records showed that neither he nor Noel conducted the required rounds or counts through the night before Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell early on August 10. Prosecutors subsequently charged both officers with conspiracy and falsifying records for signing count slips that falsely indicated they had completed rounds they had not performed. Thomas and Noel later entered deferred prosecution agreements in which they admitted falsifying records and avoided prison time, instead receiving supervisory release and community service. Investigators concluded that chronic staffing shortages and procedural failures at the jail contributed to the circumstances that allowed Epstein to remain unmonitored for hours before his death, which was officially ruled a suicide by hanging.to contact me:[email protected]:EFTA00113577.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Michael Thomas was a veteran correctional officer employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan — a federal detention facility — where Jeffrey Epstein was being held in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Thomas had been with the Bureau of Prisons since about 2007 and, on the night of Epstein’s death (August 9–10, 2019), was assigned to an overnight shift alongside another officer, Tova Noel, responsible for conducting required 30-minute inmate checks and institutional counts in the SHU. Because Epstein’s cellmate had been moved and not replaced, Epstein was alone in his cell, making regular monitoring all the more crucial under bureau policy.Thomas became a focal figure in the official investigations into Epstein’s death because surveillance footage and institutional records showed that neither he nor Noel conducted the required rounds or counts through the night before Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell early on August 10. Prosecutors subsequently charged both officers with conspiracy and falsifying records for signing count slips that falsely indicated they had completed rounds they had not performed. Thomas and Noel later entered deferred prosecution agreements in which they admitted falsifying records and avoided prison time, instead receiving supervisory release and community service. Investigators concluded that chronic staffing shortages and procedural failures at the jail contributed to the circumstances that allowed Epstein to remain unmonitored for hours before his death, which was officially ruled a suicide by hanging.to contact me:[email protected]:EFTA00113577.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Michael Thomas was a veteran correctional officer employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan — a federal detention facility — where Jeffrey Epstein was being held in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Thomas had been with the Bureau of Prisons since about 2007 and, on the night of Epstein’s death (August 9–10, 2019), was assigned to an overnight shift alongside another officer, Tova Noel, responsible for conducting required 30-minute inmate checks and institutional counts in the SHU. Because Epstein’s cellmate had been moved and not replaced, Epstein was alone in his cell, making regular monitoring all the more crucial under bureau policy.Thomas became a focal figure in the official investigations into Epstein’s death because surveillance footage and institutional records showed that neither he nor Noel conducted the required rounds or counts through the night before Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell early on August 10. Prosecutors subsequently charged both officers with conspiracy and falsifying records for signing count slips that falsely indicated they had completed rounds they had not performed. Thomas and Noel later entered deferred prosecution agreements in which they admitted falsifying records and avoided prison time, instead receiving supervisory release and community service. Investigators concluded that chronic staffing shortages and procedural failures at the jail contributed to the circumstances that allowed Epstein to remain unmonitored for hours before his death, which was officially ruled a suicide by hanging.to contact me:[email protected]:EFTA00113577.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

The New York Times has reported that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein shared a much closer relationship in the late 1980s through the 1990s and early 2000s than Trump has publicly acknowledged. According to the Times, Epstein described Trump as his “best friend,” and the two socialized frequently at parties, spoke often by phone, and were part of the same high-society circles, particularly bonding over women. Epstein’s former employees told the Times that Trump often discussed sex with him rather than business, and Epstein was described as Trump’s “most reliable wingman” in that era. While Trump has denied involvement in Epstein’s criminal conduct, the Times cited newly released emails and interviews suggesting Trump was aware of Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls, though no evidence has surfaced that Trump was directly involved in those crimes.The reporting also highlighted specific incidents and firsthand accounts that paint a picture of their social interactions: Epstein introduced several women to Trump, including at least one who was a minor at the time, and an email referenced Epstein “giving” Trump a 20-year-old woman. Former employees recounted Trump sending modeling cards to Epstein “like a menu,” and one woman’s story described Epstein directing her to social events where Trump was present. Although Trump and Epstein’s friendship reportedly soured by the mid-2000s, and Trump has repeatedly sought to distance himself from Epstein—saying they had a falling-out long before Epstein’s legal troubles—the Times reporting underscores a deeper and more personal connection than Trump has acknowledged.to contact me:[email protected]:https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/jeffrey-epstein-donald-trump.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Jane Doe #2’s 2007 statement to Marie Villafaña and federal investigators described a pattern of recruitment, abuse, and normalization inside Jeffrey Epstein’s operation, beginning when she was a minor. She said she was introduced to Epstein under the guise of paid “massage” work and quickly realized the encounters involved sexual acts, including being directed to perform sexual contact on Epstein. According to her account, the environment was controlled and transactional, with Epstein dictating the terms and presenting the abuse as routine, while payments were made in cash after each encounter.Jane Doe #2 also told investigators that she was not isolated, explaining that other young girls were present or discussed openly, reinforcing the impression that this was an organized and recurring operation rather than a one-off incident. She described how Epstein’s behavior was methodical and rehearsed, suggesting long-standing patterns rather than impulsive misconduct.to contact me:[email protected]:.gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.403.3.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Jane Doe #2’s 2007 statement to Marie Villafaña and federal investigators described a pattern of recruitment, abuse, and normalization inside Jeffrey Epstein’s operation, beginning when she was a minor. She said she was introduced to Epstein under the guise of paid “massage” work and quickly realized the encounters involved sexual acts, including being directed to perform sexual contact on Epstein. According to her account, the environment was controlled and transactional, with Epstein dictating the terms and presenting the abuse as routine, while payments were made in cash after each encounter.Jane Doe #2 also told investigators that she was not isolated, explaining that other young girls were present or discussed openly, reinforcing the impression that this was an organized and recurring operation rather than a one-off incident. She described how Epstein’s behavior was methodical and rehearsed, suggesting long-standing patterns rather than impulsive misconduct.to contact me:[email protected]:.gov.uscourts.flsd.317867.403.3.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.