FBI informant 'convinced' Jeffrey Epstein was Israeli spy — US government document

An undercover FBI informant has said they became convinced that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was an Israeli spy, according to a government document included among millions of pages released last week by the US Justice Department.

The record recounts the informant, identified as a confidential human source (CHS), alleging that Epstein's attorney, Alan Dershowitz, told then US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alex Acosta that Epstein "belonged to both US and allied intelligence services".

"CHS shared phone calls between Dershowitz and Epstein during which he/she took notes. After these calls, Mossad would then call Dershowitz to debrief. Epstein was close to the former Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak (Barak) and trained as a spy under him," the document says.

It adds that Barak "believed Netanyahu was a criminal" and that the informant "became convinced that Epstein was a co-opted Mossad Agent" amid regional rivalries involving Israel.

The document includes an annotation to "see previous reporting", though it is unclear what reporting it refers to.

The informant further told the FBI that Dershowitz allegedly said that "if he were young again, he would be holding a stun gun as an Israeli Intelligence (Mossad) agent".

"CHS believed Dershowitz was co-opted by Mossad and subscribed to their mission," the document states.

The latest batch of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department mention several high-profile figures, including Dershowitz and others from the political and financial elite.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty in a Florida court and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution, though critics have described the plea agreement approved by Acosta as a "sweetheart deal".

Epstein's victims have alleged that he ran a wide-ranging sex trafficking network involving members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein Fallout Grows

Meawhile tech billionaire Bill Gates has said he regrets "every minute" he spent with Epstein, following the release of Justice Department documents that shed further light on Epstein's relationships with prominent figures.

Speaking in an interview, the Microsoft co-founder apologised for his past interactions with the convicted sex offender and rejected claims made in a draft email attributed to Epstein, which alleged Gates was involved in extramarital affairs.

Gates described the email as false and said it was never sent.

Gates' former wife, Melinda French Gates, said the document release reopened painful memories and stressed that unresolved questions about Epstein-related ties must be answered by those involved.

The couple divorced in 2021.

Gates has previously said he met Epstein several times between 2011 and 2014, believing the financier could help raise funds for global health causes, a decision he now calls a mistake.