Despite the Biglaw focus of Above the Law, it’s almost strange to refer to George J. Mitchell as merely the former chair of international law firm DLA Piper. While absolutely accurate, Mitchell is also a former senator from Maine, a former Democratic Senate Majority Leader, a former special adviser and US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, a key negotiator of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a former Special Envoy to the Middle East, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mitchell was also accused by a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, who said she was instructed to have sex with Mitchell by Ghislaine Maxwell.
There’s more news about Mitchell from the recent release of Epstein files. A FBI document from December 2020 described an account of a girl, whose name is redacted, which includes having sex multiple times with Mitchell. According to the document, Mitchell asked for a blow job and sex and the girl “did what she was told.”
A spokesperson for Mitchell said, “Senator Mitchell reiterates unequivocally that he never met, spoke with, or had any contact … with any underage women.”
“Senator Mitchell profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women,” Mitchell’s spokesperson continued.
In 2019, Mitchell denied the allegation made by Giuffre as “false.” Mitchell continued, “I have never met, spoken with or had any contact with Ms. Giuffre. In my contacts with Mr. Epstein, I never observed or suspected any inappropriate conduct with underage girls. I only learned of his actions when they were reported in the media related to his prosecution in Florida. We have had no further contact.”
However, there’s reason to question whether Mitchell’s contact with Epstein truly ended in 2008, when Epstein served time for crimes in Florida. A 2010 document in the recent production indicates Mitchell returned a phone call from Epstein. Documents also indicate a 2013 meeting between Epstein and Mitchell.
And in a 2011 email exchange between Epstein and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (who is deeply implicated by the recent release of files), Epstein describes Mitchell as a “very close friend” as well as the chairman of DLA Piper.
Since the recent revelations, many institutions are backing off of their association with Mitchell. The Mitchell Institute announced Mitchell resigned from his position as honorary chair of the organization, and went on to note “We also agree that this is an appropriate time to initiate a thoughtful, responsible process to consider a potential name change.” Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland is removing Mitchell’s name from its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and removing a bust of him on campus. And the US-Ireland Alliance removed Mitchell’s name from its scholarship program. There are also calls for Mitchell’s Medal of Freedom to be revoked.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
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