In the first article last week, I argued that Jeffrey Epstein was not a lone rogue predator. This week, I turn to the more troubling question: how did Epstein, a man with no credible résumé, no transparent wealth, or a conventional career path, manage such an unconventional ascent into America’s halls of power?

Epstein’s rise was not the result of financial brilliance. He was a college dropout, hired as a teacher at an elite Manhattan private school on dubious credentials. A former student later recalled wondering, “How did this guy get his job.” From there, Epstein invented the persona of a mathematical prodigy. A cover, uncertified qualification, designed to confer learning skills or deception to explain his rise into the world of high finance.

Epstein climbed the financial and social ladder through a singular relationship with the Israel-first Jewish billionaire Leslie Wexner. Without Wexner, there would be no Epstein as we know him. Leslie Wexner is the founder of L Brands (formerly Limited Brands), the retail conglomerate behind Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, and The Limited. Wexner accumulated considerable fortune, which he leveraged through tax-exempt mechanisms to cultivate pro-Israel Jewish leadership and strengthen Israel’s long-term political, cultural, and institutional influence in the U.S. 

Epstein joined Wexner in the 1980s and suddenly became his most trusted financial adviser. What followed violates all norms of fiduciary responsibility between two parties. Epstein was granted sweeping power of attorney over Wexner’s fortune, real estate holdings, and business dealings. Epstein........

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