Monterey has historically been a gathering place, attracting people from all over the world for exploration and adventures, new discoveries, business ventures and pleasure. Is it any wonder then that one of the most notorious figures in recent history, Jeffrey Epstein, had reasons to visit?
Pam Marino here, to share with you what the Monterey County Weekly team uncovered among the 3.5 million Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30. We began by searching for any mentions of Monterey and Carmel in the files, which branched out into other searches and led to more research.
Right away we saw records of some of Epstein’s visits to Monterey, back when TED Talks were held there annually. We also saw a name that kept popping up over and over again: Sophie. We soon figured out that it was Carmel Valley massage therapist and wellness professional Sophie Biddle Hakim. Additional research led us to flight logs from Epstein’s private plane, which showed her flying multiple times from 1995 to 2000.
You can read about what we found in this week’s cover package, “Inside the Epstein Files.” Associate Editor Erik Chalhoub reports on how the Epstein files came to be released. As he wrote in his piece, the package was our attempt “to paint a picture of how Epstein’s world collided with ours.”
My story, “In Epstein’s Orbit,” chronicles some of the ways Sophie, her husband Dr. Gilbert Hakim and their daughter Dylan, interacted with Epstein and his staff, including after Epstein spent time in jail for soliciting prostitution from a minor and had become a registered sex offender.
(There is no indication that the Hakims or others we reported on did anything illegal. We did make several attempts to contact members of the Hakim family to give them an opportunity to answer questions or offer a statement. They did not respond.)
Finally, Staff Writer Aric Sleeper explores “The Monterey Connection,” Epstein’s visits to Monterey, as well as the connection his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, currently in prison on a sex trafficking conviction, has to the city.
Members of our production department, including Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser and Graphic Designer Lani Headley, dug through the files for photos and other supporting documents to illustrate the package. It was a true team effort.
We hope you’ll take a look at what we found. And if you’re curious about the files, you can do your own research by visiting the DOJ’s website. If you find something you think we should report on further, please reach out.