Deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein once rented a New York City mansion from the federal government, old news reports have revealed.
Epstein rented a former Iranian government building for $15,000 a month, building beginning in February 1992,
The building had been taken over by the U.S. State Department.
The mansion is located at 34 East 69th Street, one of Manhattan’s most expensive neighborhoods.
Epstein later bought a nearby mansion from Les Wexner in what all consider to be an odd transaction.
Tyler Carditis, CEO of Blaze Media, said: “Bizarre that the State Department rented out a five-story Upper East Side mansion to Jeffrey Epstein from 1992 to 1996.
“Does the State Department rent out property to private citizens often? Seems weird.”
Bizarre that the State Department rented out a five-story upper East Side mansion to Jeffrey Epstein from 1992 to 1996. Does the State Department rent out property to private citizens often? Seems weird. pic.twitter.com/kkR12A7e0d
— Tyler Carditis (@TyCardon) July 28, 2022
Journalist Yashar Ali said: “Yes they rent out properties.
“When diplomatic ties are cut with a country, the US is required to take care of them under Vienna Convention.
“They can earn income by renting them.
“They rent out other Iranian properties.
“In the past they did this for Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia, etc.”
Yes they rent out properties. When diplomatic ties are cut with a country, the US is required to take care of them under Vienna Convention. They can earn income by renting them. They rent out other Iranian properties. In the past they did this for Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia, etc.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 28, 2022
The timeline shows Epstein first rented the apartment from the George H.W. Bush administration and continued renting it throughout Bill Clinton’s first term.
According to Buzzfeed, the deal turned and the feds sued Epstein for subleasing the property:
“Things went sour when the government sued Epstein in the Southern District of New York, alleging that he had at one point failed to pay the rent on time and had violated the lease by moving out in early 1996 and subletting the place without the State Department’s permission.
“His subtenant was Ivan Fisher, a New York City criminal defense lawyer who had famously defended members of the French Connection and Pizza Connection drug rings.
“The government also sued Fisher.
“A New York Daily News article from the time, headlined ‘Lawyer Pays Not A Cent For Palatial East Side Digs,’ said Fisher had stopped paying rent after learning that the State Department had terminated Epstein’s lease as a result of the conflict over Fisher’s subtenancy, and was thus living in the home for free.”
“I’m the perfect tenant,” Fisher told the Daily News.
The paper described the home’s opulence: “carved oak doors, a white marble foyer, three kitchens, three bedrooms, a library with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a steam room, 19th-century chandeliers, brass sconces, and a white marble central staircase.”
“I pray to God I can stay,” Fisher told the Daily News.
Epstein is described in the story as a “Palm Beach, Fla., financial advisor.”
The incident is also briefly mentioned in Vicky Ward’s 2003 Vanity Fair profile of Epstein, according to BuzzFeed.
The government’s complaint rested on its assertion that Epstein had not received permission before installing Fisher as the subtenant, and its grievance with Epstein was only intensified by his charging Fisher $20,000 a month for the rent when State was charging $15,000 — netting Epstein a monthly profit.
Source: https://t.co/LhfXL29oMf
— Tyler Carditis (@TyCardon) July 28, 2022
