(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The New York Times published an investigation into deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein’s business career, detailing how a man without a college degree became a multimillionaire with connections to the most powerful people in the world. In that story, the Times revealed that one of Epstein’s business partners went on to represent his alleged victims.
According to the Times, the lawyer in question is John Stanley Pottinger, who had just left the Justice Department before linking up with Epstein.
“Epstein and the Pottingers pitched tax-avoidance strategies to wealthy clients, including some whom Gold believes Epstein met through Bear Stearns,” the Times reported.
“The short-lived business partnership has not previously been reported — and is especially notable because decades later Pottinger would team up with Brad Edwards to represent scores of women who accused Epstein of sexually abusing them.”
The most significant revelation from this article, imo, is that Epstein was business partners with a lawyer who would go on to represent the alleged victims. https://t.co/QMsIEJzQvt pic.twitter.com/IIXsPUFTLx
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) December 17, 2025
Edwards reportedly said he knew that Epstein and Pottinger shared an office, but not that they were ever in business together. Pottinger reportedly said he met Epstein through a client.
The Pottinger-Epstein relationship isn’t the only conflict of interest involving the victims’ attorneys.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Adam Castellani also once represented former President and Epstein associate Bill Clinton, as well as Harvey Weinstein. Plaintiff Sarah Ransome first filed a complaint about Castellani with the U.S. Bar Association in 2022, but said nothing happened as a result.
Ransome also accused another plaintiffs’ lawyer, David Boies of maintaining a “cozy relationship” with Clinton and Weinstein. Additionally, she said that Simone Lelchuk, the administrator that the class attorneys and the defendants chose, served as an “independent” Claims Examiner to allocate funds to compensate the sex-abuse victims of Weinstein.
Ransome cited these perceived conflicts of interest in 2023, when she objected to a $290 million settlement with JPMorgan Chase in a class action lawsuit. Her objection was unsuccessful.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
