Summary

Recently declassified US government files show that Noam Chomsky expressed sympathy for Jeffrey Epstein in a February 2019 email. He criticized the negative media treatment Epstein faced and suggested he steer clear of media “vultures” during the #MeToo movement frenzy.

This exchange took place just months before Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges, revealing a previously unknown connection between them, including meetings and shared flights. Chomsky defended his past interactions by mentioning that Epstein had served his sentence, but critics claim this reflects Chomsky’s naivety or moral blind spots regarding Epstein’s crimes against underage girls.

Key Points

• Chomsky emailed Epstein in 2019 sympathizing with his ‘horrible’ media treatment and urging him to lie low to avoid ‘vultures.’
• Relationship continued post-2008 conviction, involving meetings, a plane photo, and Epstein brokering connections like with Ehud Barak.
• Chomsky dismissed #MeToo concerns, prioritizing due process over Epstein’s victims and sex trafficking allegations.
• Emails show social ties, including Chomsky’s wife calling Epstein a ‘dear friend’ and interest in visiting his Caribbean island.
• Chomsky later claimed occasional meetings focused on intellectual exchanges, downplaying Epstein’s criminal history.

Conclusions

• The author’s portrayal of Chomsky’s sympathy as callous and inconsistent with his critiques of power elites is strongly supported by direct email quotes and timeline evidence, revealing a failure to scrutinize Epstein’s abuses.
• Claims of Chomsky’s deeper moral failings, like ignoring grooming dynamics, are persuasive given his intellectual framework but weakened by lack of proof of Chomsky’s knowledge of specifics beyond public reports.
• Evidence robustly confirms the relationship’s extent but does not imply Chomsky’s complicity in crimes, as mere association lacks wrongdoing proof; however, it undermines his presumption-of-innocence stance post-conviction.

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