It used to be that ‘X’ marks the spot to find great treasure but a single ‘X’ has today plunged a Sydney socialite into a fresh Jeffrey Epstein nightmare.
Here we are, another day, and another new set of freshly unearthed emails, this time revealing more details about the ties between Katherine Keating, daughter of Australian prime minister Paul Keating, and the convicted sex offender.
The messages show that in 2011, months after the formally unknown financier had been globally named as a pedophile after he was photographed with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Ms Keating was still in contact with Epstein, including signing off one email with an ‘X’.
The new messages between Ms Keating and Epstein are contained in the tranche of thousands of documents released by the US House Oversight Committee. They show that on October 28, 2011 Ms Keating emailed Epstein with a link to a story from The Australian about her father, who then replied, “Are you here”?
Ms Keating: “Just arrived back from San Fran”.
Three days later, on October 31, in a message that started “Dear Friends”, Ms Keating sent Epstein and other people the foreword to her father’s new book After Words.
She also wrote, “I will be sure to send you a copy, it’s a brilliant read. I trust this email finds you well.”
The message is signed “Katherine X”.
Epstein responded, “Are you here?”
Ms Keating: “In NY. You?”
Epstein: “Send me your phone number”.
Whether Epstein was “well” or not in October 2011 is not known but what is is that the world knew who he was a sex offender.
In January 2011 a New York judge ordered Epstein to register as a level three sex offender, the most stringent classification.
The following month, in February, the infamous pap shot of Andrew and Epstein walking in Central Park was splashed across UK front pages with the headline “PRINCE ANDY & THE PAEDO.” The story referred to Epstein as “a convicted child sex pervert’ and reported that he had been “jailed on sex charges involving a girl of 14.”
What today’s new ‘X’ emails show is that Ms Keating, like a slew of other famous and powerful names, remained on seemingly friendly terms with Epstein in spite of his criminal past.
The chronology, as is known, goes like this.
In March 2010, Ms Keating first “struck up a firm friendship” with Andrew after they met at a lavish party in Dubai, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Then, later that year, Ms Keating moved to New York after she began dating hotel tycoon Andre Balzas, owner of Chateau Marmont and The Standard.
In December 2010, Ms Keating was filmed leaving Epstein’s New York mansion and being farewelled by Andrew. (The footage would only come to light in 2019.)
Fast forward to February 16, 2011, when emails from the Congress dump show that Epstein emailed Andrew, asking “Would you ask Katherine Keating if she would like to come for dinner with Woody Allen next week in New York?” Andrew replied, “Will do.”
Two days later, on the eve of Andrew’s 51st birthday, the former Duke of York wrote, “On the Keating case.”
Later that February, the News of the World published their “Prince and The Paedo” splash, setting off the biggest royal crisis in decades.
In an email dated February 28, 2011, part of the Congress tranche, Andrew told Epstein, “we’ll play some more soon!!!! A, HRH The Duke of York, KG.”
As of today, we know that eight months later, even after the front page coverage and Andrew’s Epstein ties forcing him to quit as the UK’s international trade ambassador, Ms Keating was emailing Epstein with an ‘X’.
Just over two weeks after that, on November 17, the NY appellate court upheld their decision regarding his level three sex offender register classification, noting he had committed “very serious sex crimes.”
Ms Keating had never commented on her Epstein and Andrew associations until September this year when she confirmed the February dinner. She told the Daily Mail: “It was a large social event. A sizeable chunk of NY society was there, including [American broadcasters] Barbara Walters, Charlie Rose and Katie Couric.
“At the time, I had only lived in NY about ten weeks, and was happy to accept the odd social invitation.”
It is not known why Ms Keating was at Epstein’s house and with Andrew in December 2010.
What is clear is that Epstein’s jail term hardly seems to have clipped his business and society wings and he continued to move in gilded circles. Even after his conviction, the recently sacked British Ambassador to Washington Lord Peter Mandelson and Bill Gates are known to have spent time with him. Calendars belonging to Epstein showed plans to meet with Elon Musk, billionaire Peter Thiel and conservative commentator Steve Bannon. (There is no confirmation these meetings ever happened nor any suggestion of wrongdoing on any of their parts.)
However, what does it say about any of these people’s judgement?
Famed 19th century food writer Brillat-Savarin said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are” but maybe the more interesting question is not what people eat but who with.
Ms Keating is now back in Sydney, a detail that came to light after she was photographed with her father recently. Out to lunch.
Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and commentator with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.
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