Judge Unseals Epstein Note; Authenticity Questioned

A federal judge has unsealed a handwritten note purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein before his death in prison. According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas released the document after a request from The New York Times, which reported its existence last week.

The note was found by Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a convicted murderer and ex-police officer serving four consecutive life sentences for drug-related murders. As reported by PBS, Tartaglione claimed he discovered the note in a book in their shared cell after Epstein was found with marks on his neck in what authorities described as an apparent suicide attempt.

The handwritten note, scrawled on a yellow legal pad, includes the line: 'It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.' The judge ruled that the note qualified as a judicial document subject to the public's right of access because it was submitted in connection with Tartaglione's criminal case. However, Karas did not vouch for the note's authenticity nor assess its chain of custody.

According to The Guardian, The New York Times published a story last week detailing the note’s existence and petitioned the court to release it. The note had been sealed as part of Tartaglione’s appeal case due to attorney-client privilege. Epstein's death in federal custody has remained the subject of widespread scrutiny and speculation, with conspiracy theories persisting despite the medical examiner ruling his death a suicide.

The note reads: 'They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!! It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!' The authenticity of the note has been questioned, with Epstein's brother telling Fox News that he does not believe it is legitimate.

The Department of Justice said they had never seen the note before and underwent an exhaustive effort to collect all records in its possession after Donald Trump signed a bill approving the release of the Epstein files. According to Sky News, this included collecting records from the Bureau of Prisons and Office of Inspector General, resulting in nearly three million pages being produced.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the note contains an apparent reference to a line from a 1931 Little Rascals film that Epstein had used in at least two email messages. In September 2016, Epstein wrote to his brother, 'whtchoo want me toodo — bust out crying' in response to news about their cousin becoming a grandfather. The following year, he used the same phrase in an email to his childhood friend Terry Kafka.

The line is from a Little Rascals short film called “Little Daddy,” where the character Stymie says, 'Well, what do you want me to do, bust out crying?' when another character mentions it being their last breakfast together. The note was not included in the millions of pages released by the Justice Department.

In 2020, “60 Minutes” disclosed a note Epstein reportedly wrote days before his August 2019 death that included complaints about his conditions and similarly concluded with the phrase 'No fun!!!' Journalist Katie Phang sued acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for allegedly failing to comply with the requirements of the Epstein files law passed last year, which required that the documents be released in their entirety within 30 days.