WASHINGTON (BN24) — The long-speculated client list tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is unlikely to ever be released to the public, according to a former CIA officer who claims the information is too sensitive to national intelligence agencies to be exposed.
John Kiriakou, a CIA whistleblower jailed in 2012 for revealing details about U.S. torture programs at Guantanamo Bay, said in a recent podcast interview that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency will never declassify or disclose Epstein’s alleged “black book” of clients. Kiriakou asserted the document holds intelligence value too significant to be compromised—even amid mounting public pressure for transparency.
Speaking with entrepreneur and host Patrick Bet-David, Kiriakou said the list remains hidden because of Epstein’s purported connections to foreign intelligence, namely Israel’s national spy agency.
“I believe that he was a Mossad access agent. It makes perfect sense to me,” Kiriakou stated, pointing to the theory that Epstein was used as a conduit to collect compromising information on powerful individuals.
Though there is no confirmed link between Epstein and Israel’s Mossad, Kiriakou claimed Epstein functioned exactly as a classic access agent would—targeting influential people, inviting them into compromising environments, and secretly recording encounters to leverage them for intelligence purposes.
“If you’re an intelligence service and you want access to important people, you don’t try to recruit them directly,” he said. “You go after someone close to them. Epstein fit that profile—a wealthy man with a private island, his own planes, access to elites.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate now serving a prison sentence for her role in sex trafficking minors, has also faced speculation over alleged intelligence ties. Her father, the late media mogul Robert Maxwell, was widely suspected of collaborating with Israeli intelligence during his career. While none of these claims have been definitively proven, they remain at the heart of widespread theories surrounding Epstein’s mysterious finances and elite connections.
Kiriakou also revisited the testimony of Virginia Giuffre, a key accuser in Epstein’s trafficking network who claimed she was coerced into sex with British royal Prince Andrew. Giuffre, 41, died by suicide in April. In previous legal statements, she and several other women alleged that Epstein’s properties were equipped with surveillance monitors capturing every room—including bathrooms—suggesting a systematic operation of blackmail.
“If those women were telling the truth—and I believe they were—then yes, there absolutely was a client list,” Kiriakou said. “And I think a lot of people know who’s on it. But that’s not something the CIA is ever going to just hand over because the public demands it.”
The existence of Epstein’s “black book” was confirmed years ago; the original document, containing names and contact information of numerous high-profile figures, was even sold at Sotheby’s. But the full contents remain concealed from the public.
Kiriakou questioned why Maxwell never used the list to negotiate a lighter sentence, further suggesting its immense value and potential risk.
“If it was destroyed, why? If not, where is it? Why didn’t Maxwell use it to save herself?” he asked.
The controversy around Epstein’s client list and his death in federal custody in 2019 continues to spark intense debate—particularly in conservative circles. Recently, the Trump administration has faced backlash from within its own base over its handling of Epstein-related files.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed under President Donald Trump, came under fire after the Department of Justice claimed the client list “never existed” and reaffirmed the position that Epstein’s jailhouse death was a suicide. Those remarks ignited outrage among Trump loyalists, many of whom believe the administration broke its promise to release the records.
Following the backlash, Trump appeared frustrated during a cabinet meeting, reportedly calling his supporters “weaklings” for falling for what he called a Democrat-driven “hoax.” He has since urged his base to move on from the Epstein issue.
When asked if Trump himself was withholding the documents out of personal implication, Kiriakou dismissed the idea.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” he said.
Kiriakou is not alone in alleging intelligence involvement. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson made similar claims earlier this month, suggesting Epstein worked for Mossad to blackmail U.S. political figures.
Speaking to a crowd of young conservatives in Florida, Carlson questioned the origins of Epstein’s massive fortune and how he ascended from a high school math teacher to owning multiple planes, a private island, and one of the most expensive townhouses in Manhattan.
“No one has ever tried to get to the bottom of that,” Carlson said. “And the reason they haven’t is because the answer makes people in Washington very uncomfortable.”
Carlson also speculated that Epstein maintained close ties with the Israeli government—referring to Epstein’s documented relationship with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who reportedly visited Epstein’s homes multiple times starting in 2013.
“Was he running a blackmail operation for a foreign government?” Carlson asked, before adding that questions about foreign influence are not anti-Israel, but legitimate concerns.
“The idea that even asking this is somehow off-limits is what’s created resentment and suspicion,” Carlson said.
As questions continue to swirl around Epstein’s connections, alleged intelligence ties, and the hidden client list, public frustration is rising. Whether the full truth will ever come to light remains uncertain. But as Kiriakou emphasized, the stakes are far greater than celebrity scandal—they lie at the intersection of global espionage, political power, and the darkest corridors of influence.
