According to sources familiar with the matter, legislators investigating the deceased Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of sex crimes, are focusing their attention on three men whom a former assistant to the former financier accused of sexual abuse in closed-door testimony this week.
In an interview with the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, former Epstein aide Sarah Kellen accused the three men of irregularities and identified them by name, according to the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer.
According to sources consulted by CNN, Kellen mentioned Frederic Fekkai, a famous French stylist; Philip Levine, former mayor of Miami Beach and cruise industry entrepreneur; and Patrick Demarchelier, a French fashion photographer.
Kellen accused Fekkai and Levine of sexual assault and claimed that Demarchelier exposed himself to her, according to a source close to the case.
Another source said Kellen claimed Fekkai assaulted her in the early 2000s, before she met Epstein, when the two were alone in a hotel room during a trip to Hawaii to meet with modeling agents.
A media representative for Fekkai denied that the stylist had done anything wrong.
“Mr. Fekkai was astonished as he read Ms. Kellen’s testimony. Mr. Fekkai never abused anyone. He never participated in any illegal activity. He was completely unaware of Epstein’s disgusting depravity and human trafficking. He did nothing wrong,” the representative, Mark Herr, said in a statement.
Herr also specifically denied the assault allegation: “That is categorically false. Mr. Fekkai never assaulted anyone.”
Kellen told Commission investigators that Levine assaulted her in Saint-Tropez, in a house rented by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in the early 2000s, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
CNN attempted to contact Levine and representatives for Demarchelier, who died in 2022, through phone calls, emails and direct messages on social media.
Earlier this year, Levine told WLRN that he had only met Epstein “a few times” and that he regretted it.
“As I have said before, my only relationship with Jeffrey Epstein arose exclusively from my former friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell. I was with Epstein only a few times. I never did business with him, I never visited his island or flew on his plane. I regret meeting him,” he declared at the time.
Kellen testified that Demarchelier introduced her to Epstein, whom she described as a scout for potential Victoria’s Secret models, another source familiar with the matter told CNN.
None of the men have been charged with any crimes in relation to Epstein, and Comer stated that the Commission had no prior knowledge of the sexual abuse allegations against them.
A CNN analysis of Epstein files released by the Justice Department revealed that Levine and Fekkai had ties to the late convicted sex offender for years.
However, according to CNN’s analysis, the files do not appear to reveal any direct interactions between Demarchelier and Epstein.
There is no indication in the publicly available Epstein files reviewed by CNN that any of the three men were interviewed by federal investigators.
Kellen is a controversial figure in Epstein’s circle, whose work with the disgraced financier gave him access to relevant information about his activities.
In 2007, authorities identified her as one of Epstein’s possible accomplices.
Epstein victims question lack of investigation into others involved
However, she has described herself as a victim of Epstein’s abuse, and some observers acknowledge that her experience is complex, even if authorities investigated her for possible collaboration with Epstein.
Comer claimed she was not interviewed by authorities until 2019. Her attorney declined to comment.
“He manipulated me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, dominated me, and made me suffer until I could no longer distinguish which thoughts were mine and which were his,” Kellen told lawmakers, referring to Epstein, according to a copy of his initial statement. “It was like living with virtual reality glasses permanently on. Every day I was reminded how powerful and influential he was, and that rebelling against him or disobeying him would mean losing everything: my job, my house, everyone I knew in the world, even my life.”
On Thursday, Comer declined to reveal the names of the people involved and promised that his Commission would release the transcript of Kellen’s interview as soon as possible.
According to Comer, the accusations Kellen leveled against the men would give congressional investigators a new lead to pursue.
“Of all the people we’ve interviewed so far, this has been by far the most substantive and productive interview we’ve had,” he told reporters Thursday.
The files reveal that over many years, Epstein spent thousands of dollars at Frederic Fekkai’s famous salon for himself and others, according to invoices and credit card statements released by the Justice Department.
However, according to Department of Justice files on Epstein, Epstein’s relationship with Fekkai appeared to go beyond that of a professional hairdresser and a client.
Emails show extracted from the archives, Fekkai there would be requested use one of Epstein’s apartments on at least four occasions.
In 2010, Fekkai also requested to use Epstein’s room for a date with his masseuse, according to shows an email.
Epstein agreed, but instructed a person—whose name is redacted in the files—to let Fekkai know he would be home.
That same year, Epstein boasted to a person whose name is also redacted that he had known Fekkai for 10 years and who had helped him found his company.
In 2013, Epstein asked Fekkai for help finding a multilingual assistant, and Fekkai responded that he would consult your contact listas stated in an email.
That same year, Fekkai wrote to Epstein about a woman who was visiting one of his salons, and a representative of Epstein wrote to him to invite Fekkai to eat cake for Epstein’s birthday.
And Maxwell told acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in an interview last year that Epstein and Fekkai were “friends, very friends.”
Epstein and Levine maintained contact into the early 2000s and planned to speak by phone and meet in person on several occasions over the years, according to Justice Department records.
It is not clear from the archives whether such meetings ever took place.
In 2003, for example, the files show that Levine attempted to arrange a business meeting for Epstein with the former CEO of the company he oversaw Sephora.
In 2010, a year after Epstein was released from prison in Florida after being convicted on state charges related to sex crimes, Levine wrote to Epstein: “I’m glad everything had a positive ending for you during these difficult times… You’re a great guy.”
Levine successfully ran for mayor of Miami Beach in 2013 and failed in his bid for governor of the state in 2018. Epstein’s inbox is filled with Levine’s campaign emails.
A 2013, Epstein responded to a generic email campaign asking how he could donate, and someone responded from the “Levine for Mayor” account directing the financier to use their website.
Levine also appeared to have had a relationship with Maxwell, Epstein’s criminal accomplice, emails show.
In an email, Levine asked Maxwell to “will look for candidates” at a party she was attending in 2001. In 2003, Levine told her he had “a young, attractive girl hanging out for the weekend… call me,” it shows another email.
Maxwell told Blanche, then deputy attorney general, last year that Levine was the one who introduced her to former President Bill Clinton. He referred to her and Levine as “very good friends”.
Maxwell and Levine apparently had a relationship in which they frequently made jokes with sexual overtones, the emails reveal. In one of themMaxwell referred to Levine as her boyfriend. In messages from 2001, Maxwell states that left Epstein unceremoniously by Levine.
