Leon Botstein’s communications and relationship with Epstein under review by WilmerHale law firm, while Bard president says he never witnessed anything inappropriate
A victim ofJeffrey Epsteinwho had previous interactions with Leon Botstein said she believed the Bard College president, whose relationship with the late sex offender is currently under review, was part of a group of influential and accomplished men whose proximity to Epstein helped to rehabilitate his reputation.
Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a former Russian model who worked as a “staffer” for Epstein, told the Guardian in an interview that she saw Botstein with Epstein together “quite frequently” – including having flown with him on a trip to Epstein’s island in December 2012 – and that she believed his reputation as a “sophisticated intellectual” helped “legitimize” Epstein.
Pozhidaeva first disclosed some details about her abuse anonymously in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ)article published in 2023, in which she alleged Epstein controlled her immigration, finances and housing, and – as is common in trafficking cases – pressured her to introduce him to other models. Over the course of a decade, she was one of several women Epstein sexually exploited under the guise of the “assistant” role, the WSJ noted.
“When you meet people like this, you think, who am I to question JE and his behavior when people at that level shake his hand?” Pozhidaeva said, referring to Epstein by his initials.
Pozhidaeva said she was treated with respect by Botstein, who is a musician as well as the college president. “They seemed to get along pretty well.Jeffrey Epsteinlooked at Leon as someone who was very knowledgeable, and had a lot of respect for him. He would know some of the most bizarre random historical facts and made the impression of a sophisticated intellectual,” she recalled. Being around people who were “high level professionals” – people like Botstein and even more so, a person with the status of Bill Gates – made Epstein “look not as bad”, she said.
Botstein’s interactions and relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of sex trafficking, are now the subject of an “independent” review by WilmerHale, the white-shoe law firm. In an announcement in February, Bard’s board of trustees said it hadappointed the law firmto review the full scope of Botstein’s communications with Epstein, financial contributions connected to Epstein, and “any related matters relevant to understanding these issues fully”.
The current controversy has set off a broader evaluation of Botstein’s more than 50-year tenure as president of Bard, includingprevious comments about sexual politicsin education, his views about girls and women, including the rolemenstruation plays in their development, and the college’s handling ofsexual assault and harassment allegations.
The Guardian sent a list of questions to Botstein’s Bard email address.
Jennifer Strodl, Bard’s director of communications, said in a statement in response to the questions that Botstein “fully supports the Board’s decision to pursue an independent review of this matter and will refrain from commenting further while this process is underway”. She added: “As the President has said previously, it is heartbreaking to think that his fundraising interactions unwittingly brought him into contact with any victims. He never witnessed anything inappropriate nor did he have any visibility into Epstein’s monstrous crimes.”
The review of Botstein’s relationship with Epstein is likely to include an examination of the president’s 2012 trip to Epstein’s island, Little St James.
In a press statement in February, a Bard spokesperson said Botstein had traveled with billionaire financier Leon Black and his family for a brief fundraising development trip, and that the Blacks had hosted Botstein and guests including Epstein for a dinner on the Black family boat.
Correspondence between Epstein and Botstein’s assistants, which were included in the release of Epstein files in February, detail logistical planning ahead of the trip, including whether Botstein would be traveling alone to “Jeffrey’s island”. In one email, Botstein’s assistant is told by Epstein’s assistant he would not only be joined by Black and his family, but “another friend of Jeffrey’s”. It is a reference to Pozhidaeva, who was on that flight, she confirmed to the Guardian, though her name is redacted.
In another email, Botstein’s assistant asked how “Leon” would get to Epstein’s house from Black’s boat, anchored nearby, to which Epstein’s assistant replies “via boat”.
When previously asked about the trip, a Botstein spokespersontold a reporter at WAMC, the radio outlet: “President Botstein came down with a severe flu on the trip, kept to himself after dinner, and isolated himself in a resort-style bungalow overnight.”
