Conspiracy theorists are spreading unfounded claims regarding an individual referred to as “Doe 107” in documents related to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Loretta Preska, the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, ordered on Dec. 18 that more than 150 names mentioned in court records from the settled 2015 civil lawsuit between alleged victim Virginia Giuffre and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell be made available to the public.
Yet conspiracy theorists are now convinced that the release, likely to take place this week or possibly even today, has been delayed due to Doe 107. The alleged delay is being cited as proof that Doe 107 was in alliance with Epstein.
The only problem? It’s unclear that such a delay has even been implemented. Not only that, Doe 107 is clearly listed in court documents as an alleged victim, not an associate, of Epstein.
According to the Messenger, at least some names are supposed to still be released today. Clients had until yesterday to request redactions, which might still be being processed, delaying the information.
Doe 107’s attorney, Richard Levitt, asked the judge on Dec. 20 to clarify what information regarding his client could come out as a result of the ruling unmasking people in the case. Levitt stated that his client “lives outside the United States in a culturally conservative country,” where “honor killings” are common, “and lives in fear of her name being released.”
Levitt also noted that his client had been receiving hate mail, indicating that her identity may have already been made public at a previous point. It’s unclear if the hate mail is tied to the false claim that Doe 107 was colluding with Epstein.
Now, right-wing users on X have begun to suggest that Doe 107 is almost certainly a high-profile celebrity such as Oprah Winfrey, who has long been the target of conspiracy theorists.
Other names circulating online include Hillary Clinton, Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, and Ellen DeGeneres, alongside calls from right-wing users that Doe 107 must be “exposed.”
“John Doe 107 is very paranoid about her name being made public,” one user wrote. “She HAS BEEN seeking continual extensions from the court, and has constantly fought to have her name redacted. Now she really needs to be exposed!
As far as the alleged delay, users online are pointing to a document that shows Doe 107 being given a 30-day extension to provide evidence that unsealing certain records would put her in harm’s way.
Yet Doe 107, as previously reported, was never among the 150-plus names set to be released. Levitt instead was interested in learning whether information regarding his client could come out at a later date.
In a phone call with the Daily Dot, Levitt said he was unaware “one way or another” of any delay to the release of names due to his client’s specific request.
Either way, the false claim surrounding Doe 107 is a mere continuation of the misinformation being spread by conspiracy theorists regarding the Epstein case.
Most popularly, conspiracy theorists have circulated fake lists of Epstein’s clients, which, unsurprisingly, are comprised of prominent left-wing celebrities known for their opposition to former President Donald Trump.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
Source: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/doe-107-jeffrey-epstein-conspiracy-theories/