A federal judge in New York has officially ordered the release of a handwritten note purportedly authored by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The document was recovered by Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer who briefly shared a cell with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas presided over the decision, siding with a request from The New York Times to unseal the records. The judge determined that the note qualifies as a judicial document, which carries a strong presumption of public access under both the First Amendment and common law.
In the text of the note, Epstein appears to express frustration regarding ongoing legal investigations into his affairs. He wrote, in part, that investigators had spent months looking into him without finding anything, followed by the phrase, "Time to say goodbye."
The document had previously been filed under seal as part of the criminal proceedings against Tartaglione, who was convicted of multiple murders related to a drug trafficking scheme. Judge Karas noted that Tartaglione had effectively waived attorney-client privilege by discussing the contents of the note in public interviews.
Furthermore, the court reasoned that privacy concerns regarding the deceased financier were limited, especially since details of the note had already entered the public sphere. The judge emphasized that public access to such documents is essential for maintaining confidence in the administration of justice.
Despite the ruling, questions regarding the authenticity of the note remain a point of contention. Mark Epstein, the brother of the deceased, has publicly expressed skepticism, stating that he does not believe the note is legitimate and that it contradicts his understanding of the events leading up to his brother's death.
The history between the two men was reportedly fraught with tension. Epstein had previously accused Tartaglione of assaulting him while they were housed together, a claim that Tartaglione’s defense team and prison officials had disputed at the time.
While the note itself will be made public, the court has not yet granted the broader request for additional materials tied to the case. Judge Karas has directed legal teams to propose specific redactions before any further documents are released to the public.