Newly uncovered emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, directly aided Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz in launching a vicious smear campaign against scholars John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt for daring to expose the Israel lobby’s stranglehold on U.S. foreign policy.
The orchestration of events occurred during the same timeframe that Epstein was formulating plans to undermine the credibility of one of his young victims.
In March 2006, Harvard’s Kennedy School released a collaborative paper by Mearsheimer and Walt titled “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.” This work exposed how influential pro-Israel organizations, such as AIPAC, allegedly sway American policies to align with Israeli interests. The authors stated, “Other lobbying groups have influenced U.S. foreign policy, but none have succeeded in diverting it so far from American national interests while persuading citizens that U.S. and Israeli goals are virtually identical.”
On “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” both Mearsheimer and Dershowitz faced direct questioning about leaked emails involving Epstein. Mearsheimer acknowledged the significant harm done to Walt’s career due to Dershowitz’s allegations, while Dershowitz justified his actions as typical within academic circles, facilitated through Epstein.
The reaction was swift and intense. The Anti-Defamation League condemned the paper as an “anti-Jewish screed.” Harvard distanced itself by removing its logo and adding a disclaimer. Even The Atlantic, originally commissioning the piece, opted to withdraw it, compensating with a “$10,000 kill fee,” as Mearsheimer shared with Tucker Carlson: “That’s the fastest $10,000 we ever made.”
Drop Site News received Epstein’s emails from the whistleblower collective Distributed Denial of Secrets, with Bloomberg confirming their legitimacy. In early April 2006, Epstein reviewed drafts of Dershowitz’s article, “Debunking the Newest – and Oldest – Jewish Conspiracy,” comparing the scholars’ work to that of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Epstein’s enthusiastic response was, “terrific…congratulations (sic).” Dershowitz’s assistant inquired, “Jeffrey, were you going to distribute this for Alan??” Epstein assured, “yes I’ve started.”
Epstein, who wielded significant influence at Harvard, had donated millions and managed the fortune of Leslie Wexner, who channeled $20 million to the Kennedy School for initiatives like the Wexner Israel Fellowship, which trains Israeli officials. Epstein’s role as a benefactor extended to prominent figures like Dershowitz and then-President of Harvard, Larry Summers.
The irony couldn’t be thicker: elite financiers using cash and connections to bury a paper warning about exactly that dynamic—pro-Israel money pulling U.S. policy off course, especially amid the Iraq disaster. Mearsheimer told Drop Site, “I’m not surprised to see these emails, because Dershowitz and Epstein were close and both have a passionate attachment to Israel.”
Same Week: Smearing a Child Victim
While orchestrating the academic takedown, Epstein fed Dershowitz—his lawyer—dirt on a 16-year-old accuser from Palm Beach police files. On April 10, days after Dershowitz’s piece dropped, Epstein sent character assassination material: drugs, shoplifting, family scandals. He griped to prosecutor Barry Krischer, “I hope you recognize that I am quite surprised by the recent turn of events, after you advised me almost two months ago that I was to just ‘chill’ … that the case was to ‘fizzle.’” He pushed for a meeting to peddle “exculpatory evidence.”
Epstein’s sweetheart 2008 plea deal—13 months with work release—shielded co-conspirators. He kept ties with Summers until 2019, even giving romantic advice.
Lasting Chill on Free Speech
The smears worked. Chicago Council on Global Affairs canceled their 2007 talk under pro-Israel pressure. Venues demanded “balanced” pro-Israel counter-speakers. Jeffrey Goldberg piled on in The New Republic, likening their views to Osama bin Laden’s and Father Coughlin’s rants. A decade later, Goldberg became The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief.
This proves Mearsheimer and Walt right: criticism of Israel lobby power triggers elite mobilization to silence dissent, protecting foreign interests over America’s. The establishment’s playbook—smear, defund, deplatform—remains alive, but leaks like these expose the rot.
For the full breakdown, watch Ryan Grim on Breaking Points.
