Ex-CIA Agent Explains Why Epstein May be a Secret Israeli Agent and Why 'The List' Will Never Be Released

A former CIA officer has claimed that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, may have been a Mossad access agent, potentially explaining why his rumoured client list will never be released.

John Kiriakou, jailed in 2012 for leaking CIA interrogation techniques, alleges Epstein's ties to Israeli intelligence and the sensitive nature of the information could be behind the secrecy.

The claims, made public on 20 July 2025, have reignited debates over Epstein's activities and the Trump administration's handling of related files.

Alleged Mossad Connection

Kiriakou, now working for a Russian government news outlet, told podcast host Patrick Bet-David that Epstein was a textbook case of an access agent, a figure financed by a foreign intelligence service to gain proximity to powerful individuals. 'I believe that he was a Mossad access agent.

It makes perfect sense to me,' Kiriakou said. He suggested Epstein's wealth, including his private island valued at approximately £15 million ($20 million), facilitated a blackmail honey trap operation.

No official evidence confirms Epstein's ties to Mossad, but Kiriakou pointed to alleged links between Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and her father, Robert Maxwell, reportedly an Israeli spy.

X posts from @SpartaJustice on 9 July 2025 echo this, stating, 'Ari Ben-Menashe, former Israeli spy confirmed on the record, unequivocally, that Jeffrey Epstein was working for Israeli intelligence operations, the Mossad, and running a blackmail honey trap operation for Israel. '

Reasons for Secrecy

The client list, long speculated to name high-profile figures involved in Epstein's activities, is unlikely to be released due to its valuable intelligence information, Kiriakou argued.

He claimed the CIA would never disclose such data despite public pressure. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on 7 July 2025 that no such list exists, contradicting earlier promises by Attorney General Pam Bondi to release Epstein-related files.

Bondi's reversal, after hyping a document 'sitting on my desk' in February 2025, sparked outrage among Trump supporters.

A DOJ memo stated, 'There was material they did not release, because, frankly, it was incredibly graphic and it contained child pornography,,' citing concerns over child exploitation content.

Kiriakou dismissed rumours that the Trump administration withheld files to protect the president, who was photographed with Epstein in 1997 but banned him from Mar-a-Lago years later.

Public and Political Fallout

The secrecy has fuelled a MAGA unrest, with Trump's base demanding transparency. On 7 July 2025, Elon Musk called the DOJ's findings the 'final straw', accusing officials of a cover-up to protect elites.

The New York Times reported on 15 July 2025 that House Speaker Mike Johnson supports releasing the files, stating, 'We should put everything out there and let the people decide.' Congressional Democrats have delayed Trump's £67 million ($90 million) spending cut package, demanding more Epstein disclosures.

X posts from @RepThomasMassie on 22 July 2025 reinforced this sentiment, stating, 'If the executive branch won't release phase 2 of the Epstein files, we will. Americans deserve transparency and the victims deserve justice.'

Trump, frustrated, labelled the controversy a 'Democrat-run hoax', urging supporters to move on.

Despite this, the DOJ requested a federal judge on 18 July 2025 to unseal grand jury testimony, suggesting partial concessions to public pressure.

The ongoing debate underscores the unfounded theories surrounding Epstein's 2019 suicide and his network, keeping the case a politically charged issue.