Mitchell
(Photo
by
Brian
Lawless/PA
Images
via
Getty
Images)
Despite
the
Biglaw
focus
of
Above
the
Law,
it’s
almost
strange
to
refer
to
George
J.
Mitchell
as
merely
the
former
chair
of
international
law
firm
DLA
Piper.
While
absolutely
accurate,
Mitchell
is
also
a
former
senator
from
Maine,
a
former
Democratic
Senate
Majority
Leader,
a
former special
adviser
and
US
Special
Envoy
for
Northern
Ireland,
a
key
negotiator
of
the
1998
Good
Friday
Agreement,
a
former
Special
Envoy
to
the
Middle
East,
and
recipient
of
the
Presidential
Medal
of
Freedom.
Mitchell
was
also
accused
by
a
victim
of
Jeffrey
Epstein,
Virginia
Giuffre,
who
said
she
was
instructed
to
have
sex
with
Mitchell
by
Ghislaine
Maxwell.
There’s
more
news
about
Mitchell
from
the
recent
release
of
Epstein
files.
A
FBI
document
from
December
2020
described
an
account
of
a
girl,
whose
name
is
redacted,
which
includes
having
sex
multiple
times
with
Mitchell.
According
to
the
document,
Mitchell
asked
for
a
blow
job
and
sex
and
the
girl
“did
what
she
was
told.”
A
spokesperson
for
Mitchell
said,
“Senator
Mitchell
reiterates
unequivocally
that
he
never
met,
spoke
with,
or
had
any
contact
…
with
any
underage
women.”
“Senator
Mitchell
profoundly
regrets
ever
having
known
Jeffrey
Epstein
and
condemns,
without
reservation,
the
horrific
harm
Epstein
inflicted
on
so
many
women,”
Mitchell’s
spokesperson
continued.
In
2019,
Mitchell
denied
the
allegation
made
by
Giuffre
as
“false.”
Mitchell continued,
“I
have
never
met,
spoken
with
or
had
any
contact
with
Ms.
Giuffre.
In
my
contacts
with
Mr.
Epstein,
I
never
observed
or
suspected
any
inappropriate
conduct
with
underage
girls.
I
only
learned
of
his
actions
when
they
were
reported
in
the
media
related
to
his
prosecution
in
Florida.
We
have
had
no
further
contact.”
However,
there’s
reason
to
question
whether
Mitchell’s
contact
with
Epstein
truly
ended
in
2008,
when
Epstein
served
time
for
crimes
in
Florida.
A
2010
document
in
the
recent
production
indicates
Mitchell
returned
a
phone
call
from
Epstein.
Documents
also
indicate
a
2013
meeting
between
Epstein
and
Mitchell.
And
in
a
2011
email
exchange
between
Epstein
and
Sultan
Ahmed
bin
Sulayem
(who
is
deeply
implicated
by
the
recent
release
of
files),
Epstein
describes
Mitchell
as
a
“very
close
friend”
as
well
as
the
chairman
of
DLA
Piper.
Since
the
recent
revelations,
many
institutions
are
backing
off
of
their
association
with
Mitchell.
The
Mitchell
Institute announced
Mitchell
resigned
from
his
position
as
honorary
chair
of
the
organization,
and
went
on
to
note
“We
also
agree
that
this
is
an
appropriate
time
to
initiate
a
thoughtful,
responsible
process
to
consider
a
potential
name
change.”
Queen’s
University
Belfast
in
Northern
Ireland
is
removing
Mitchell’s
name
from
its
Institute
for
Global
Peace,
Security
and
Justice
and
removing
a
bust
of
him
on
campus.
And
the
US-Ireland
Alliance removed Mitchell’s
name
from
its
scholarship
program.
There
are
also
calls
for
Mitchell’s
Medal
of
Freedom
to
be
revoked.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].