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FIRST ON FOX: Jim Steyer — the brother of billionaire California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer — has a number of board members with ties to Jeffrey Epstein concerned in his youngsters’s on-line security group, Widespread Sense Media (CSM), which may set off alarm bells as rich elites proceed to face a reckoning for exchanging emails with Epstein or driving on his personal jet.
CSM, which might be internet hosting a convention subsequent week that may embody many trade consultants and Democratic politicians as audio system, together with former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Illinois Gov JB Pritzker, is a nonprofit group with the acknowledged purpose of placing youngsters’s “well-being first within the digital period,” and offering parental steerage whereas additionally offering a discussion board for trade consultants to debate methods to safeguard minors on-line.
Whereas not one of the beforehand reported ties between the board members and Epstein implicate them in any wrongdoing associated to his crimes, the optics of their previous communications may elevate questions concerning the judgment of a few of their previous interactions with him and the vetting course of to be on the board.
“Having reviewed the associated references right here, we now have no issues about these people. Widespread Sense Media stays the main non-partisan youngsters’s advocacy group devoted to defending and selling one of the best curiosity of America’s youngsters and households,” a CSM spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital.
WATCH: HILLARY CLINTON STORMS OUT OF EPSTEIN DEPOSITION AFTER HOUSE LAWMAKER LEAKS PHOTO FROM INSIDE
The Division of Justice launched a trove of Epstein paperwork on Dec. 19 following President Trump’s signature on the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act in November 2025. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Photos)
The Steyer brothers haven’t appeared within the Epstein emails and haven’t been accused of any wrongdoing.
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Tim Zagat
Tim Zagat, the founder and former CEO of Zagat Survey, a fantastic eating score service, was reported by the New York Publish to have repeatedly visited eating institutions with Epstein and is listed in Epstein’s flight logbook — a revelation uncovered by latest disclosures from the Division of Justice.
Zagat additionally reportedly attended a dinner at Epstein’s Higher East Facet mansion in 2014, which included Hollywood director Woody Allen and his spouse Quickly-Yi Previn, former Hyatt accommodations boss Nick Pritzker, who’s Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s cousin as soon as eliminated, amongst others. A number of emails reviewed by Fox Information Digital present that Zagat reached out to Epstein to ask him to meals on a number of events.
He’s additionally listed on a flight entry from 2002 on Epstein’s infamous “Lolita Specific” personal jet that seems to match up with a late-February journey to a TED convention in California.
Jeffrey Epstein was discovered lifeless in federal custody in 2019. (New York State Intercourse Offender Registry by way of AP, File)
“JE. SK. GERALDINE LAYBORNE. KIT LAYBORNE. STEVEN PINKER. NINA TIM ZAGAT,” the entry reads, itemizing off a collection of passengers.
The entry is unclear if the “JE” reference signifies Epstein himself was on the flight.
What is evident, nevertheless, is that the flight included one different CSM board member.
Geraldine Laybourne
Geraldine Laybourne who served as president of Nickelodeon from 1984 to 1996, was additionally talked about as a passenger on one of many 2002 entries. Previously, Laybourne has claimed she didn’t know the airplane belonged to Epstein however that she had merely accepted a flight from New York to Monterey, California.
“We stated sure. We didn’t know whose airplane it was or who Jeffrey Epstein was,” Laybourne instructed the Each day Beast in 2023.
WATCH: BILL CLINTON GRILLED ON SHIRTLESS HOT TUB PHOTO AMID SWIRLING QUESTIONS ON EPSTEIN RELATIONSHIP
Howard Gardner
In one other case, CSM introduced on Howard Gardner, a celebrated scholar finest identified for his analysis on schooling on the Harvard Graduate Faculty of Training, who maintained contact with Epstein lengthy after information of his crimes had surfaced.
Gardner had prolonged correspondence with Epstein, based on reporting from Bloomberg. Gardner’s identify seems a minimum of 380 occasions within the DOJ’s Epstein disclosures. Most are e mail communications or logistical preparations.
In a single e mail, Epstein described deliberate outings with Gardner.
“I’m having a ‘good day’ at Harvard. Larry Summers – finance. Chomsky – language. Eric Lander, George Church – genetics. Howard Gardner – intelligence,” Epstein wrote, referring to varied consultants and their areas of research.
Gardner instructed The Harvard Crimson final yr that “As soon as [Epstein] had been arrested, I made it clear to him that I may now not settle for any funding however, as a good friend and beneficiary of his philanthropy, I attempted to be supportive.”
“After all, nobody I knew (which included dozens of Harvard school) had any concept of the character and extent of Epstein’s crimes, which solely grew to become clear within the following years,” he continued.
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Cyrus Vance Jr.
Cyrus Vance Jr., a former district lawyer for Manhattan from 2010 to 2021, joined CSM’s board in 2024 regardless of previous backlash after his workplace’s insistence in 2011 that Epstein ought to obtain extra lenient remedy.
Particularly, Vance’s workplace argued that Epstein ought to be designated a Stage 1 intercourse offender — a discount from degree 3, the classification reserved for high-level threats.
The choose overseeing the case was reportedly greatly surprised by the request, based on courtroom transcripts.
Manhattan District Legal professional Cyrus Vance, Jr. opened an investigation into Trump and his household’s companies in 2019. (Photograph by Andrew Burton/Getty Photos) (Andrew Burton/Getty Photos)
“I’ve to let you know, I’m somewhat overwhelmed as a result of I’ve by no means seen the prosecutor’s workplace do something like this. I’ve completed many [cases], a lot much less troubling than this one, the place the Folks would by no means make a downward argument like this,” Decide Ruth Pickholz stated.
Epstein, at that time, had already been convicted of sexual misconduct with minors in 2008.
In response to a request for remark, Vance stated he had no information of Epstein’s prior case because of an error within the case. After turning into conscious of the case, Vance stated he pursued essentially the most stringent restrictions potential for Epstein.
“I’ve by no means met, or communicated with Mr. Epstein in any kind,” Vance stated in a remark.
Vance’s workplace additionally obtained backlash for not prosecuting disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2015, two years earlier than the “MeToo” motion took him down.
Chelsea Clinton
Lastly, Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Basis, has served on the CSM board for over a decade. She, too, had a brush with Epstein that garnered public consideration when Ghislaine Maxwell — an confederate of Epstein — attended her marriage ceremony.
Maxwell had attended on the invitation of Ted Waitt, a donor to the Clinton Basis, based on later statements from Hillary Clinton.
However reporting from Politico advised the one-off went deeper. Politico reported that sources had stated the pair had been “extremely shut.”
Chelsea Clinton is seen along with her mom, Hillary Clinton, at a marketing campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, November 8, 2016. (Reuters)
Chelsea Clinton has repeatedly pushed again in opposition to these characterizations.
“It wasn’t till 2015 that Chelsea [her husband] Marc grew to become conscious of the horrific allegations in opposition to Ghislaine Maxwell and hope that each one the victims discover justice. Chelsea and Marc had been pleasant along with her due to her relationship with an expensive good friend of theirs. When that relationship ended, Chelsea’s friendship along with her ended as properly,” an individual aware of the connection instructed Politico.
Each of Chelsea’s mother and father, Invoice and Hillary Clinton, lately went viral after they had been interviewed by the Home Oversight Committee about their earlier longtime relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
Along with the board members, CSM contains the Gates Basis as one in every of its basis companions. The inspiration’s co-founder, Invoice Gates, who’s the chair of the board, has repeatedly been tied to Epstein by their e mail communications and conferences over a number of years, which Gates referred to as “silly” earlier this yr.
Microsoft co-founder Invoice Gates attends a dinner hosted by President Donald Trump with know-how leaders within the State Eating Room on the White Home in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
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“On reflection, I used to be silly to spend any time with him,” Gates stated of Epstein. “I believe I used to be fairly silly. I assumed it might assist me with international well being philanthropy. The truth is, it failed to do this. It was simply an enormous mistake.”
He’s anticipated to indicate up for a transcribed interview with the Home Oversight Committee in Might.
Fox Digital reached out to the Steyer marketing campaign and the 5 board members for remark. The Steyer brothers haven’t
