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Rupert Murdoch, Chairman; Sean M. Giancola, Publisher; Stephen Lynch, Editor-in-Chief;
Mark Cunningham, Editorial Page EditorThe Unanswered Questions
Of Epstein’s Shocking Death
THE ISSUE: Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s
apparent suicide in federal custody on Saturday.Jeffery Epstein’s appar-
ent suicide at the Metro-
politan Correctional Cen-
ter leaves many ques-
tions (“Epstein ‘sui-
cide’ scandal,” Aug. 11).
Court papers were
released on Friday that
have names of power-
ful men who have con-
nections with Epstein.
In my opinion, there
are reasons these men
would not want Ep-
stein going to trial and
talking about what
they knew or did.
I would hate to think
that a conspiracy took
place. Epstein was re-
portedly on suicide
watch after an earlier sui-
cide attempt, then was
taken off, which should
never have happened.
There are many ques-
tions and not enough an-
swers at this time. So
many women who were
hurt by Epstein will not
get to tell their stories in
court. So very sad.
Frederick Bedell
Glen Oaks VillageThere’s no doubt in my
mind Epstein was going
to exchange testimony
for a lighter sentence.
If he sang to the FBI
and Department of Jus-
tice, it might have impli-
cated many high-profile
people world wide. His
life wouldn’t have been
worth a cent.
Those at the top of the
food chain will always
have their own laws and
system of justice. The
rest of us can rot in jail
for an ounce of weed.
Stephen Kruger
Brugantine, NJAttorney General Wil-
liam Barr’s statement that
he will investigate “to get
to the bottom” of how
Epstein died in jail even
after he might have been
beaten up once before
doesn’t inspire any confi-
dence.
The timing of Epstein’s
death coincided with dis-
closures about Bill Clin-ton and other important
people.
The federal Bureau of
Prisons, which is in
charge of the care of in-
mates like Epstein at the
Manhattan Correctional
Center, is part of Barr’s
DOJ. So this is like the fox
guarding the hen house.
Andrew Delaney
FlushingNice going to the guards
and officials at MCC.
By enabling Epstein’s
death, they’ve deprived
the world of what would
have been one of the big-
gest trials of this century.
Charles Winokoor
Fall River, Mass.Although his suffering
was nothing compared to
the lasting pain and an-
guish he dealt to young,
vulnerable girls, serial
child rapist Epstein’s self-
inflicted death penalty is
a positive outcome.
The young women who
Epstein indelibly scarred
will now avoid reliving
the horror they endured
at his hands at a trial, and
our justice system and
taxpayers will not be bur-
dened with providing his
food, housing and legal
assistance.
We know that Epstein
could not and did not op-
erate in a vacuum. Let us
hope that we learn the
identity of all of his ac-
complices and to what ex-tent their actions
served to shield a rich,
powerful and deviant
man, perpetuating his
ability to prey on the
weak. Good riddance.
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township, Pa.I can’t say I feel
much sympathy for
Epstein, who suppos-
edly committed sui-
cide in his jail cell.
Having said that,
most of us would like
to know how it was possi-
ble for him to hang him-
self as reported? How did
he get the materials to do
this?
Are the correction of-
ficers and the warden at
the prison so stupid and
incompetent as to let this
happen?
Something does not
quite add up. Epstein had
powerful, high-profile
friends, who might have
been exposed had he
lived. They would have
greatly benefited from
his “silence through
death.” The whole thing
stinks. Robert Polin
BrooklynYou don’t have to be a
professional conspiracy
theorist to smell a rat in
the matter of the Epstein
“suicide.”
My prediction is that
we’ll have the whole
truth of Epstein’s life and
death about the same
time we find Jimmy
Hoffa’s body.
Mike Reynolds
JayAfter his arrest, Epstein
should have been put in
protective custody for be-
ing a pedophile, and a fa-
mous one at that.
Dead men tell no tales.
I think that’s what the
government was hoping
for when it comes to Ep-
stein. Chris Tripoulas
ManhattanAmerica’s oldest continuously published daily newspaperB
ad enough that Mayor de Blasio & Co. of-
ten cover their ears when the public
talks; even worse when they pretend
they’re listening. And First Lady Chirlane
McCray’s She Built NYC project is only the
latest example of that.
The project — launched last summer and
controlled by McCray — aims to have more
statues of women built around the city. It
asked the public to suggest seven women to
honor, and folks sent in more than 1,800 sug-
gestions, The Post reported Sunday.
They shouldn’t have bothered: Though
the suggestions included 320 women, Mc-
Cray and ex-Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen,
who together made the final decision,
threw out the public’s top two choices,
Francine Xavier Cabrini (Mother
Cabrini), America’s first saint and an ad-
vocate for the poor (who got 219 votes),
and journalist and activist Jane Jacobs (
votes).
Indeed, they didn’t even listen to members
of a panel that weighed the responses and
made recommendations.
“The whole process was a charade,”
charged one of the panelists, Harriet Senie.
McCray had her own ideas about who’d
have statues built of them.
“Growing up as an African-Americanwoman, I didn’t see anyone who repre-
sented me in media or popular culture, even
though women make incredible contribu-
tions,” the first lady told NBC.
In the end, McCray and Glen chose seven
women (to be honored in six statues), includ-
ing jazz great Billie Holiday, desegregation
activist Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Latina
doctor Helen Rodriguez Trias and LGBTQ
advocate Sylvia Rivera and three others.
Even if you agree with McCray’s picks, the
public’s input should’ve counted for some-
thing, to say nothing of the panel’s recom-
mendations. If not, why ask for suggestions
in the first place — unless the point is sim-
ply to check the box so you can claim you’ve
gotten input?
Alas, McCray is just following standard
Team de Blasio practices. The mayor, recall,
became infamous for his “invitation-only”
town halls and his repeated refusal to meet
with critics.
Just last week, a group of mostly Asian-
American parents blasted his schools chan-
cellor, Richard Carranza, as he headed to a
“community chat” — which was open only
to a select audience.
Bottom line: Blas & Co. don’t want input,
especially if it’s critical. No one should fall
for their claims to the contrary.N
ew York City Housing Authority Gen-
eral Manager Vito Mustaciuolo actually
says he’s “proud” of his agency’s prog-
ress since last year in reducing heat and hot-
water outages. That sort of pride is part of
NYCHA’s problem.
After all, as The Post reported Monday,
87 percent of its 174,000 homes — almost
nine out of 10 — lost heat or hot water at
some time last winter, with an average out-
age lasting nine hours, according to data
obtained by the Legal Aid Society through
a Freedom of Information Law request.
If reaching that point marks notable
“progress,” NYCHA residents may be in
worse trouble than they know.
The agency’s top brass note that last win-
ter’s 3,559 outages (2,341 for hot water and
1,218 for heat) were actually 1,000 fewer than
the previous winter. Yet that’s a pathetically
low bar; no one should be “proud” that
339,000 people got zapped.
“When I went to the back of the apartment,
it was like going into a walk-in freezer,” said
one tenant, Tomasita Santapau, 72.
The stunning numbers are yet another re-
minder of the outrageously dismal condi-tions at NYCHA housing — and its dysfunc-
tional management. Recall that residents
have also had to suffer through an almost
biblical list of plagues: broken plumbing that
seeps liquid, lead paint that can poison chil-
dren, uncollected garbage that climbed as
high as 14 stories in trash chutes and
brought rat infestations.
Yes, NYCHA has been strapped for funds.
Needed repairs will run into the tens of bil-
lions, and no one is fully sure where it will
all come from. It also faces a web of union
regulations and work rules that can make it
hard to fix problems quickly.
Plus, its new chairman, Gregory Russ,
took over only Monday; NYCHA’s been
largely in limbo ever since former Chair-
woman Shola Olatoye was forced to quit last
year following a lead-paint scandal, and
since acting boss Stanley Brezenoff was
ousted under a deal with the feds.
Russ is the first permanent boss NYCHA
has had in 16 months. Clearly, he has his
work cut out for him. His first task? Making
clear to staff that outages that hit 87 percent
of NYCHA apartments are nothing to take
pride in.Team Blas’ Deaf Ears
Heat’s on NYCHA’s New Boss
“This is very good news... [Offering patients a real cure] may contribute to
them feeling more comfortable about seeking care early.”
— Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who, along with other
officials, announced new Ebola treatments that appear so effective,
they’ll be offered throughout the Democratic Republic of CongoAn Ebola Cure on the Horizon?