WASHINGTON — Newly unsealed US Department of Justice documents released Friday, January 31, 2026, show that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife, Nili Priel, stayed multiple times at a New York City apartment owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The records, part of more than 3 million pages from the federal investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking network, include email correspondence detailing arrangements for the Baraks’ visits. The documents were disclosed as part of ongoing court-ordered releases related to Epstein’s case.
According to the emails, Nili Priel contacted Epstein in May 2017 to inform him that she and Barak would be temporarily leaving the apartment while traveling to Harvard University. She requested that cleaning be arranged during their absence. Epstein forwarded the message to an assistant, who confirmed the cleaning would be handled the following day.
Other correspondence shows Epstein’s assistant, Lesley Groff, coordinating practical matters for the Baraks, including replacing a cable box with an Apple TV system. The emails indicate regular communication between Epstein, Groff, and Priel regarding the couple’s travel plans to New York and meetings involving Epstein.
Barak has previously acknowledged knowing Epstein since 2003 and maintaining contact even after Epstein became a registered sex offender following his 2008 Florida plea deal. In public statements, Barak has repeatedly denied witnessing or participating in any illegal or inappropriate activity during his interactions with Epstein.
The apartment in question is one of several properties Epstein owned in New York City. While high-profile figures linked to Epstein have faced scrutiny for visits to his residences — including his private island, Little St. James — Barak’s stays at the New York apartment had not been publicly detailed prior to Friday’s document release.
The Justice Department’s Epstein files, unsealed in batches since late 2025 under a federal judge’s order, have mentioned numerous prominent individuals, including US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, former President Bill Clinton, and others. Trump has acknowledged a past social and business acquaintance with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s but has denied any wrongdoing and stated he distanced himself from Epstein years before his 2019 arrest.
Epstein died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to procuring a minor for prostitution under a plea deal widely criticized as lenient — often described by victims’ advocates and critics as a “sweetheart deal.” Survivors have alleged Epstein operated an extensive sex trafficking network that involved members of the political, business, academic, and entertainment elite in the US and abroad.
The latest document release has reignited public and congressional demands for full transparency regarding Epstein’s associates and any individuals who may have facilitated, enabled, or benefited from his criminal activities. Bipartisan lawmakers and victims’ rights groups continue to press for the disclosure of all government-held records related to the case.
Neither former Prime Minister Barak nor representatives for him immediately responded to requests for comment on the newly disclosed emails. The Israeli government has not issued an official statement regarding the matter as of late Friday.
The Epstein files remain a politically charged issue in the United States, fueling ongoing debates over accountability, elite networks, and the handling of sex trafficking investigations involving powerful figures.
