A prominent New York Times columnist who recently condemned the release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has himself been pictured in a new batch of files made public by US lawmakers.
Brooks Appears in Epstein-Related Photos
On Thursday, the Democrat-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a collection of 68 new photographs connected to investigations into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Among the images, published without explanatory context, were two pictures featuring David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times for over twenty years.
One photograph shows Brooks seated at a table with Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a high-profile gathering. A second image depicts the 64-year-old columnist smiling alone for the camera. Both pictures originate from the same 2011 'Billionaires' Dinner', an event which Jeffrey Epstein also attended. Epstein had been released from prison two years prior, following his first conviction.
The 2011 'Billionaires' Dinner' Details
The exclusive dinner was hosted by the Edge Foundation, run by New York literary agent John Brockman, in Long Beach, California. Reports indicate that Brockman not only associated with Epstein but also facilitated the predator's access to his elite network of scientists, technology magnates, and other wealthy individuals.
Previous reporting by BuzzFeed News noted that the guest list for the Edge Foundation event included notable figures such as Brin, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX. Of the twenty named guests, David Brooks was the sole journalist in attendance.
The New York Times and Brooks have both firmly denied that his presence implied any connection to Epstein. A spokesperson for the newspaper told the Daily Mail that Brooks attended the event in a professional capacity, stating: 'As a journalist, David Brooks regularly attends events to speak with noted and important business leaders to inform his columns, which is exactly what happened at this 2011 event.'
The spokesperson emphasised that 'Mr Brooks had no contact with him before or after this single attendance at a widely attended dinner.'
Brooks's Prior Criticism and Reaction
The emergence of Brooks in these documents follows closely on the heels of an opinion column he authored on 21 November, titled 'The Epstein Story? Count Me Out.' In the piece, he criticised House Democrats for releasing information pertaining to Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Brooks argued against what he termed 'the Epstein class' narrative, writing it was 'inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible.' He went so far as to compare those interested in the Epstein files to followers of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, warning of a culture 'awash in distrust, cynicism, catastrophizing lies and conspiracy mongering.'
When approached by the Daily Mail for comment on the newly released photos, Brooks did not respond. However, he told BuzzFeed News in 2019 that he was unaware of Epstein's identity at the time of the 2011 dinner, having been invited by host John Brockman. He claimed he only learned about Epstein's crimes in 2018 and expressed surprise at the 'high-powered group of people' present.
The juxtaposition of his recent forceful commentary against the document releases with his own appearance within them has created a significant point of public and media scrutiny.
