The US Department of Justice has moved to quash a bizarre conspiracy theory, confirming that a postcard purportedly sent by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar is a complete fabrication. The FBI concluded its investigation into the document, which had been circulating online after its release in a recent document dump.
FBI Investigation Uncovers Multiple Flaws
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, just before 3:30pm, the Department of Justice laid out the FBI's findings. The agency confirmed that the alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is fake. Officials revealed that the suspicious correspondence was first intercepted by jail authorities, who promptly flagged it for the FBI's attention.
The forensic investigation pinpointed several glaring inconsistencies that proved the document's inauthenticity. Firstly, the handwriting on the postcard did not match known samples of Jeffrey Epstein's writing. This was a critical initial red flag for investigators.
Secondly, the postal markings contained an impossible contradiction. The letter was postmarked on August 13, 2019. This date is highly significant because it fell three days after Epstein's death on August 10, 2019. Furthermore, the postmark originated from Northern Virginia, while Epstein was incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York at the time of his death.
Procedural Failures and a Stark Warning
The FBI's analysis also highlighted fundamental breaches of standard prison mailing protocol. The return address listed on the postcard did not correspond to the federal jail where Epstein was held. More damningly, the correspondence lacked Epstein's required inmate number, a mandatory identifier for all outgoing mail from the facility.
The Department of Justice used this incident to issue a stark public reminder. They emphasised that the release of a document by the DOJ does not automatically validate the claims it contains. This statement serves as a caution against taking unverified material from official archives at face value. The department reaffirmed its commitment to continue releasing all material mandated by law, regardless of its veracity.
Origin and Impact of the Forged Document
The fake postcard had gained notoriety after it was believed to have been found in the mailroom of the New York prison, returned to sender following Epstein's death. Its inclusion in the recent trove of released files gave it a veneer of credibility that has now been thoroughly debunked by federal law enforcement.
This episode underscores the challenges authorities face in combating misinformation, especially in high-profile cases that attract intense public and conspiratorial scrutiny. The FBI's swift and detailed public rebuttal aims to prevent the forged postcard from fuelling further baseless speculation about the connections between the two convicted sex offenders.
