Jeffrey Epstein's Bodyguard on His Former Boss's Lifestyle, Cruelty, Suicide

[demmiblue]

When Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution in 2008 and served a 13-month sentence under the cushiest of conditions, it was his bodyguard and driver, former UFC fighter Igor Zinoviev, who frequently picked him up at the Palm Beach jail and shuttled him between the office and various appointments. Zinoviev also trained Epstein in a regimen that included weight-lifting and some light fighting drills. And whenever Epstein jetted around to his various estates, Zinoviev accompanied him, riding along on the pretend billionaire’s Lolita Express.

The mysterious Russian MMA fighter drew some attention from the media after Epstein’s arrest and indictment by federal authorities last month — but he has not made it easy for reporters to find him. There have been — so far as we can determine — no published or broadcast interviews with Zinoviev about his relationship with Epstein.

I spoke on the record with Zinoviev for an unpublished interview in 2015, when I was on staff at the Daily Beast. After numerous attempts in recent weeks, I was able to reach him by phone on Monday, August 12. As before, we spoke on the record. He talked about his response to Epstein’s apparent suicide and his memories of working for the man. A good chunk of the half-hour conversation involved revisiting things he had told me four years ago. To be honest, I didn’t expect that he’d try to back away from the assertions he made in our original interview — but he did. He also seemed, it is safe to say, quite nervous about saying anything at all. Below is a transcript of our conversation this week, with minor cuts and edits for length and clarity. Please note that Zinoviev is not a native English speaker — in places we have left his words verbatim, even when his meaning is not entirely clear, as we have been unable to reach him again by phone to clarify any of his assertions.

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/jeffrey-epsteins-bodyguard-igor-zinoviev-on-his-old-boss.html?utm_medium=s1&utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=nym&__twitter_impression=true

[2naSalit]

1. Wonder he'll end up

dead.

[hlthe2b]

2. Well, I take from that three things...

1. He's scared
2. He's suspicious that Epstein either had "help" with his own suicide or given his language difficulties that lend to many of the answers being subject to multiple interpretations, he may be suggesting that this "help" was neither requested nor "welcome" but "subjected assistance"...
3. That reporter should have had at least one fluent Russian speaker assisting with translation and clarification.

Finally, I think this guy would be of minimal assistance to any investigations going forward.