Jeffrey Epstein sought a pardon in 2010 from Charlie Crist, who was then finishing out his time as governor of Florida, according to Justice Department documents. The new files threaten to complicate things for Crist, who is considering a return to public office with a campaign for mayor of St. Petersburg.
Epstein had just completed a 13-month sentence after he pleaded guilty to a state charge in connection with sexual misconduct toward a minor.
In an undated transcript in the millions of files released last week, Epstein said he spoke with Crist about a pardon. Additional emails in the files, also from 2010, show the lengths Epstein went to to lobby Crist for a pardon, efforts that included using Bill Richardson, who was then governor of New Mexico, to get his request to Crist. Richardson died in 2023.
Crist told NBC News on Thursday: “I never talked to him. “Why would I?”
Crist, who was a Republican but became a Democrat in 2012, said that it is likely that Epstein or his legal team reached out to his office, which is a regular part of requesting a pardon, but that they never spoke directly.
“I have no knowledge of any of that,” Crist said when he was asked about records in the Epstein files.
In a 23-page transcript included in the files, Epstein retold what he referred to as “one funny story” to a man named “Richard,” whose last name is not included.
During the conversation, Epstein said Crist reached out to former Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer, who handled the initial 2006 investigation into Epstein. Krischer’s office was widely criticized after The Miami Herald reported on the process that led it to offer Epstein a plea deal allowing him to serve just 13 months in jail.
Epstein talked about how he was running out of time to get a pardon because Crist would be leaving office soon, dating the conversation to sometime in late 2010.
“He, Crist, called the prosecutor this morning,” Epstein said, according to the undated transcript.
Epstein said Crist relayed to him that he believed at the time of the late 2010 conversation that Krischer believed Epstein had still gotten a bad deal from the court. The Florida investigation into Epstein began in 2006, and he pleaded guilty to one count of felony solicitation of prostitution and one count of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution in June 2008.
“I’ve been doing this for 26 years, I was a state prosecuting attorney,” Epstein said, recounting what Crist told him Krischer said. “Epstein’s behavior was inappropriate but not criminal.”
Crist, according to the transcript, said Krischer told him that Epstein got “f-----.”
“This is what he said to the governor,” Epstein said. “The governor called me — this is what he called me for.”
Epstein said he and Crist then talked about how to handle the situation and whether Krischer should or could state his concerns publicly.
They ultimately concluded that Krischer, who did not respond to a request seeking comment, could not.
“This is the conversation I had,” Epstein said, according to the transcript, emphasizing again that he spoke with Crist.
Epstein said in the transcript that he was seeking a pardon because it would “get rid of my sex offender status.”
“Even [though] some women keep saying, ‘It’s so exciting. I’ve never actually been with a sex offender before,’” Epstein added.
Crist was facing term limits as governor and had just lost a U.S. Senate race to Marco Rubio. The two men discussed how Epstein had just a few weeks left in Crist’s term as governor to secure a pardon because the incoming governor, Republican Rick Scott, would not give him one.
“The new governor is not going to pardon you, because the new governor wants to be governor again,” said Richard, the unidentified man.
The part of the lengthy conversation focused on pardons ended with Epstein saying how badly he wanted to push Crist for a pardon before he left office.
“Don’t p---- out on me,” Epstein said of what he wanted to say to Crist. “Just do it.”
Emails beyond the transcript outline Epstein’s heavy lobbying efforts to get his request to Crist.
In a Nov. 3, 2010, email, a person identified as “drsra” emailed Epstein saying 2010 election losses by both Crist and Alex Sink, that year’s Democratic nominee for governor, offered a perfect moment. As Florida’s elected chief financial officer, Sink also had a post on the Florida board that grants pardons.
“The election may have provided a good opportunity for you,” the person wrote to Epstein. “Since both Crist & Sink lost, they have nothing to lose publicly-wise by granting a pardon.”
“Get you people to move FAST!” the person concluded.
One month later, on Dec. 3, 2010, Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime assistant, emailed Epstein to remind him that he was “to receive a call from Crist directly.”
The emails also show that Richardson was involved in the process of helping Epstein try to secure a Florida pardon.
On Dec. 22, 2010, Janis Hartley, a former Richardson aide, emailed that Richardson had just returned from a trip from North Korea and “is wondering is anything happened with Governor Crist.” The recipient of that email is redacted from the files.
A day later, Hartley emailed Groff that a call between the two governors had been set.
“Can you let Jeffrey know that the Governor will talk to Governor Crist on Monday, December, 27th,” the email read.
Crist is just one of a number of powerful and politically connected men who have appeared in the Epstein files, forced in recent days to explain why they might be in the documents and whether they had any connection to the convicted sex offender.
Crist is widely expected to run for the mayor of St. Petersburg. Though he has not formally announced his intentions, a political committee associated with him has quickly raised $750,000.
