Epstein Gave Deputy Cash and Disneyland Tickets for Jail Perks, Ex-Assistant Says

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal assistant Sarah Kellen has claimed that he received preferential treatment while in jail in Palm Beach, alleging he provided cash and gifts, including Disneyland tickets, to a sheriff’s deputy in exchange for favors. According to Kellen’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee in May, Epstein was able to obtain special access despite being incarcerated after his 2008 Florida conviction. She said she learned of the alleged payoff arrangement from Epstein’s paralegal, Story Cowles, who complained about being asked to personally deliver the cash and tickets to an officer.

Kellen, now 46, said Epstein abused her for years while she worked for him in the early 2000s and that the abuse continued even during his jail stint. She alleged that Epstein had access to a computer inside the Palm Beach County Stockade and used it to contact her and order her to undress on camera. She described years of manipulation, coercive control, psychological abuse, and sleep deprivation, saying the experience left her with lasting emotional harm and difficulty separating her own thoughts and feelings from Epstein’s influence.

Kellen was granted immunity from prosecution in Florida under Epstein’s controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement, which allowed her to testify publicly before Congress. In her testimony, she also accused Ghislaine Maxwell of abuse and described both Epstein and Maxwell as deeply controlling figures in her life.

Kellen identified the deputy she said received favors as Michael Fox. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office later said Fox retired in 2020 and denied that the allegations were supported by evidence. A spokeswoman said the Epstein investigation did not uncover such claims and that they were never investigated as part of that case. She also pointed to a 2021 investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which found no wrongdoing by sheriff’s office personnel in connection with Epstein’s work release or related permit duties.

The allegations add to the continuing scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s treatment while in custody and the broader network of enablers accused of helping him evade accountability for years.