THE name of a former Spanish prime minister appeared at least three times in the Epstein files after the US Department of Justice declassified three million documents on Friday.
FedEx receipts show that Jose Maria Aznar, who served two consecutive terms from 1996 to 2004, received two packages from late financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in September 2003 and May 2004 – the first while he was still in office.
The centre-right Partido Popular (PP) politician is also mentioned in a separate email sent to Epstein by Aznar’s own son, also named Jose Maria, in April 2004.
The email lists Aznar’s private address at the Fundacion de Analisis y Estudios Sociales (FAES), where he received the second package a month later, and is signed besos (‘kisses’). By that time, Aznar was no longer in office.
The Epstein files should not be interpreted as a client list, and appearing in the documents does not imply any wrongdoing.
Approached by El Pais for comment, a spokesperson for Aznar said the former PM had ‘no idea’ what the packages were and ‘does not know that man [Epstein].’
Both FedEx receipts list as senders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a British associate of the financier who was convicted in 2021 on charges of sexual exploitation and trafficking of underage girls.
The first package, weighing just half a pound, was sent to Madrid’s La Moncloa – the official residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of Spain – and shipment cost $32.62, according to the receipt.
The second package weighed 0.8 pounds and cost $49.87 to send.
The name ‘Jose Maria Aznar’ also appears a fourth time in the newly declassified files, though it is unclear whether it refers to the former PM or his son.
In this case, the name turned up in a transactions report by Shoppers Travel Inc., a travel agency Epstein relied on to purchase tickets, and was associated with an invoice for $1,050 dated October 17, 2003.
As prime minister, Aznar maintained close ties with the United States, supporting the Iraq War and strengthening Spain’s role in NATO between 2000 and 2004.
Since leaving office, Aznar has focused on international consulting, think-tank work, and commentary on global politics.
Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Epstein files have listed numerous prominent world figures, including US President Donald Trump and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, highlighting the extensive network of contacts Epstein maintained over decades.
READ MORE: Donald Trump calls Spain a ‘freeloader’ for not spending enough on defence
Click here to read more Politics News from The Olive Press.
