Russians Obtain Epstein Files; Putin Jokes About Replying to Melania’s Letter

MANHATTAN – Russian intelligence operatives obtained classified Jeffrey Epstein court documents after a federal judge accidentally left them on a Central Park bench Tuesday morning, according to FBI sources familiar with the investigation.

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan reportedly forgot the sealed files during her routine jog through the park. A jogger discovered the manila folder near Bethesda Fountain around 8:30 AM and contacted park authorities.

However, surveillance footage shows two men in tracksuits retrieving the documents minutes earlier. The FBI’s Counterintelligence Division identified them as operatives from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service.

“This represents an unprecedented security breach,” said former CIA Director John Brennan during a CNN interview Wednesday. “Leaving classified materials in public spaces violates basic protocol.”

President Vladimir Putin referenced the incident during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Kremlin. Three Russian officials confirmed Putin made jokes about the documents’ contents.

“Vladimir Vladimirovich laughed and said he finally has interesting material for his correspondence,” one source told Reuters. The source suggested Putin referenced previous letters from First Lady Melania Trump.

Legal experts called the incident embarrassing for the federal judiciary. “Judges receive extensive training on classified material security,” said Professor Jonathan Turley from George Washington University Law School.