Documents released by the US Department of Justice reveal plan for Jeffrey Epstein to own a majority stake in Sarah Ferguson’s women’s empowerment brand after his child sex offence conviction.
In 2009, Sarah Ferguson began a year-long effort to launch Mothers Army, a company and personal brand with the mission to “help amplify the voices of mothers all over the world to tackle some of the tougher issues facing young people and families”.
A 2009 email from an associate of Epstein outlines his involvement in the former Duchess’s plans for the business, stating the brand stands “for integrity, consciousness, morals, etc”.
According to the business plan outlined in the email, revenue was expected to come from sources including book deals, involvement in multiple children’s TV programmes, and speaking fees.
Confirmed speaking arrangements included a women in leadership event at Michigan State University, which the document projected would earn the company $40,000.
While Ferguson was to be the face of the business, the document paints a different picture behind the scenes.
Sent after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child sex offences, it proposes he would hold 51% of equity in Mothers Army. This would have made him the company’s majority owner if these plans were executed.
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A later section shows Ferguson would have received a $250,000 salary under the plan. A note questions whether she should be based in New York, as the “UK market is poison for her”.
A second email to Epstein paints a clearer picture of how the convicted sex offender hoped to profit from his relationship with Ferguson.
This email was sent by an associate who claimed to have recently had dinner with Ferguson, her former husband Andrew, and their daughters.
The author of the email writes that Mothers Army gives the “potential to leverage her network for MA growth but also other JEDS deals”.
The emails make it clear that JEDS was intended to be an investment vehicle to allow Epstein to fund Mothers Army and other ventures.
While it is unclear whether Ferguson ever agreed to give Epstein equity in Mothers Army, it is clear he remained involved in plans to launch the brand.
In an email exchange in June, Ferguson asks Epstein for guidance in setting up the company. Epstein advises she find five ‘powerful women’ who will not be jealous of Ferguson to act as public faces of Mothers Army.
Ferguson replied, suggesting several women as potential options, including Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein rebuffs the suggestions, pointing out that Maxwell did not have children.
Two months later, Ferguson provides an update on the Mothers Army project, thanking Epstein and calling him “the brother I have always wished for”.
The emails show Epstein remained involved in Ferguson’s efforts to set up Mothers Army through 2010.
In February of that year, Ferguson wrote to Epstein, asking “Please can you ask your lovely lawyers to trademark Mothers Army For me not just the website but in every category.”
According to Ferguson, it was important this was carried out before she mentioned the project before she gave a keynote speech on female empowerment. Epstein advises she mention Mothers Army and tells her “we are in the process of putting together training manuals, approvals. And strategic short-term and long-term goals along with the tactics needed to see them through”.
As publicity grew around Epstein’s activities and conviction, it appears his involvement in the project to set up Mothers Army ended.
An email sent by a reputation management firm in August 2011 to a lawyer representing Epstein states Ferguson was “keen to secure the rights back to the Mothers Army Domain names which Mr Epstein brought for her”.
The email appears to have been sent in the context of a request for Ferguson to sign a letter in support of Epstein, who was by then facing increasing public scrutiny.
Epstein’s lawyer forwarded the email to him, commenting “the Duchess appears to be doing a bit of horse trading here!”
By the end of September, Epstein appears to no longer be involved in the project. At this time, he receives an email showing an image of a Mothers Army material, with the sender asking “should I keep, throw away, or mail these Mothers Army Booklets to Sarah F”.
Sky News has approached Sarah Ferguson for comment about the content of these latest emails.
In 2011, Ms Ferguson said: “I would never have anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again. I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children. It was a gigantic error of judgment.”
Being named in the Epstein files is not a sign of wrongdoing.
