Epstein Files Tie Portuguese Politicians and Espírito Santo Clan to Azores Flights

In the newly unsealed trove of Jeffrey Epstein’s documents, Portugal surfaces in three surprising ways—an email screening top politicians, a cryptic entry linked to one of the country’s wealthiest clans, and a handful of unannounced jet landings on an Azorean runway. None of the mentions prove illicit activity, but they reopen questions about Lisbon’s ties to global power circles.

Key points at a glance

• Luís Filipe Marques Amado appears on a 2010 guest roster forwarded by Epstein to ex-Barclays chief Jes Staley.

• A listing for Mr. and Mrs. M Espírito in Epstein’s Black Book hints at the Espírito Santo family’s reach.

• Flight logs record at least four landings on Santa Maria, Azores, between 2002 and 2003, with names like Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey aboard.

• No formal inquiry has been opened in Portugal, and all individuals named categorically deny any encounter.

Diplomatic invite: Re-examining the 2010 email

An email dated October 1, 2010 shows Jeffrey Epstein forwarding a note from an unnamed organizer to Jes Staley, then chairman of Barclays. The message promised access to a gathering of high-ranking figures, assuring, “Your security clearance has been approved.” Among the dozen diplomats listed were Portugal’s former foreign minister Luís Filipe Marques Amado, Spain’s Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Luxembourg’s Jean Asselborn and Lebanon’s ex-premier Saad Hariri.

In interviews, Amado told SIC Notícias he has never met Epstein and finds the suggestion “ridiculous.” Asselborn told the Luxembourg Times he first encountered Epstein’s name only posthumously in US proceedings.

The Estoril connection: Decoding the Black Book

Epstein’s contact directory, colloquially known as the Black Book, contains an entry for “Santo, Mr. and Mrs. M Espirito”, complete with an Estoril street address. Observers immediately spotted links to the Espírito Santo family, once at the helm of Banco Espírito Santo, a banking empire valued at €50 billion before its 2014 collapse.

While the book also lists celebrities, academics and royalty, the presence of a Portuguese dynastic name underscores how Epstein built a web of offshore trusts in Panama, Macau and other tax havens—jurisdictions long associated with the family’s global dealings.

Four Azores stopovers: What we know and don’t

Flight manifests reveal Epstein’s Gulfstream touched down on Santa Maria at least four times between 2002 and 2003. Two passenger lists are especially striking:

• First landing: Ghislaine Maxwell, aide Sarah Kellen, an unidentified “AP?”, Cindy Lopez, Bill Clinton, aide Doug Band and a man called “Mike.”

• Second visit: The same core group plus actor Kevin Spacey, masseuse Chaunte Davies and comedian Chris Tucker.

Local authorities on the island report no official itinerary for these visitors, suggesting the archipelago served as a refuelling hub on trans-Atlantic routes rather than a destination for formal engagements.

Legal hurdles: The Portuguese threshold for investigation

Lisbon’s Attorney-General’s Office has declined to say whether these American dossiers justify opening a preliminary inquiry. Under Portuguese law, António Ventura explains, evidence must point to a crime committed on national territory before a formal criminal investigation can start. Parliamentary opposition leaders argue that the Transparency Committee should at least summon Amado for testimony, but for now, no files are open in Portugal.

Beyond the headlines: Broader resonance for Portugal

Although the Epstein revelations raise eyebrows, they remain a reputational concern rather than a prosecutable case. Still, they intersect with ongoing debates in Lisbon over lobbying rules and foreign influence—debates rekindled by Brazil’s BPN scandal and the BES collapse. Two developments could shift the landscape:

DOJ declassification: A 2023 law in Washington mandates further data dumps, potentially surfacing more Portuguese names.

Statute review: Plans are underway to revisit sex trafficking statutes, possibly extending timelines for crimes committed abroad.

If either yields fresh clues, Portuguese authorities may feel compelled to act.

Why this matters to Portugal

While the mentions in Epstein’s files stop short of legal proof, they spotlight Portugal’s vulnerability to shadowy global networks and underscore the need for transparency. As more documents emerge, Lisbon’s political and judicial bodies will face growing pressure to clarify whether these names belong to mere bystanders or unwitting participants in an international web of influence.