Epstein Files Reach Vienna: Fake Austrian Passport and Secret Mission at Café Landtmann
Years after his death in a New York prison cell, the Jeffrey Epstein case still casts a long shadow over Austrian domestic politics. Newly released files from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) now reveal explosive details about a travel document that nearly cost Epstein his freedom when he was arrested in July 2019: a forged Austrian passport.
Mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein made available by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department, taken following his indictment for soliciting a prostitute in 2006. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department / CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
There has been considerable speculation about the existence of the document, but now photos are available for the first time, as reported by Der Standard. According to the files, the passport was issued by the Vienna Federal Police Headquarters on May 21, 1982. It shows a photo of Epstein, but is issued in the name of Marius Fortelni. The place of residence is given as the Saudi Arabian city of Dammam.
Although the passport contains stamps from Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, Epstein's lawyers have always claimed that it was never used. They said it merely served as “protection against kidnapping” when traveling in the Middle East. Austrian authorities remain skeptical to this day. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated in 2022 that there are no records of this passport's existence in the domestic registers. An interesting detail is that the name Marius Fortelni belongs to a real New York real estate developer, which raises the question of why Epstein chose this particular identity.
Five hours in Vienna: The secret escape in 2019
Particularly controversial is a trip Epstein took in March 2019, just a few months before his arrest, as reported by DerStandard. As a registered sex offender, he should have reported any trip abroad to the US authorities. But Epstein flew secretly on March 22, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. and arrived at Vienna International Airport accompanied by three young women, visited the traditional Café Landtmann in the first district, and flew to Paris at 10:00 p.m.
U.S. investigators later painstakingly reconstructed this trip using flight data and information from the Austrian airport police.
The political network: Bannon, Lajčák, and Kurz
The files also reveal a dense communication network between Epstein and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, as reported by DerStandard. In chats from March 2019, Epstein apparently planned a meeting in Vienna, which was also to be attended by a certain “Micro.” Investigators identified this person as Miroslav Lajčák, the then-Slovak foreign minister and now advisor to Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Lajčák recently admitted to Slovak media that he had communicated with Epstein, but emphasized that this had been purely “social in nature” in the context of his diplomatic activities.
Even more intriguing are emails from 2018 in which Epstein claimed to Bannon: “Kurz wants to meet you.” However, a spokesperson for former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz immediately denied this and described the allegations as “absurd.” There is no evidence that Kurz ever knew Epstein or that a meeting was planned.
Trump connections under scrutiny
The latest installment of the “Epstein Files” also incriminates former U.S. President Donald Trump. The documents show that Trump is said to have flown on Epstein's private jet at least eight times in the 1990s – more often than previously known. On one occasion, only Trump, Epstein, and a 20-year-old woman are said to have been on board. The FBI also investigated reports of connections between Trump and Epstein at his Mar-a-Lago estate, but has so far found no evidence of Trump's involvement in Epstein's criminal activities.