Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz on Friday dismissed as "a complete and total lie" allegations of sexual assault levied by a woman who claims she was kept as a sex slave by billionaire investor Jeffrey Epstein.
"I was never anywhere near her, with her, under any circumstances," Dershowitz said in a voicemail left with Laura Goldman, a HuffPost blogger and freelancer for ABC and Metro International.
Attorneys for the woman, who is identified in federal court documents as Jane Doe #3, charged that Epstein forced her "to have sexual relations with Dershowitz on numerous occasions while she was a minor, not only in Florida but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands." The woman also made allegations against Britain’s Prince Andrew, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and French model scout Jean Luc Brunel.
According to Politico, Jane Doe #3 made her accusations in a Tuesday court filing in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a part of a larger lawsuit arising out of Epstein's guilty plea to two state felony counts related to prostitution. Epstein served 13 months of a 18-month sentence and was released in 2009. The lawsuit contends that federal prosecutors improperly failed to consult with Epstein’s victims before signing off on the plea deal. Dershowitz was part of Epstein's legal team, Politico noted.
The latest court filing, from lawyer Bradley Edwards and University of Utah law professor Paul Cassell, a former federal judge, seeks to add Jane Doe #3 and another woman to that lawsuit.
On Friday, in the voicemail message for Goldman, Dershowitz said that the charges against him were "totally made up." Goldman forwarded the message to The Huffington Post.
Dershowitz called the woman a "serial liar" who he contended has a history of making up false charges against public figures, including former President Bill Clinton.
"It's just a completely categorical lie made up to gain money for her, and I hope no one takes it in any way seriously," he added.
Dershowitz, whose famous clients have included Claus von Bulow and O.J. Simpson, told Politico earlier this week that he was planning legal action against the attorneys who signed off on the filing.
"I'm planning to file disbarment charges against the two lawyers who signed this petition without even checking the manifests of airplanes or travel itineraries, et cetera," he said to Politico. "I'm also challenging the young woman and the lawyers to level those charges against me outside of the courtroom, so that I can sue them for defamation. ... Finally, I’m challenging the woman to file criminal charges against me because the filing of false criminal charges is a crime."
Cassell and Edwards responded in a statement sent to HuffPost: "We have been informed of Mr. Dershowitz's threats based on the factual allegations we have made in our recent filing. We carefully investigate all of the allegations in our pleadings before presenting them. We have also tried to depose Mr. Dershowitz on these subjects, although he has avoided those deposition requests. Nevertheless, we would be pleased to consider any sworn testimony and documentary evidence Mr. Dershowitz would like to provide which he contends would refute any of our allegations."
Listen to Dershowitz's voicemail here.