The release of three million additional pages of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sparked intense speculation about his network of wealthy and influential contacts. However, the publication has also fueled a significant wave of disinformation, including the spread of AI-generated and manipulated images involving prominent public figures.
Among the false materials circulating online were fabricated images portraying New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside Epstein and several high-profile figures, including Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos. In one manipulated image, Mamdani was falsely depicted as a baby photographed with these individuals.
Fact-checking team The Cube analyzed the image using Google’s AI tool Gemini and discovered the presence of SynthID, a digital watermark developed by Google to identify AI-generated content. The image also displayed a visible “DFF” marking, further indicating manipulation.
Multiple AI-generated images involving public figures have spread across social media platforms, accompanied by conspiracy theories. Some users falsely suggested that Epstein was Mamdani’s father by drawing misleading comparisons between their physical features. Although Mamdani’s name appears five times in Epstein-related documents, these mentions do not indicate any wrongdoing.
The spread of misinformation was also linked to a 2009 email from American publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein, referencing Mamdani’s mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, regarding a film event hosted at Maxwell’s residence. Records indicate that Epstein did not attend the event, and Mamdani would have been 17 years old at the time, contradicting claims shown in altered images.
Another widely circulated image falsely suggested a meeting between Epstein and British politician Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party. The image gained traction on social media before being removed by the Wrexham Labour Party group, which had shared it online.
No evidence has been found linking Farage to Epstein. Farage publicly denied any association, stating he “never met Epstein and never visited his island,” referring to Little Saint James, Epstein’s private island allegedly used as a hub for sex trafficking.
While investigators attempted to verify the Farage image using AI detection tools, results were inconclusive. However, experts pointed to visual inconsistencies, including lighting and shadow mismatches, as indicators of possible manipulation.
Separately, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation identified a bot network known as “Matryoshka” responsible for distributing fake French newspaper covers falsely linking French President Emmanuel Macron to Epstein. One fabricated cover imitated the French newspaper Libération, falsely suggesting Macron had visited Epstein’s island multiple times. There is no evidence that the publication ever released such a story.
Although Macron’s name appears in Epstein-related files, references are largely indirect, and there is no verified evidence of direct communication or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities.
The case highlights growing concerns over how AI-generated content and coordinated disinformation campaigns can exploit sensitive legal cases, potentially damaging reputations and misleading the public.
