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This image is a screenshot of a printed email chain. Several email addresses are covered with black redaction bars, and a circular text-scan icon in the bottom-right corner partially obscures the last few lines. --- **From:** "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com> **To:** "Pritzker, Tom" <[REDACTED]> **Subject:** Re: Re: **Date:** Tue, 06 Sep 2016 03:12:22 +0000 --- yes till thurs On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 10:36 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote: In NY tomorrow through Friday, but morning to dinner Hyatt strategic retreat. Are you in NY? **From:** jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.com] **Sent:** Monday, September 05, 2016 8:31 PM **To:** Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> **Subject:** Re: turkey gives nusra a heads up on iraqi recruits. slaughter. - russia gives erdogan a heads up on coup. - us gives a pass on isis to palmyra. . assad has no support , so will stay. ! . nuclear base in turkey. . soviet defense in iran. . saudi in yemen . egypt about to lose all financial support. . jordan has 1 m refugeees. as does lebanon. also my guy thouborn jagland , sec gen coucil of europe will be here that weekend as well. On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 8:33 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote: They know Hillary. On Sep 5, 2016, at 7:33 PM, jeffrey E. <jeevacation@gmail.com> wrote: nusra, isis , al queda, jaba , hamas , the leaders all prefer donald wild On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 7:59 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote: Yes. There is a tradecraft name for this Administration's approach. "Cluster fuck". When China began building bases in S China Seas we ran "freedom of navigation" cruises. This is a technical process that describes which of the ship's systems are on and which systems are off. O orders it done, Pentagon sends over details and Susan Rice views systems on/off not as a protocol but as a menu of options. She overrules Pentagon and orders which systems SHE wants on and off. In effect, WH diluted challenge for which freedom of navigation cruises were designed. He had a foreign policy strategy that was articulated at Cairo. It is a failed strategy and he failed t[o — obscured] change when its failure was clear. Would like to hear what Ehud thought when he first heard Cai[ro — obscured] Good example was complete withdrawal from Iraq (military, diplomatic and economic) followed b[y — obscured] passive support for Maliki who then slaughtered Sunnis and made ISIS a rational alternative. --- *Note: Bracketed portions indicate text that is cut off or covered by the scan icon. I can't verify whether this document is authentic.*

52~~/100~~

Verdict Low Trust Mixed / Partly reliable: very likely real private correspondence, but most of what it says is opinion, several...

The screenshot shows an email thread dated 5–6 September 2016 between Jeffrey Epstein (jeevacation@gmail.com) and Tom Pritzker, who was then executive chairman of Hyatt.

✓ 12 checks out ✕ 3 disputed ? 7 unverified

☰ Full analysis The complete summary ⌄

The screenshot shows an email thread dated 5–6 September 2016 between Jeffrey Epstein (jeevacation@gmail.com) and Tom Pritzker, who was then executive chairman of Hyatt. Several secondary outlets reproduce the same text and match it to US Justice Department Epstein Files document IDs (EFTA02451648, EFTA02451927 and EFTA02451935). Pritzker's extensive email contact with Epstein, including on geopolitics, is well documented. However, the specific primary DOJ PDF was not opened during this review, so the thread's authenticity is judged probable rather than confirmed. A thread being real does not make its contents true. Epstein's notes are a string of claims stated as fact with no supporting evidence. A few check out: the US nuclear weapons at Incirlik in Turkey, Russia's delivery of S-300 air-defence systems to Iran, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, Lebanon's roughly one million registered Syrian refugees, and Jagland's role as Council of Europe Secretary General in 2016. Others cannot be verified, notably that Turkey tipped off al-Nusra about Iraqi recruits. Others are contested: Russia's alleged coup warning to Erdogan came from Iranian media and was denied by the Kremlin, and the claim that the US 'gave a pass' to ISIS at Palmyra is an interpretation of a documented lack of coalition strikes near the city. Pritzker's critique of the Obama administration is mostly opinion. Its factual basis is partly supported: the White House did choose an 'innocent passage' option from a Pentagon menu for the USS Lassen freedom of navigation operation in 2015. But his specific claim that Susan Rice personally overruled the Pentagon on which ship systems were switched on or off is unverified. His claim of a 'complete' diplomatic withdrawal from Iraq is inaccurate: the US kept its largest embassy in the world there after December 2011. Several roles have changed since 2016. Pritzker retired from Hyatt on 16 February 2026, citing his association with Epstein. Jagland left the Council of Europe in 2019 and was later charged in Norway. Susan Rice is no longer National Security Adviser.

What checked out (12)

CONTEXT – Pritzker and Epstein corresponded extensively for years after Epstein's 2008 conviction, including on geopolitics, through the jeevacation@gmail.com address. Other DOJ-released Pritzker–Epstein emails use the same address. Sources: NBC Chicago, TRT World, Forbes, Chicago Sun-Times and epsteinexposed.com (EFTA02697007, EFTA02536609).
CONTEXT – Thomas Pritzker stepped down as Hyatt executive chairman on 16 February 2026, citing his association with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Sources: CNN, The Hill, WBEZ, Fox Business, all dated 16–17 February 2026.
'nuclear base in turkey' – Verified. Unofficial reports put about 50 US B61 nuclear bombs at Incirlik Air Base, and the base was caught up in the July 2016 coup attempt. Sources: CRS Insight IN10542 (2016), SCMP (2016), FAS. Note: NTI gives a lower estimate of about 20 warheads and mentions unconfirmed reports that they were later removed.
'soviet defense in iran' – Verified in substance, though 'Soviet' is an anachronism. Russia's first S-300 shipment reached Iran by April 2016 and delivery was completed in October 2016. Sources: Interfax (19 April 2016), Military.com (14 October 2016), Arms Control Association (December 2016).
'saudi in yemen' – Verified. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen on 26 March 2015. Sources: ACLED and Wikipedia.
'lebanon [has 1 m refugees]' – Verified. UNHCR registered Lebanon's millionth Syrian refugee in July 2016, and HRW reported about 1.1 million registered by November 2015. Sources: The World/PRX (30 July 2016), HRW World Report 2016.
'thouborn jagland, sec gen council of europe' – Verified for September 2016. Jagland was Secretary General from 1 October 2009 to 18 September 2019. A separate September 2016 document reportedly places Jagland at Epstein's Manhattan apartment, which partly supports the 'will be here' remark. Sources: Wikipedia; epsteingate.org (lower reliability).
Pritzker: 'When China began building bases in S China Seas we ran freedom of navigation cruises' – Verified. USS Lassen carried out a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near Subi Reef in October 2015. Sources: USNI News (2 and 5 November 2015), Foreign Affairs (3 December 2015).
Pritzker: White House treated Pentagon FONOP options 'as a menu' – Partly verified at White House level. USNI News reported that the White House chose innocent passage from a menu of missions presented by the Pentagon. Sources: USNI News (2 November 2015), Lowy Institute (November 2015), Foreign Affairs.
Pritzker: Obama set out a foreign policy approach in Cairo – Verified as an event. The 'A New Beginning' speech was given on 4 June 2009. Source: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Calling the strategy 'failed' is opinion.
Pritzker: Maliki's treatment of Sunnis made ISIS 'a rational alternative' – Broadly supported as a mainstream analytical view: critics blame Maliki's policies for marginalising Sunnis and fuelling ISIS's rise. 'Slaughtered Sunnis' is hyperbole. Sources: Britannica, FDD Long War Journal (2014), CIHRS Rowaq Arabi.
'egypt about to lose all financial support' – Partly borne out after the email was sent. Saudi Aramco suspended refined-oil shipments to Egypt in October 2016 and indefinitely from November 2016. 'All financial support' is an overstatement. Sources: Al Arabiya/Reuters (10 October 2016), Mada Masr (11 October 2016), Bloomberg (7 November 2016).

✕ Disputed claims 3 claims ⌄

'russia gives erdogan a heads up on coup' – Disputed, not rated False. The claim came from Iran's Fars News Agency, citing diplomatic sources, around 20–21 July 2016 and was repeated by TASS and The Moscow Times. The Kremlin denied it the same day (The Moscow Times and The New Arab, 21 July 2016). It remains unconfirmed.
'us gives a pass on isis to palmyra' – Contested characterisation. CBS News (21 May 2015) reported no US-led coalition strikes near Palmyra because the area was under Assad government control. That shows a lack of strikes, not deliberate permission. Viral reposts that call ISIS an 'intelligence asset' go well beyond what the email text says.
Pritzker: 'complete withdrawal from Iraq (military, diplomatic and economic)' – Inaccurate in part. US troops left in December 2011, but the US kept its largest embassy in the world, with about 16,000 State Department staff and contractors. Sources: KERA/NPR (17 December 2011), Government Executive (September 2011), Salon (June 2011). The military part of the claim is accurate; the diplomatic part is not.

? Unverified claims 7 claims ⌄

PROVENANCE – That this exact thread (5–6 September 2016) is a genuine DOJ Epstein Files record. It is reproduced word for word by Al Mayadeen, Sunnafiles, DugganUSA (citing EFTA02451648, EFTA02451927 and EFTA02451935) and a Substack compilation, but the primary justice.gov PDF was not opened, and no major mainstream outlet was found quoting this specific exchange. Status: probably authentic, not independently confirmed.
'turkey gives nusra a heads up on iraqi recruits. slaughter.' – Unverified. Atlantic Council research documents Turkish non-state networks recruiting for al-Nusra, but no source was found for a Turkish state tip-off or the 'slaughter' event described.
'jordan has 1 m refugeees' – Imprecise and only partly verifiable. About 655,000–657,000 Syrians were registered with UNHCR in 2016, against an estimated 1.26–1.3 million Syrians in Jordan in total. Whether 'one million' is right depends on which measure is used. Sources: European Parliament EPRS (2017), Jordan Times, Brookings, ACAPS.
Pritzker: Susan Rice personally overruled the Pentagon and decided which ship systems were on or off – Unverified. Reporting attributes the decision to 'the White House', not to Rice by name. A separate 2016 Navy Times report of a Rice 'gag order' on South China Sea comments was denied by the administration and an admiral (RealClearDefense, IBTimes).
Pritzker: 'In NY tomorrow through Friday… Hyatt strategic retreat' – Unverified. This is a private scheduling detail with no public record found.
'assad has no support, so will stay' – Not checkable as written. It is a paradoxical opinion, and its literal premise is doubtful because Assad had outside backing in 2016. This is not adjudicated, because no dedicated source was retrieved.
'nusra, isis, al queda, jaba, hamas, the leaders all prefer donald' – Unverifiable opinion with no evidence offered. Pritzker's reply, 'They know Hillary', is also opinion.

⌕ Sources & how we checked Search journal, source grades, confidence ⌄

Confidence

Medium — Confidence is high for the background facts (Incirlik, S-300, Yemen, Lebanon's refugee numbers, Jagland's title, the Lassen operation, the Cairo speech, the Iraq embassy and Pritzker's resignation), each backed by dated, reputable sources. Confidence is moderate on provenance: the thread is reproduced consistently with DOJ EFTA document IDs, but only by low-to-medium-reliability outlets, and the primary PDF was not opened. Confidence is low on the insider claims (Turkey–Nusra, Rice's personal role, the Hyatt retreat), which have no corroboration. The trust score of 52 reflects a probably genuine document whose contents mix accurate background, overstatement, contested claims and opinion.

Search journal

Epstein Tom Pritzker emails Hyatt

Epstein Pritzker email Susan Rice freedom of navigation

House Oversight Epstein estate emails release Pritzker

Pritzker Hyatt executive chairman steps down Epstein

Epstein Pritzker email "Susan Rice" freedom of navigation "cluster"

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/the-epstein-file--the-complete-story-from-start-to--israel

Epstein email Hamas Nusra ISIS leaders "prefer Donald" 2016

EFTA02451648

https://www.dugganusa.com/post/the-pritzker-files-cia-dinners-turkey-nusra-intel-and-the-nobel-peace-prize-...

justice.gov epstein files data set EFTA library

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures/data-set-7-files

Susan Rice micromanaged freedom of navigation operations South China Sea White House Pentagon

White House micromanaging freedom of navigation operation Lassen innocent passage radar 2015

Navy Times Susan Rice gag order South China Sea March 2016

Russia warned Erdogan coup attempt 2016 intelligence report

Palmyra ISIS 2015 US coalition did not strike convoys

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-palmyra-syria-ancient-ruins-us-airstrikes-limited-use/

Turkey Nusra Front support allegations 2016 Iraqi recruits

US B61 nuclear weapons Incirlik Turkey 2016 coup concern

Russia S-300 delivery Iran completed 2016

Saudi Aramco halts oil shipments Egypt October 2016

Saudi-led coalition intervention Yemen March 2015

Jordan Lebanon 1 million refugees 2016 Lebanon UNHCR registered

Jordan 1.3 million Syrians census 2016 655,000 registered

Jordan Lebanon refugees 2016 number Syrian UNHCR

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/599258/EPRS_BRI(2017)599258_EN.pdf

Thorbjorn Jagland Secretary General Council of Europe term 2009 2019

Epstein email Thorbjorn Jagland Council of Europe

Epstein Jagland New York September 2016 email

Obama Cairo speech 2009 A New Beginning

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/foreign-policy/presidents-speech-cairo-a-new-beginning

US Iraq withdrawal December 2011 embassy Baghdad remained largest

Maliki sectarian policies Sunnis rise of ISIS after US withdrawal 2011

House Oversight Committee releases additional Epstein estate documents November 12 2025

Article metrics

Emotion 11% · Reading grade 7.8 · 412 words

≡ The article we checked Full text as retrieved ⌄

This image is a screenshot of a printed email chain. Several email addresses are covered with black redaction bars, and a circular text-scan icon in the bottom-right corner partially obscures the last few lines.

---

**From:** "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com>
**To:** "Pritzker, Tom" <[REDACTED]>
**Subject:** Re: Re:
**Date:** Tue, 06 Sep 2016 03:12:22 +0000

---

yes till thurs

On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 10:36 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote:

In NY tomorrow through Friday, but morning to dinner Hyatt strategic retreat. Are you in NY?

**From:** jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.com]
**Sent:** Monday, September 05, 2016 8:31 PM
**To:** Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]>
**Subject:** Re:

turkey gives nusra a heads up on iraqi recruits. slaughter. - russia gives erdogan a heads up on coup. - us gives a pass on isis to palmyra. . assad has no support , so will stay. ! . nuclear base in turkey. . soviet defense in iran. . saudi in yemen . egypt about to lose all financial support. . jordan has 1 m refugeees. as does lebanon. also my guy thouborn jagland , sec gen coucil of europe will be here that weekend as well.

On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 8:33 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote:

They know Hillary.

On Sep 5, 2016, at 7:33 PM, jeffrey E. <jeevacation@gmail.com> wrote:

nusra, isis , al queda, jaba , hamas , the leaders all prefer donald wild

On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 7:59 PM, Pritzker, Tom <[REDACTED]> wrote:

Yes. There is a tradecraft name for this Administration's approach. "Cluster fuck". When China began building bases in S China Seas we ran "freedom of navigation" cruises. This is a technical process that describes which of the ship's systems are on and which systems are off. O orders it done, Pentagon sends over details and Susan Rice views systems on/off not as a protocol but as a menu of options. She overrules Pentagon and orders which systems SHE wants on and off. In effect, WH diluted challenge for which freedom of navigation cruises were designed.

He had a foreign policy strategy that was articulated at Cairo. It is a failed strategy and he failed t[o — obscured] change when its failure was clear. Would like to hear what Ehud thought when he first heard Cai[ro — obscured] Good example was complete withdrawal from Iraq (military, diplomatic and economic) followed b[y — obscured] passive support for Maliki who then slaughtered Sunnis and made ISIS a rational alternative.

---

*Note: Bracketed portions indicate text that is cut off or covered by the scan icon. I can't verify whether this document is authentic.*

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