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from speaking to Mr. Adler could bring in a significant amount of money to the firm. Q. At that time Mr. Adler was one of your co-conspirators in the Ponzi scheme; is that correct? A. By this time, yes, sir. Q. Okay. When did Mr. Adler become a co-conspirator in your Ponzi scheme? A. 1] don't recall the specific date. 9 Q. Was it before or after Mr. Adler recommended 10 that Brad Edwards be hired at your firm? 11 A. Before. 12 Q. So before Brad Edwards was hired at RRA, 13 Russell Adler was a co-conspirator of yours in the 14 legal part of the RRA firm; is that correct? B15 A. Yes. 16 Q. Then after that time you hired -- 17 Mr. Edwards was hired after Adler was your 18 co-conspirator? You are laughing, you are smiling, 19 — why is that, sir? aw WrnwpWwWNr 20 A. Because when you say "RRA" that way, the 21 speaker sounds, it sounds like you are roaring. 22 ~Q. Okay. I'll just say Rothstein, how about 23 that? You know what I'm talking about if] just say 24 ‘Réthstein. 25 =A. RRA is fine. Page 94 EU IDES et ls 1 Q. Okay. So Adler is your co-conspirator in 2. the Ponzi scheme at the time that Brad Edwards is 3. hired, correct? 4 A. Yes. 5 “Q. Okay. Was it Adler who recommended to you 6 that Brad Edwards be hired? 7 ~ A. Yes. He was one of the people. 8 Q. Who else recommended that Edwards be hired? 9 A. I don't have a specific recollection of who 10 it was, but others did. 11 Q. Allright. But you have a recollection of 12 Adler being one of the people, so let's talk about f13 _ that, al] right? 14 What did Adjer tel] you about Brad Edwards 15 when you hired him? Did he tell you that he had these 16 Epstein cases or an Epstein case in the fold? 17 A. Among other things, yes. 18 Q. What else did he tel] you? 19 A. Told me he was a great Jawyer and a great 20 guy. 21 Q. Did he tell you what his history was, what 22 Edwards' history was prior to coming to the Rothstein 23 firm? 24 A. I'm certain that ] asked him, but J don't 25 have a specific recollection of that conversation. Page 95 Seat ee tT fp NU sei oa AUN FRE Tem eR RPA NY REND ATL ERPS EAT a fant a eee Ow DAAID OB WNP TOW DAI DUN S&S WNP NO ee es NM BR Ne eae 23 : are neveReRERaEEN NOM Cn ob a OSCE GRANT ene a mci ep Na ee EEA ENE Bee ee ee ee BE sD er NO OWDMDIDUOBRWNHEH OW DID UBWNHE ee 21 £23 bod E u is ESE EP ER SER scenes Q. What did Adler tell you about the Epstein case that Edwards had at the time you were contemplating hiring him to become a member of the Rothstein firm? A. He told me that it was a huge case involving a billionaire pedophile and that it was a winner. Q. Did you, when you heard that, did you think that that was a case that could become part of your Ponzi scheme? A. No, | actually thought of it as a way to earn legitimate money to help me out of the Ponzi scheme. Q. So at the time you hired Mr. Edwards and you were talking to Adler about Edwards, you were trying to get out from under the Ponzi scheme? A. Inthe bulk of 2009 ] was praying for some sort of legitimate influx of money to get out of the Ponzi scheme. Q. Okay. So now Adler tells you about this Brad Edwards guy, did you know Brad Edwards before Adler talked to you about him? Had you run into him? A. J may have. ] don't have a specific recoljection one way or the other. Q. Okay. So now hertells you that you should consider hiring Brad Edwards, this is your Page 96 co-conspirator talking to you, nght? Is that correct? A. Yes. Q. And he says, by the way, he's got this great Epstein case involving this billionaire, correct? A. Yes. Q. Presumably then-you had a meeting with Brad Edwards when you met him; is that correct? MR. SCAROLA: Presumably he had a meeting when he met him? MR. GOLDBERGER: I'm sorry, Mr. Scarola was cutting you off when you answered, so go ahead, answer again. MR. SCAROLA: 1! didn't understand the question. BY MR. GOLDBERGER: Q. Do you understand the question, Mr. Rothstein? A. I'm not sure I do because you asked me if ] had a meeting when J met him and J think that meeting him is a meeting. Q. Well, there was a meeting, correct? A. I most hkely met him before ] hired him. | most likely talked to him before I hired him because that was my general way of doing business. It's all Page 97 25 (Pages 94 to 97) FRIEDMAN, LOMBARDI & OLSON 305-371-6677 5ed93085-0554-447f-bcdd-ca2d8fe941df HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017514