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So, they have said, they negotiated a deal, allowing Epstein to plead guilty in Palm Beach County Circuit Court to one count of soliciting a minor for prostitution and another charge of soliciting prostitution. In exchange, federal prosecutors agreed to close their investigation. They have said they had no idea Epstein would only serve 13 months of an 18-month sentence in a vacant wing of the county stockade — a cell he was allowed to leave 16 hours a day, six days a week. While voicing dismay at his lax punishment, prosecutors have pointed out that the plea deal required Epstein to pay the roughly 30 young women who filed civil lawsuits against him. Further, they said his guilty pleas force him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, potentially protecting other girls from abuse in the future. However, over the years, they have never suggested that Epstein provided them any information in return. Like Edwards, two people close to the long-closed federal investigation said they were flummoxed by the sentence in the FBI’s memo that was written in September 2008, roughly two months after Epstein pleaded guilty in state court. “T have never, ever heard of Jeffrey Epstein cooperating in any sense of the word,” said one official, who requested anonymity because of the top role the person played in the investigation. “I am stumped. It’s totally out of left field.” Another individual with ties to the case voiced similar views. Epstein may have been required to talk to FBI agents but it’s unlikely he offered anything that would incriminate others, said the person, who declined to be identified because of ongoing efforts to help Epstein’s victims challenge the plea deal. “I don’t think he ever told the truth,” the person said. A lawsuit Edwards filed against the federal government, claiming prosecutors violated the Victims Rights Act by not notifying Epstein’s victims of the pending plea deal, is still pending in U.S. District Court. Also, awaiting trial in Palm Beach County Circuit Court is a malicious prosecution lawsuit Edwards filed against Epstein. Edwards claims the billionaire filed a frivolous lawsuit to punish Edwards for representing a handful of Epstein’s young victims. West Palm Beach attorney Jack Goldberger, who was on Epstein’s potent defense team, said he was “unable to respond” to questions about the FBI’s memo. Other prominent lawyers who represented Epstein, including New York lawyer Jay Lefkowitz and retired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, didn’t respond to requests for comment. The one line was part of a brief missive dated Sept. 18, 2008, closing the case: “On 9/11/08, case agent advised writer that Epstein is currently being prosecuted by the State of Florida and is complying with all conditions of his plea with the State of Florida. Epstein has also provided information to the FBI as agreed upon. Case agent advised that no federal HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028537