According to files published by the US Department of Justice last Friday, the late financier allegedly donated 50,000 dollars to the conservation charity WildAid in November 2013. At the time, Prince William had recently been appointed as an ambassador for the organisation. The charity has also been publicly supported by King Charles.
The documents reportedly show that the donation was made through Epstein’s charitable foundation, Enhanced Education. There has been no suggestion that Prince William or King Charles were aware of the donation at the time it was made.
WildAid has confirmed that the contribution was publicly listed in its annual report and described it as unsolicited.
Emails and attempts to arrange contact
The controversy has intensified following claims that WildAid staff attempted to arrange contact with Epstein after the donation was received.
Epstein’s contribution came five years after his conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. He was released from prison in July 2009 after serving 13 months of an 18 month sentence.