Kevin Rudd denies Epstein meeting after US justice files released

Former Australian prime minister and outgoing US ambassador Kevin Rudd has firmly denied ever meeting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of newly disclosed documents by the United States Department of Justice.

The denial comes after newly released emails suggested Epstein had scheduled a meeting with Dr Rudd at his New York residence in June 2014. Dr Rudd said the claims were false and that there was no evidence any such meeting ever occurred.

In a detailed statement, Dr Rudd said he had never corresponded with Epstein, never visited any of his homes, and had no personal relationship with him.

"Our office has no records of this meeting," the statement said. "The published documents provide no indication of who attempted to organise it, and in any event, the proposed introduction was unsuccessful."

Millions of pages of material connected to Epstein were released overnight, offering further insight into his extensive network of political, business and media contacts. The documents illustrate how Epstein and his associates often sought introductions to high-profile figures, even when those approaches were unsuccessful.

Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting sex with minors, died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. The latest release includes more than 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 images, as part of records previously withheld due to the scale and complexity of the case.

Dr Rudd is one of thousands of individuals mentioned in the files. Media organisations, including SBS News, have emphasised that there is no suggestion of wrongdoing or a personal relationship between Dr Rudd and Epstein.

The statement from Dr Rudd's office acknowledged that, given his diplomatic roles, it was possible he may have attended the same large public events as Epstein at some point, but stressed that no meeting, introduction or direct contact ever took place.

"Most references to Dr Rudd in these documents mention him only in passing," the statement said. "There is no evidence of any direct contact between Jeffrey Epstein and either Dr Rudd or his office, nor any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities."

Dr Rudd's legal team also warned it is prepared to take action against any defamatory claims suggesting otherwise.