Noam Chomsky and Wife, Linked to Epstein, Apologize for "Grave Mistake"

Noam Chomsky, a leading American linguist and emeritus professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has issued a belated apology with his wife after it emerged that he maintained a close relationship with the late billionaire child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the British daily the Guardian and other outlets on the 8th (local time), Chomsky’s second wife, Valeria, released a lengthy statement in the couple’s name. She said that Epstein had deceived them and that their failure to properly investigate his background was a "grave mistake."
Valeria explained that her husband first met Epstein in 2015, and that Epstein introduced himself as "a philanthropist interested in science." She said they did not know he had previously pleaded guilty to charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors. She added, "He appeared to be a helpful friend on the surface, but when we realized we had formed a relationship with someone who was criminal, inhuman, and engaged in perverse behavior, we were all deeply shocked."
Chomsky’s ties to Epstein have come under intense scrutiny since the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) released the "Epstein files" on the 30th of last month. The documents show that when Epstein came under investigation for sex trafficking in 2019, he sought Chomsky’s advice on how best to respond. In a message signed simply "Noam," Chomsky told him, "The best approach is to ignore it," and Epstein later shared this message with an acquaintance by email. The files also reportedly indicate that Epstein met with the Chomsky couple and that they discussed possible future visits to New York or the Caribbean.
Regarding this, Valeria argued that her husband’s advice to Epstein "needs to be understood in context." She said Epstein had told Noam that he was being unfairly persecuted, and that Chomsky spoke based on his own experiences with political controversies in the media. "Epstein fabricated a manipulative story about his case, and Noam, in good faith, believed it," she explained. She added that while she and her husband had dinner with Epstein at his home in New York and stayed at his apartments in New York and Paris, they never went to his Caribbean island and knew nothing about what happened there.
Valeria also revealed that there were "two financial transactions" between her husband and Epstein, suggesting these were likely a ploy by Epstein to gain easier access to Chomsky. She stressed that Epstein only acted as a financial adviser to them and that they never invested in any of Epstein’s companies.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter