The name of Nursultan Nazarbayev has emerged in the context of the Jeffrey Epstein case, who was convicted of pedophilia. These documents, made public due to political turmoil in the U.S., shed light on a long-standing and dirty conflict among the Kazakh elite, as well as its desire to establish connections with Washington. Orda.kz investigated the details of the declassified materials.
What do the documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case conceal? Why did Donald Trump call for their release? How are influential politicians and diplomats connected to this, and what does it have to do with the conflict in Kazakhstan? Let's break it down step by step.
A New Political Scandal in Washington
A new political scandal is brewing in the U.S. The Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into possible connections between Jeffrey Epstein, a well-known businessman and financier, and several prominent members of the Democratic Party, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and other notable financiers.
Epstein himself earned a "bad reputation" by inviting celebrities and high-ranking officials to his private island and was under investigation for the sexual exploitation of minors. In 2019, while in custody, he committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell.
During the court proceedings, the scale of the criminal network that Epstein allegedly created was revealed. The documents describe a wide range of crimes, including rape, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, forced detention, and the abduction of women and children.
In the Epstein case, facts emerged that dealt a blow to the Democrats. After the publication of part of the correspondence mentioning Trump, the U.S. president demanded "to reveal the whole truth" and to investigate Epstein's connections with other influential politicians.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump stated that he was asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to "investigate the connections and relationships of Jeffrey Epstein" with Clinton and others, as the Democrats "speculate" on selective data. But what is the connection to Kazakhstan?
Unexpected Findings
In diplomatic correspondence from 2011, materials were found that, at first glance, had no relation to the Epstein case. However, they became part of the discussion, as the Democrats use them as an example of "suspicious contacts" of foreign figures with American officials, while Republicans counter by showing that such connections existed for everyone.
One of the documents describes a long-standing conflict between Rakhat Aliyev, a former high-ranking security official and son-in-law of Nazarbayev, and former President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Rakhat Aliyev was found dead in one of the Vienna prisons in 2015. He was considered one of the most controversial figures in Kazakh politics and triggered a political crisis in 2001, as well as being involved in a scandal known as "Rakhatgate." Aliyev was tried in absentia and sentenced to 40 years in prison on charges of treason and attempted coup.
The Epstein materials state that Aliyev sought to gain support from the U.S. in his confrontation with Nazarbayev, wishing for "either safe haven in the U.S. or assistance in recovering two billion dollars," which he claimed were lost due to the seizure of his business.
"Nazarbayev (the Kazakh leader) wants to be assured that the Americans will not interfere in this dispute and will not allow it to affect their relations with his government. The Obama administration acted exactly that way. The former ambassador to Kazakhstan clearly expressed his caution regarding involvement in this conflict," noted Epstein.
According to the correspondence, American diplomats tried to avoid internal conflicts in Kazakhstan. Former ambassador Richard E. stated:
"Both sides — the government and Aliyev — are trying to use us for their own interests."
From the documents, it became clear that:
- Nazarbayev sought to prevent U.S. interference, fearing for the relations between the countries.
- Aliyev, while in Europe, claimed that "fabricated charges" had been brought against him.
- He hired American lobbyists to draw Congress's attention and discredit Nazarbayev.
Thus, lobbyist Rahall explicitly spoke about the pressure strategy:
"The alternative is to put the existing regime in an awkward position," she wrote to her supervisor in July 2008.
She emphasized human rights violations in Kazakhstan, and at her initiative, at least five statements regarding the persecution of political opponents were made in Congress.
Reasons for the Relevance of the Topic
Republicans argue that if Democrats showcase any documents mentioning Trump, they should be prepared for all diplomatic and financial ties of the elite to surface — including contacts of Democrats with dubious foreign politicians.
To demonstrate that Democrats also "played closed contacts," Republicans began to raise various arrays of diplomatic materials, among which were documents mentioning Nazarbayev, Aliyev, and their attempts to influence American structures.
Thus, the Kazakh topic surfaced not due to a direct connection with Epstein, but as part of the political struggle in Washington. Nevertheless, this is something that Kazakh officials would clearly prefer to keep hidden.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that it would evaluate any mentioned connections but clarified that this is only about verification, not about acknowledging anyone's guilt.
