# Epstein Evidence Strength Ladder

Updated: 2026-06-25

## Boundary
The stronger the claim, the stronger the required evidence. Conviction, plea, court finding, authenticated exhibit, sworn testimony, email record, flight/contact record, settlement, news report, and speculation are not the same evidentiary weight.

## Evidence Levels
- Level 1 — Conviction / Plea / Court Finding: The site may state the finding precisely and link to the legal record. Warning: Do not extend the finding beyond the named person, charge, count, court, and date.
- Level 2 — Authenticated Exhibit / Official Disclosure: The site may state that the document exists, what it says, and where it came from. Warning: The document proves the record item; interpretation still needs context.
- Level 3 — Sworn Testimony / Deposition / Congressional Testimony: The site may state that a person testified, alleged, denied, or described something under a formal process. Warning: Sworn testimony is evidence, not automatic final truth unless adopted by a court or finding.
- Level 4 — Email / Schedule / Ledger / Contact Record: The site may state that a communication, scheduling item, payment trail, or contact record exists and classify its network function. Warning: Contact proves contact. It does not automatically prove motive, knowledge, or criminal conduct.
- Level 5 — Flight / Visitor / Property / Logistics Record: The site may state a recorded travel, property, visitor, or logistics trail and ask what it connects to. Warning: Presence is not automatic participation. Tie it to dates, context, and other records.
- Level 6 — Settlement / NDA / Legal Threat / Sealed-Record Lane: The site may state that a settlement, NDA, sealing fight, or legal-pressure event exists and explain why it affects public knowledge. Warning: Settlement is not automatic admission unless the record says so.
- Level 7 — Reputable Reporting / Named Source Summary: The site may summarize what a reputable outlet reported and link to it while seeking the underlying file. Warning: Reporting is not the same as the underlying document. Use it as a route into the record.
- Level 8 — Open Question / Pattern Signal / Speculation Quarantine: The site may ask a labelled question if it names the triggering record and what would confirm or falsify the theory. Warning: Never write speculation as fact. Never add a name without a record.

## Claim Classifier
- Person named in file: The file names this person or entity in this record context. Do not shortcut to: Named in file = guilty
- Contact or correspondence: The record supports contact, communication, or relationship-frequency analysis. Do not shortcut to: Contact = knowledge of crimes
- Presence or travel: The record supports a presence/logistics trail that must be cross-checked against date, place, witness, and purpose. Do not shortcut to: Presence = participation
- Money or philanthropy: The record supports a money, access, legitimacy, consulting, donation, or reputation-laundering question. Do not shortcut to: Payment = criminal guilt
- Settlement or NDA: The record supports a silence-management, legal-pressure, or private-resolution question. Do not shortcut to: Settlement = admission
- Contradiction: The record conflicts with a public statement or creates a credibility-pressure lane. Do not shortcut to: Contradiction = proof of underlying allegation
- Conviction or court finding: The site may state the conviction or finding exactly as the court record supports it. Do not shortcut to: One person’s conviction = everyone around them is guilty