The Social Democrats and party TD Gary Gannon have apologised and agreed to pay damages to former minister for justice Alan Shatter following a social media post relating to the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Gannon, the party’s spokesman on justice, falsely claimed a daily schedule from September 2011 for former US attorney general Eric Holder actually related to the now dead paedophile Epstein.
He posted on Instagram calling on Tánaiste Simon Harris and the current Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, to clarify if such a meeting took place between Shatter and Epstein.
Shatter told The Irish Times that Gannon’s post led to a “tsunami of invective and antisemitic abuse” against him on social media.
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He believed the post insinuated he had some relationship with Epstein or that he approved of his activities in some way.
He wrote twice to the Social Democrats demanding they withdraw the claims against him.
“It was suggested that I was a paedophile, that I had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, it was suggested that I commit suicide. There were pictures of nooses posted in case I didn’t understand how to commit suicide.
“I am hoping that those people who posted this material on social media will now have the decency to delete it.”
In an apology published on his social media accounts, Gannon acknowledged that his original post, which he deleted but was shared via screenshots, had led Shatter to be “wrongly targeted, vilified and subject to antisemitic abuse”.
[ Epstein files: Key revelations and some stories you may have missedOpens in new window ]
“I and the Social Democrats party unreservedly apologise to Mr Alan Shatter for all damage and hurt caused and ask that no further reliance be placed on my post and that there be an end to any repetition of the hurtful and abuse narratives it instigated.
“I acknowledge that Alan Shatter never met or arranged to meet Epstein nor had any relationship or contact with him.
“The meeting recorded was an official government engagement in Dublin between then Minister Shatter and attorney-general Holder on the 21st September 2011 and had no connection of any nature to Mr Epstein.”
“I appreciate Alan Shatter agreeing to resolve this matter by the issuing of this statement and the payment of an agreed sum by way of damage.”
Shatter said the apology was the result of two weeks’ of negotiations with the Social Democrats and the matter was now resolved.
