David Weinstein
Snapshot
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | David S. Weinstein, Florida attorney and former federal and state prosecutor. |
| Relevant role | Assistant United States attorney temporarily covering public information duties in January 2008. |
| Documented connection | A dispute over his conversations with New York Times reporter Landon Thomas during the Epstein investigation. |
| Primary records | May 19, 2008 defense letter and June 2, 2008 draft government letter. |
| Main limit | The defense allegation was contested. The cited letters are not a ruling that misconduct occurred. |
Introduction
David S. Weinstein is a Florida lawyer whose connection to the Epstein matter concerns his work as a federal prosecutor. His law firm biography records service in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
In 2008, Epstein’s defense team challenged Weinstein’s contacts with a reporter while he was temporarily handling public information duties. An internal government draft disputed the complaint. The relevant documents contain competing accounts, not an adjudicated finding that he improperly disclosed case information.
Key Takeaways
- The June 2008 government draft identifies five calls with reporter Landon Thomas between January 2 and January 7, 2008.
- Epstein’s lawyers alleged improper disclosure of confidential information. The government said Weinstein discussed general legal matters.
- These sources concern a prosecutor’s media contacts. They do not establish a personal relationship with Epstein or participation in his abuse.
Professional Background
Jones Walker’s professional biography identifies Weinstein as a partner in its litigation practice. It records more than nine years as a Miami-Dade assistant state attorney, followed by a decade as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of Florida. He returned to private practice in 2009.
The biography and the contemporaneous government correspondence identify the subject as the prosecutor David S. Weinstein. A shared surname is not sufficient to connect other people’s biographies or conduct to him.
The January 2008 Media Contacts
A June 2, 2008 draft government letter describes Weinstein as covering for the district’s public information officer during the first week of January. It lists five telephone conversations with New York Times reporter Landon Thomas: two on January 2, followed by calls on January 3, January 4, and January 7.
The draft was addressed to Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip and bears the typed names of U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman. Sloman’s preceding email calls it a draft letter to the deputy attorney general. The copy has no handwritten signatures, and these pages do not establish that this version was sent. Its account is not an independent transcript of the calls.
Defense Allegation and Government Response
The defense complaint
In a May 19, 2008 letter to Filip, defense lawyers Kenneth W. Starr and Joe D. Whitley alleged that Weinstein had disclosed confidential allegations, prosecution theories, and plea negotiation information. They referred to what they described as Thomas’s contemporaneous notes and disputed the government’s explanation. The letter sought further Justice Department review on Epstein’s behalf.
The contemporaneous rebuttal
The June 2 government draft said Weinstein repeatedly declined to discuss specific cases and instead explained statutes and legal procedure. It said Acosta had approved the initial contact and that Thomas later acknowledged that their discussions concerned general legal issues.
The draft provides a call by call account. It says the final January 7 conversation followed a defense complaint about disclosures. This is a material contemporaneous rebuttal, but it is an internal draft containing one side’s account of a disputed exchange.
Weinstein’s later response
In December 2025, Weinstein told Al Jazeera he discussed general law and procedure, not Epstein’s case.
Chronology
- January 2 to 7, 2008: The government later identifies five calls between Weinstein and Thomas during Weinstein’s temporary public information assignment.
- May 19, 2008: Starr and Whitley raise the media disclosure complaint in their letter to Filip.
- June 2, 2008: Sloman circulates a draft containing a detailed rebuttal.
- 2009: Weinstein returns to private practice, according to his professional biography.
Evidence Appearances
- HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025353 through HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025360: May 19, 2008 Starr and Whitley letter. The actual file contains eight pages. The Weinstein allegations appear on PDF page 7 / HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025359, also marked A001444. Date and parties appear on page 1; the request continues on page 8.
- EFTA00190438 through EFTA00190450: June 2, 2008 draft government letter within the larger file EFTA00190318, PDF pages 121 through 133. The media contact discussion is on PDF pages 129 through 131 / EFTA00190446 through EFTA00190448, printed letter pages 9 through 11. The typed Acosta and Sloman names appear on PDF page 133. Sloman’s covering email identifies a draft on PDF pages 119 and 120 / EFTA00190436 and EFTA00190437.
Limitations and Unresolved Questions
The cited correspondence establishes a defense allegation and a contemporaneous government draft disputing it and describing Weinstein’s assignment. It does not supply a recording of the calls or a ruling resolving the specific disclosure dispute. No such ruling was located in the sources reviewed.
These records do not establish that Weinstein was Epstein’s personal associate, designed the nonprosecution agreement, or participated in abuse. They also do not justify calling the defense allegation a proven leak or disciplinary finding. Those conclusions require evidence beyond the letters.
Conclusion
Weinstein’s documented role in these sources is that of a federal prosecutor handling media inquiries. The defense complaint and the government’s internal draft rebuttal preserve opposing accounts. Their disagreement remains unresolved in the cited documents.
Questions and Answers
Which David Weinstein is this?
David S. Weinstein, the Florida attorney who served as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of Florida.
Did the letters establish an improper leak?
No. Epstein’s lawyers alleged improper disclosure, and the prosecution disputed their account. The letters are not a finding of misconduct.
Was the June 2 letter a final sent response?
The surrounding email identifies it as a draft. The cited copy does not establish final dispatch or receipt.
Sources
- “David S. Weinstein”. Jones Walker professional biography, accessed October 18, 2026.
- Starr and Whitley letter to Mark Filip. May 19, 2008. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025353 through HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025360, especially PDF page 7 / HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025359. Roll Call public release copy.
- June 2, 2008 draft government letter to Mark Filip. EFTA00190318 compilation, PDF pages 121 through 133; relevant media section at pages 129 through 131. Preceded by Sloman’s draft email on PDF pages 119 and 120. Typed names of R. Alexander Acosta and Jeffrey H. Sloman. Roll Call public release copy.
- Al Jazeera. John Power, December 13, 2025.