Sleuth Report: Daniel Siad’s Epstein Recruitment Emails and Pro Trump Account
Daniel Siad was a model scout who maintained years of correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein about aspiring models and young women.
Released emails show Siad sending Epstein photographs, ages, physical descriptions, travel updates, and information about women he encountered while scouting internationally. Some of those discussions involved girls who were 15, 16, and 17.
New research by Bekah Day and Katie Chenoweth also connects Siad to an archived X account called “Thiley.” The account promoted Donald Trump, Jean Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, Israel, and other right wing political causes.
Siad died at his home near Paris on July 20, 2026 while French authorities were investigating allegations involving rape and human trafficking. He denied wrongdoing and was never charged.
His death remains under investigation. An autopsy found no signs of recent violence but did not immediately establish a cause of death.
Report Snapshot
Daniel Siad corresponded with Epstein for approximately a decade.
His emails discussed young women, teenage models, photographs, introductions, expenses, and international scouting trips.
Siad continued communicating with Epstein after Epstein became a registered sex offender.
French authorities opened an organized human trafficking investigation in February 2026.
Twenty four women were identified as alleged victims or witnesses concerning Siad or other people within the French investigation.
Investigators placed Siad under telephone surveillance but had not collected enough evidence to arrest him before his death.
Archived records connect Siad to the Thiley X account.
The account repeatedly promoted Donald Trump and French nationalist politicians.
Nothing currently establishes that Trump directed, financed, or knew about the account.
Who Was Daniel Siad?
Daniel Amar Siad was a model scout of Algerian origin who held connections to France, Sweden, Spain, and several international modeling markets.
Siad worked with or around prominent modeling agents, including Jean Luc Brunel and Gérald Marie.
Brunel helped create MC2 Model Management with financial support from Epstein. French authorities later arrested Brunel on allegations involving rape of minors and sexual harassment. Brunel denied the allegations and died in custody before trial.
Siad’s released correspondence shows that his own connection to Epstein was extensive. His name appears nearly 2,000 times in the expanded document releases, according to Reuters.
Siad told French media that his relationship with Epstein was strictly professional. He maintained that he introduced women for legitimate modeling opportunities and did not know Epstein was abusing anyone.
Siad Scouted Women for Epstein
Siad’s emails document repeated efforts to locate women and aspiring models for Epstein.
He sent Epstein ages, nationalities, measurements, photographs, and assessments of physical appearance. Epstein frequently responded with questions about age or requests for additional photographs.
In a 2014 exchange, Siad compared his work to fishing. He explained that sometimes he found someone quickly and sometimes he found no one.
He also told Epstein that he had arranged for women from Sweden, Slovakia, France, Russia, and China to be available for a meeting Epstein failed to attend.
Guardian reporting on the released emails found that at least five of the girls discussed during one scouting period were 16 or 17. Another was a 15 year old French girl whose parents reportedly supported her modeling ambitions.
These emails establish that Siad discussed minors with Epstein. They do not establish that each girl met Epstein or experienced abuse.
Epstein Reimbursed Siad’s Expenses
The correspondence shows that Epstein offered to reimburse Siad for expenses associated with scouting and arranging meetings.
In one exchange, Siad estimated that meals, travel, and other expenses connected to scouting in Eastern Europe would cost at least €4,000.
Epstein also approved payments through his accounting staff. In 2018, he forwarded Siad’s bank details to an accountant while referring to a five year loan for $25,000.
These financial communications are important because they suggest that Siad was not merely sending occasional social recommendations. Epstein was financially supporting at least some of the activity.
The records do not establish that every payment was made for recruitment or that each payment funded illegal conduct.
The Modeling Explanation
Siad insisted that he was arranging legitimate castings.
He said Epstein maintained a large Paris apartment where model castings were conducted for agencies and brands. Siad claimed that the meetings lasted only a few minutes and that he left with the models afterward.
However, Epstein held no identified formal position at a modeling agency during much of the period covered by the correspondence.
The emails also went beyond ordinary professional information. They included sexualized assessments, comments about breasts, repeated requests for full body photographs, and an emphasis on women who looked younger than their actual ages.
That does not independently prove trafficking. It does create a serious question about why a convicted sex offender was being supplied with photographs and access to young aspiring models.
For additional background, read the EpsteinWiki report on Jeffrey Epstein’s access to models and modeling agencies.
Allegations Against Siad
Former Swedish model Ebba Karlsson accused Siad of raping and threatening her after scouting her in Stockholm in 1990. Siad denied knowing Karlsson and denied her allegations.
Another woman, identified publicly as Malika, told French police that Siad approached her in Paris in 2013, offered a modeling opportunity, and introduced her to Epstein.
She said Epstein hired her as a masseuse and that Siad later encouraged her to recruit additional women. Siad’s lawyer denied that he made the introduction.
At least five women reportedly submitted allegations accusing Siad of rape, sexual assault, or trafficking related conduct.
These claims remain allegations. Siad was not convicted or formally charged in connection with them.
The French Investigation
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a broad investigation on February 18, 2026.
The investigation concerned organized human trafficking and criminal conspiracy. It followed the release of additional Epstein records and a renewed examination of evidence from the Jean Luc Brunel investigation.
French prosecutors assigned approximately ten investigators to analyze the released files.
By July 22, prosecutors said 24 women had come forward or had been identified as alleged victims or witnesses concerning Siad and other individuals. Sixteen had already been interviewed, while eight additional interviews were scheduled.
The investigation expanded internationally. France sent a mutual legal assistance request to the United States and participated in a European Investigation Order originating from Poland.
Siad was subjected to special investigative techniques, including telephone interception.
French prosecutors specifically stated that the surveillance had not produced enough evidence to justify his immediate arrest before his death.
Reuters confirmed the investigation and surveillance details.
The larger French investigation remains active despite the termination of any possible criminal proceeding against Siad.
Siad’s Death
Siad was found unresponsive at his home in Colombes, northwest of Paris, on July 20, 2026.
His attorney initially said that he died from a heart attack.
The Nanterre prosecutor opened an investigation to determine the cause of death. An autopsy conducted on July 23 found no signs of recent violence connected to his death.
The examination identified poor health and evidence of a previous heart attack that could have created a risk of sudden death. Toxicology and pathology examinations were ordered.
Reuters reported that the autopsy found no signs of violence.
As of the latest publicly verified reporting, the final cause of death had not been announced.
There is currently no verified evidence that Siad was murdered, poisoned, or killed because of the Epstein investigation.
The Thiley X Account
Bekah Day and Katie Chenoweth identified an archived X account using the name Thiley as an account operated by Siad.
The strongest attribution evidence is not merely a similar name or shared political interest. Archived posts reportedly include videos showing Siad’s face while he discussed Epstein and defended his own conduct.
View an archived February 2026 video from the Thiley account.
The account changed its display name at different times, but the underlying account name remained Thiley.
The archived history reportedly extends across more than 200 captured pages.
Explore the archived Thiley account.
The account reportedly became unavailable in June 2026, approximately one month before Siad’s death.
The Pro Trump Content
Archived posts from the Thiley account repeatedly praised Donald Trump.
The account wished Trump a happy birthday, sent him supportive messages, shared videos promoting him, and referred to him as a political savior.
View an archived pro Trump post.
The political activity appears to have begun publicly around 2019 and continued into 2026.
This evidence supports describing the account as pro Trump. It does not show that the account was an official campaign operation, a paid influence account, or part of a coordinated political program.
No evidence reviewed for this report establishes that Trump communicated with Siad through the account or knew Siad was operating it.
The Le Pen Connections
Siad’s social media included photographs with Jean Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s National Front.
Jean Marie Le Pen built his political career around nationalism and opposition to immigration. He was repeatedly condemned for racist and antisemitic statements and for minimizing the Holocaust.
Siad also posted birthday wishes for Marine Le Pen.
View an archived Marine Le Pen post.
Photographs can establish that Siad met or socialized with Jean Marie Le Pen. They do not prove that he held an official position in the National Front or National Rally.
Steve Bannon’s separate political relationship with Marine Le Pen demonstrates an overlap between Trump aligned political organizing and the French nationalist movement. It does not establish that Bannon and Siad coordinated with one another.
The Kabylia Political Connection
Siad was also reported to have served as a representative connected to the Movement for the Self Determination of Kabylia.
The movement advocates independence for the Kabyle region of Algeria and is led by Ferhat Mehenni.
Siad’s archived political material reportedly promoted cooperation between Kabyle activists and Israel.
This affiliation helps explain some of the account’s political themes. It does not establish a connection between the movement and Epstein’s crimes.
Claims about intelligence activity, foreign political direction, or coordinated influence operations would require evidence beyond social media posts and political photographs.
Cuba and the Castro Family
An Epstein document records Siad discussing travel to Havana and Santiago de Cuba following Fidel Castro’s death in 2016.
Siad told Epstein he had encountered attractive young women and would continue providing updates.
View the Cuba correspondence in EFTA01621961.
The messages also discussed a possible modeling venture involving Joey Hunter, a former president of Ford Models.
Other correspondence reportedly concerned potential business with one of Fidel Castro’s sons.
The Cuba messages extend the geographic reach of Siad’s scouting activity. They show that he continued discussing women and modeling opportunities with Epstein while traveling internationally.
They do not establish that a Cuban modeling agency was created or that members of the Castro family participated in Epstein’s sexual exploitation.
Social Photographs Are Not Proof of Complicity
Siad was photographed with numerous public figures, including Jean Marie Le Pen, Salma Hayek, François Henri Pinault, Benjamin de Rothschild, and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Those photographs document access and social proximity.
They do not prove that the photographed people knew about Siad’s communications with Epstein. They also do not establish that they participated in recruitment, trafficking, or abuse.
The same evidentiary standard applies to a photograph allegedly showing Siad during a delegation visit to Israel.
The person in the image may instead be French diplomat Frédéric Journès. Without reliable identification, the photograph should not be used to claim that Siad joined the delegation.
What the Evidence Establishes
Siad maintained a long correspondence with Epstein.
He sent Epstein information and photographs concerning aspiring models and young women.
Some correspondence concerned girls who were 15, 16, and 17.
Epstein reimbursed or financed some of Siad’s activities.
French authorities investigated Siad and placed his telephone under surveillance.
Multiple women accused Siad of serious misconduct.
Archived videos strongly support the attribution of the Thiley account to Siad.
The account repeatedly promoted Trump and French nationalist politics.
Siad discussed scouting and modeling opportunities in Cuba with Epstein.
What the Evidence Does Not Establish
The evidence does not establish that every woman discussed by Siad met Epstein.
It does not prove that every modeling introduction involved exploitation.
It does not establish that Siad was convicted of trafficking or sexual assault.
It does not prove that Trump knew Siad or knew about the Thiley account.
It does not establish coordination among Siad, Trump, Bannon, or the Le Pen family.
It does not show that Siad’s political contacts participated in Epstein’s crimes.
It does not establish that Siad was murdered.
Key Takeaways
Siad’s emails show that Epstein maintained access to a continuing international supply of aspiring models after becoming a registered sex offender.
The correspondence included minors, sexualized assessments, photographs, and financial support.
The Thiley archive adds a political dimension to Siad’s public identity. It shows sustained support for Trump and French nationalist politics.
The political material does not prove an organized influence operation or a direct relationship with Trump.
French authorities were actively investigating Siad but had not gathered enough evidence to arrest him before his death.
The absence of violence at autopsy makes claims of assassination unsupported by the current evidence.
Siad’s death prevents prosecutors from bringing a case against him, but the broader French investigation continues.
Sources
- Bekah Day and Katie Chenoweth, Jeffrey Epstein’s Recruiter Ran a Pro Trump Account Before He Died
- Daniel Siad’s Cuba correspondence with Epstein
- Guardian investigation into Siad’s emails
- Reuters report on Siad’s death and the French investigation
- Reuters report on Siad’s autopsy
- Washington Post investigation into Siad’s recruiting emails
- Archived February 2026 Thiley video
- Archived pro Trump post
- Archived Marine Le Pen birthday post
- Archive index for the Thiley account
- Justice Department announcement of Epstein’s 2019 charges